‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Reviews Are In – Is it Tom Holland’s Best Spidey Movie Yet?

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is just days away, and the first reviews are officially here.

The Destin Daniel Cretton-directed movie hits theaters on Friday (July 31).

Who is in the new Spider-Man movie?

Tom Holland returns as the web-slinging superhero, alongside a superstar cast featuring Zendaya, Sadie Sink (in a still undisclosed secret role), Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal as the Punisher, Tramell Tillman, Michael Mando as Scorpion, and Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner.

What is the new Spider-Man movie about?

Here’s the official synopsis:

It’s a BRAND NEW DAY for Peter Parker. Fighting crime full-time as Spider-Man in a world that doesn’t remember him—and the pressure of seeing his old friends move on without him—sparks a change in Peter he may not have the power to control. But that transformation might also be the only thing that can stop a shocking new threat to the city and those he loves – a powerful villain no one can even see. The world may have forgotten Peter Parker, but he hasn’t forgotten them.

But what are the critics saying so far?

Spider-Man: Brand New Day currently has an 89% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

AV Club gives it a B+, writing: “If it’s not especially close to the majesty of Spider-Man 2 (and lacks the delirious highs of Spider-Man 3), it’s also pretty handily the best MCU Spider-Man movie since Homecoming.”

Empire gives it 4 out of 5, writing: “A more mature, emotional and distinctly ground-level Spider-Man, Brand New Day doesn’t escape some of the usual MCU pitfalls but finds its heart in an earnest performance from Tom Holland.”

The Guardian gave it 3 out of 5, writing: “It’s an entertaining spectacle, but really without the novelty of movie-iterations like the more experimental Spider-Verse animations. A more radical reboot is needed.”

The New York Post gave it 3.5 out of 4, writing: “Half a decade later, Brand New Day may sound like a Brady Bunch song, but it’s a much darker and more mature movie in look and feel from what came before. It’s both a continuation of the character and a necessary restart of the series.”

USA Today gave it a 3 out of 4: “While Brand New Day might not be the most rambunctious or exciting of Holland’s Spider-flicks, it aims to be a little deeper than the average MCU installment while trapping you in its gratifying web.”

The Times gave it 3 out of 5, writing: “Despite the film’s undeniable emotional power, there is evident frustration about where this drama might have gone if freed from the limitations of overfamiliar box-ticking biff-bammery.”

Metro gave it 4 out of 5, writing: “Things are stripped back a bit to allow its heart and soul – Tom Holland as Spider-Man – to really shine… Brand New Day is exactly how you should be making superhero movies in 2026, with plenty for fans and not enough to overwhelm the casual viewer.”

io9 says: “There are some teeny tiny blips along the way, but ultimately they don’t take away from the whole. This is an awesome movie with a huge heart.”

Den of Geek gave it 4 out of 5, writing: “Brand New Day is as much a homecoming for Spidey as the previous flick bearing that name. At last Holland is liberated to play the joy, as well as the agony and sorrow. It’s this triptych that makes Peter’s crucible of growing up so relatable.”

GamesRadar gave it 4 out of 5, writing: “While there’s much that feels familiar here, alongside some frustrating wheel-spinning as far as the MCU’s big picture is concerned, Brand New Day is a home run, and Marvel Studios’ strongest standalone outing since Endgame.”

RogerEbert.com gives it 2.5 out of 4, noting: “Affection for the characters who have been around for four movies now goes a long way to holding Brand New Day together, but it ultimately succumbs to one of the biggest problems of late-stage MCU: The feeling that it’s just preparation for more movies.”

Rolling Stone says: “The movie keeps getting tangled in a complicated web of its own making, one that feels all too familiar after several decades of superhero cinema sucking up the cultural oxygen.”

Mashable says: “This sequel feels bogged down by IP connections and brooding, which have been the albatross of too many other superhero movies to count.”

The Daily Beast says: “With the possible exception of Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man 2, it’s the wall-crawler’s best film to date.”

TheWrap says: “We don’t get many great MCU movies anymore. That this is one of the highlights of the whole franchise feels amazing. And spectacular. And sensational.”

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