Marvel hits big at the box office with the fourth installment of the MCU’s beloved web-slinger.
*Spoilers ahead!*
By: A.L Salazar Gil
After the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, fans were eager to see what would happen to an isolated Peter Parker, making its theatre debut on July 31, 2026, one of the most anticipated movie releases of the summer. And for many fans of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, like Kevin Aguirre and Lewis Rodriguez, the film did not disappoint.
We follow Peter, now a young adult, still fighting crime and being New York’s beloved hero. At the same time, he’s keeping a close watch on best friend Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) and love interest MJ (Zendaya) as they navigate through college life with no memory of him at all. Most of all, Peter keeps to himself, choosing his alter ego above anything else. It gets harder to do, however, when he realizes he’s going through a sort of evolution, and with a mysterious foe on the loose.
Jean Grey, played by Sadie Sink, serves as the antagonist for most of the film. And even though she’s not revealed until much later, we get a good sense of how dangerous she can be. With the ability to jump into people’s minds and control them, she uses anyone to get past Damage Control to find something called ‘V-Max’, which could be one of the most gut-wrenching plot twists Marvel had ever done, despite many others feeling it was a weak reveal.
“I don’t think it was underwhelming,” says Aguirre. “It was really a surprising twist because it wasn’t a weapon, it wasn’t a drug, not even anything like that. It was just the last thing the character’s sister saw.”
Despite the controversy, it’s no doubt that Jean Grey is meant to be a tragic character, one which mirrors Peter and his own struggles perfectly. They both share deep losses and learn what it means to actually move forward in life, without having to carry grief all alone. And it’s shown beautifully in the scene where Jean can finally access Peter’s mind, with Aunt May’s memory being the one to break down her walls.
Emotional moments aren’t the only thing the film can do well. Action scenes elevate any superhero movie, and Brand New Day is no exception. With characters like The Punisher (Jon Bernthal) and The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) involved, it was no doubt why the iconic scene of Spider-Man teaming up with the Punisher against Hulk was one of Rodriguez’s favorites.
“That whole sequence was probably my number one,” says Rodriguez. “Because recently I’ve been getting into the Hulk, and I love looking at his character because of how much his character delves into mental health. And that scene in particular really shows Hulk’s strength the best out of any movie he’s been in so far.”
Rodriguez also describes an incredible shot of the battle itself, Spider-Man dragging The Punisher as he shoots at the Hulk, who’s jumping over them. It seems he and Aguirre weren’t the only ones who appreciated these side characters. Many others were eager to see how Frank and Peter would interact, and neither Rodriguez or Aguirre was worried about the number of side characters introduced. They both agreed that they all made wonderful additions and played their part, but nothing took away from Spider-Man himself.
“I’ve always thought he was the best Spider-Man,” Rodriguez says when referring to Holland. “But this movie just solidifies it.”
“He’s an experienced veteran at this point,” Aguirre agrees. “Fans will start to respect this Peter more.”
Spider-Man: Brand New Day will officially leave theatres on November 16, allowing fans around a month to experience all the emotional and action-packed moments on the big screen.
