so i just watched brand new day and it was so peak and i have many thoughts. read ahead if you're okay with spoilers
First of all, Spider-Man fans really won with this one. In the beginning, we got Peter Parker, depressed as hell, with an utterly miserable life. To other fandoms, this may be incomprehensible behavior, but trust me when I say this is a win for us. Second, we got a more comic-accurate suit and got to see his comic villains! There were a bunch of awesome recreations of comic book covers, so that was a really fun Easter Egg. Third, we got a lot of great swinging-through-NYC scenes. It really felt like a lived-in world, if that makes sense. Fourth, we finally got Peter Parker without his safety nets. This time, he has no billionaire father figure/high-tech suit/Happy/Aunt May/Ned/MJ to help him out (at first, that is). We see him figure this out while self-isolating. He's almost completely alone. I know a lot of people's complaints about the MCU Spider-Man was that he had too much support, so what did the writers do? They took away his support. I watched this really great video analysis of how they actually wrote him backwards, by building up his support, then ripping it all away.
I've seen a lot of people say that Peter's arc kind of resembled what it feels like to be in your twenties: grown-up, but not really, and just trying to figure it all out. I haven't experienced that yet (sorry!), but it hit really hard, and I'm sure it'll hit even harder once I am in that stage of my life.
Frank Castle was such a lovable side character. I know that sounds weird to say about this giant, muscular man with a gruff voice and a bunch of guns, but it's true! He's the seemingly tough but secretly softie friend that Peter needed. I'm not familiar with his media, but he was just a great addition.
I really adored Ned in this one. Ned and Peter immediately clicking, even with the mask between them, was just so cute. I just love that Ned, despite completely forgetting Peter Parker, felt enough of a connection to him to essentially stalk Spider-Man. Not out of any malicious intent, but just because he knows instinctively that there is something more to it than what he knows. And his muscle memory with their handshake! I wonder if it was specifically triggered by muscle memory, or if it was because of the magic he had, as established in No Way Home. Maybe that gave him a bit of resistance. I've seen some people claim he remembered completely, and honestly, I have to disagree with that, but I do think he will at least know they have more of a connection than he realizes. I love when friendships are treated so valuably by writers, and not just cast off as a lesser priority than romance.
Speaking of romance, MJ!!!!! The fakeout scene was so well-done. Her lack of reaction while swinging with him hinted at her being possessed! I actually love that she rejected Peter. I swear, this isn't just my sadism as a Spider-Man fan. It would've felt corny and just unrealistic if she immediately fell in love with Peter or remembered everything. She's allowed to be a little hurt and upset, too, because Peter took away a choice that should've been hers. But she's not mean about it at all. She's very understanding, and even seems to leave the door open for them to reconnect. She has really matured as a character, and it's wonderful to see. She wasn't immature before, but she really comes off as an adult with adult experiences (same with Peter and Ned) here, which just adds a new layer of complexity to who she is. She did cry when Jean Grey froze the city, and she was watching the TV anxiously, so I do think she feels at least a little connection to Peter. Now, she was holding onto the black dahlia necklace at the end, so maybe she is starting to remember a bit? I actually am hoping they get back together--but only after a while apart, where they can rebuild what they had.
Jean Grey was such a good fakeout antagonist. She's an angry teenage girl just trying to find her sister, and her actress did an amazing job portraying it (I love angry teenage girl characters). Sure, she hurt people, but she is ultimately a victim, and the narrative does such a good job handling that. It's just so special to me that empathy was all she needed to stop. I just want to give her a hug.
Now, for the villain, Damage Control and that Metzger guy were so freaking good at being bad. The Hand was moving like crazy--and to think he had recruited them specifically to take down Spider-Man! Metzger's actor had the perfect mix of false innocence and subtle manipulativeness. They were absolutely going to turn into those mutant hunters, right? Am I reading too far into things, or is this going to set up the X-Men saga? Were those universal inhibitors Peter made going to become those inhibitor collars used on mutants? (Oh my gosh, more guilt for Peter T_T)
The little stuff, like his interaction with Yelena, was so funny. I've seen a lot of people get mad about her "small potatoes" remark, and let me just say 1 thing: she is joking. She is not serious. She has a sort of snarky sense of humor. She's not dissing his accomplishments as Spider-Man, so chill out, y'all. The way Peter told MJ that he'd kissed her while she was possessed was just the right thing to do, and really the bare minimum, but a lot of media would've skipped right past that. The BND writers found a way to cleverly work that into the plot! And one thing that just made me happy was Bruce Banner, the genius he is, subtly picking up on that Peter (AKA Ned) who'd asked him about the universal inhibitor was the same guy as Spider-Man! I do feel bad for him, though, because he turned into the Hulk after years, and ended up in a mental hospital. I wonder if that will set up a Hulk movie soon?
I love that the overall message was that we need that human connection. The way he learns to trust and open up to people is just so... heartwarming, I guess? Despite how emotional this movie was at times, it really ended with a feel-good moment. I know people have been complaining about superhero fatigue, but this didn't give me that sense at all. It was very refreshing.
Anyway. I loved it so much that I stayed up all night writing a little fanfiction, so if you want to read it, you can right here.
don't you feel strange? (a part of me is you now) (1723 words) by JaiofSkyandStorm
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Jean Grey & Peter Parker, Frank Castle & Jean Grey
Characters: Jean Grey, Peter Parker, Frank Castle
Additional Tags: Spoilers for Movie: Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026), Movie: Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026), Canon Compliant, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional, One Shot, Short One Shot, Graphic Depiction of Injuries, Explicit Language, POV Second Person, Jean Grey-centric, Jean Grey Needs a Hug
Summary:
He's dead, is your first thought after his eyes fall shut. He's dead, and it's all your fault.
Your shaking hands fly to Peter's bruised face, then to his neck. You close your eyes. There. A faint fluttering of his pulse. You could sob with relief—you do sob with relief.
It's short-lived.
His pulse is weak and growing fainter. His bruised face is alabaster; his bloody lips are blue. He's barely breathing.
Breathing. Maybe that's how you can help him. You jump back into his mind, take control of his body.
You inhale. His chest rises. You exhale. His chest falls.
Sparks dance in the corner of your vision in his mind. They're dull, but they're still there. You check his pulse again. Weak, but still there. He's still there.
Or: In a desperate attempt to keep him alive, Jean Grey breathes for Peter.
