Spider-Man: Brand New Day Will Finally Fix A Major Marvel Problem

Pop quiz: How many "Spider-Man" movies does it take to become Spider-Man? According to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that would be a grand total of four. Ever since his first appearance in "Captain America: Civil War" a decade ago, Tom Holland has firmly established himself as Peter Parker — yet another example of the studio's uncanny knack for pitch-perfect casting. But despite appearing in his own trilogy of movies and a smattering of crossovers, a growing segment of fans have been left to wonder whether there had been some mistakes made along the way (like the Russo Brothers' recent and controversial take on the character's origin). Namely, why the heck did we need to sit through this many movies just to see him officially become the Spidey we all know and love?

According to Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige and director Destin Daniel Cretton, "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" will finally address that lingering problem. The upcoming fourth film has always felt like a reset button, of sorts, taking place after the events of "No Way Home" wiped the memory of Peter Parker from the minds of everyone he held dear. That becomes slightly more literal as the film doubles down on our hero at his absolute lowest. As part of Empire's cover story for the blockbuster, Feige explained why any skeptical fans can breathe a sigh of relief:

"['Brand New Day'] is the first 'Spider-Man' film that we've made in the MCU that is focused on the classic elements of Spider-Man. He's doing the Spidey thing of living in a rather sad, small apartment, listening to the police scanner and going out and using his great power responsibly."

Does that justify pulling a surf Dracula on us for 10 whole years? Probably not. But better late than never, we suppose.

Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can ... all while refusing to process grief in a healthy way, apparently. Honestly, who could blame the guy? When we last saw Peter Parker, our wall-crawler had just saved the multiverse from certain doom, but at the cost of everyone he loves remembering who he is. Thanks to the "Brand New Day" creative team giving us a glimpse of some script pages, we know that the film will explore the ramifications of this choice. Add that on top of the traumatic loss of both Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) and Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark and, well, we'd probably hole up in our tiny apartment and develop some serious coping mechanisms, too.

Elsewhere in the Empire magazine story, director Destin Daniel Cretton describes exactly how poor ol' Pete decides to handle what life has thrown his way. "He is dedicating his entire existence to his job. That's the core theme that I find incredibly relatable," he explains. "I think most people at certain points in our lives have gone through loss. At least for me, and I think for many people, the result can be: 'Screw it. I'm just going to work. I'm going to do nothing else but work.' That's obviously not the most healthy state." That goes double for someone whose day job happens to entail working as a web-slinging hero tasked with fending off several different villains over the course of the film — from Michael Mando's Scorpion to the Captain America villain Tarantula to The Hand ... and to say nothing of whoever the heck Sadie Sink might be playing. Good luck!

"Spider-Man: Brand New Day" hits theaters on July 31, 2026.