Spider-Man: A New Day

At this point, there are few releases from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) that generate excitement. But Spider-Man remains the exception. This was demonstrated with No Way Home (2021), which brought together three versions of the character and became one of the franchise's biggest successes. Now, Spider-Man: A New Day has hit theaters in the country with a more down-to-earth and, above all, more intimate approach.

Although it picks up the story from the previous film, this new installment feels almost like a reboot for Tom Holland's Peter Parker. Four years have passed since that spell that made him a stranger to everyone, and now he has to start from scratch. He lives alone in a storage unit that he also uses as a lab, makes his own suit, and fights crime on the streets of New York. But behind that hero whom the city admires lies a person who still bears the consequences of having given up the people he loved the most: MJ (Zendaya) and his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon).

A movie about the man behind the mask

The best stories of the arachnid have always been those that force him to deal with everyday problems: finding a job to pay the rent, maintaining a romantic relationship, or finding the balance between his personal life and the responsibility of being Spider-Man. It is these conflicts that have allowed entire generations to identify with him. But until now, Tom Holland's version had taken a different path, with a teenage Peter Parker under the tutelage of Tony Stark, surrounded by technology and embroiled in increasingly large threats. This film changes that approach and, for the first time in the saga, presents a more mature Peter Parker.

The script, once again by Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna, makes Peter's internal demons the true driving force of the story. The crisis caused by his solitude makes his spider-sense evolve uncontrollably, even leading to his webs becoming organic, in a clear nod to the version played by Tobey Maguire in Sam Raimi's trilogy. Just as in Spider-Man 2 (2004), where Peter lost his abilities due to stress and the impossibility of maintaining his double life, this time the conflict arises from a much deeper wound: the love he still feels for MJ, who no longer remembers who he is.

A new day, a new beginning for Spider-Man

One of the most interesting points of the film is how it leverages Spider-Man's criminal world and integrates it into a universe where he is not the only hero protecting New York. The Scorpion (Michael Mando), Boomerang, Tarantula, The Hand, and Tombstone (Marvin Jones III) are part of a gallery of villains that emerge as part of the arachnid's daily routine. However, the appearance of an invisible threat leads Peter to confront a much more dangerous enemy that acts as a reflection of his own fears.

In this vein, another smart choice is the presence of allies like Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) and the relentless Frank Castle, also known as The Punisher (Jon Bernthal). If there are characters who understand what it means to live with an internal monster, it is them: a man who spent years trying to control Hulk and a former soldier marked by the loss of his family. The sequences with Hulk stand out as he regains a wild facet not seen since Avengers: Infinity War (2018), while the dynamic between Spider-Man and Punisher combines humor, action, and an unexpected emotional weight.

The arrival of Destin Daniel Cretton as director also marks a significant change from the previous trilogy. The filmmaker already demonstrated in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) how good he is at filming action, and here he makes use of each of the arachnid's abilities to achieve it. The spectacularity he generates in Spider-Man's movements between the buildings of New York also recalls The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). On the other hand, the chases and fights have a dynamic reminiscent of the Marvel's Spider-Man video game from Insomniac Games. This is complemented by the colorful photography of Brett Pawlak, with a remarkable handling of shadows, giving it a comic book feel without losing seriousness when necessary.

Although Spider-Man: A New Day is not a perfect film by any means, it succeeds in focusing on the wounds that Peter carries inside. And that is enough for it to become, so far, the installment closest to the essence of the character within the saga starring Tom Holland.