The first wave of Spider-Man: Brand New Day reviews has landed, and the consensus is warmer than Marvel has enjoyed in a while. Tom Holland’s fourth solo outing as Peter Parker, the 38th film in the MCU, arrives this weekend with Zendaya returning alongside a supporting bench that includes Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner, Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle and Sadie Sink in a role nobody is willing to describe on the record.

Holland becomes the first actor to headline four standalone Spider-Man films, and most critics seem to think the extra mileage has been good for him.

A Rare Marvel Win

The overall verdict skews positive without being unanimous.

Several writers landed firmly in the enthusiastic camp. Tessa Smith of Mama’s Geeky said the film met and exceeded everything she had hoped for. William Bibbiani at TheWrap framed it as a genuine highlight of the franchise at a moment when strong MCU entries have become scarce. Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics observed that Holland’s run keeps improving with each installment, while Liz Shannon Miller at Consequence described a coherent and often joyful film built around giving the character room to grow.

Others were more measured. David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter suggested it satisfies what fans came for without reaching further. Owen Gleiberman at Variety was the most reserved of the bunch, calling it watchable but never quite transporting.

The Raimi Comparisons Keep Coming

The most striking pattern across the roundup is how many critics reached for Sam Raimi’s films as their reference point rather than any of Holland’s previous entries.

David Gonzalez of The Cinematic Reel wrote that this comes nearer to the spirit of the Raimi era than any MCU Spider-Man has managed. Alexander Zalben at Comic Book Club argued that director Destin Daniel Cretton has made the most essentially Spider-Man film since Spider-Man 2. Mike Ryan of The Hard Pass and Nagier Chambers of Big Gold Belt Media both placed it in the same conversation, with Ryan calling it the best of Holland’s four and the strongest since Raimi’s sequel.

Part of the appeal seems to be restraint. Rooney credited the film for finally dropping the multiverse talk. Miller noted that it avoids reaching for galaxy-level stakes and instead examines what actually keeps Peter going, which she considered an improvement.

Holland Gets Something to Play

Nearly every critic singled out the lead performance, and the language they used was remarkably consistent.

Rooney called it his best work yet in the role. David Ehrlich at IndieWire described it as the most nuanced and mature version of the character Holland has given. Gonzalez used the words grounded and emotionally resonant. Patrick Beatty of See It or Skip It added that it is also his most physically committed turn.

Hoai-Tran Bui at Inverse got at what changed: Holland is finally handed real dramatic material and sells Peter’s loneliness and inner conflict convincingly. Hopson made a similar point, noting that the actor can now carry the emotional weight that comes with the character’s guiding principle about power and responsibility.

Less MJ and Ned Than Fans Might Want

The trio at the film’s core draws praise, with a caveat attached.

Gonzalez called their work together some of the best they have done. Edward Douglas of The Weekend Warrior agreed that those scenes are the film’s strongest while pointing out there are noticeably fewer of them than in any previous entry. Beatty appreciated how Cretton earns the moments they share and finds fresh angles on relationships in a world where their history has effectively been erased, though he wanted more from Ned.

Ehrlich was blunter, arguing that the film repeatedly pushes its central relationships aside to service a villain backstory he found tedious enough to halt the momentum entirely.

The Supporting Cast Steals Scenes

Bernthal emerged as an unexpected favorite. Miller found the sight of Frank and Peter shouting at each other to be pure entertainment. Kaitlyn Booth of Bleeding Cool named their dynamic a standout, and Bibbiani described the pairing as comedy gold.

Ruffalo’s short return as Banner drew a nod from Gonzalez as further proof of his value in supporting roles, while Smith flagged Michael Mando as Scorpion, who makes an impression despite limited screen time.

The Sadie Sink Question

Nobody will say what she plays. Everyone has an opinion about it anyway.

Douglas called her one of the most inspired casting choices Marvel has made since Holland himself. Zalben described a performance with real emotional depth, a clear step beyond her Stranger Things work. Smith could only manage an excited non-answer. Booth, however, suggested that if anything undermines the film it is her storyline, for reasons she said were impossible to explain without spoiling.

Look, Sound and Length

Cinematographer Brett Pawlak earned some of the roundup’s most enthusiastic notes, with Gonzalez calling it one of the best-looking MCU films in years and Ryan going further to name it the best-looking superhero movie in a long stretch. Douglas appreciated that its largely daylight palette breaks from the visual sameness that afflicts so many Marvel entries.

Cretton’s commitment to practical filmmaking also drew repeated mentions, with critics noting ambitious set pieces, a memorable fight involving The Hand, and wire-work choreography that Rooney described as gravity-defying.

Michael Giacchino’s score got near-universal approval, though Gonzalez ranked it the weakest of the composer’s four Spider-Man efforts while noting that still places it above most of the genre.

The complaints cluster around runtime. At roughly two and a half hours, several critics found it bloated and episodic. Gleiberman thought it ran half an hour long. Beatty felt it leaves you wanting more of some characters and less of others. Bibbiani noted the villain’s plan falls apart the moment you think about it on the drive home.

Does It Hold Us Until Doomsday?

Opinions split. Gonzalez suggested that if this represents Marvel’s template going forward, the studio may have found its footing again. Booth was cooler, saying it does the job without recapturing whatever magic Marvel is chasing. Ehrlich argued that the franchise’s need to stall for time leaves Peter somewhere far removed from the predicament that opened the film.