By George & Josh Bate
Spider-Man swings back into theaters later this month, five years after the whopping success of 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. Tom Holland dons the iconic Spidey suit again for a fourth Marvel Cinematic Universe outing that promises to tell a more intimate, street-level story of Peter Parker.
The last time Peter (Tom Holland) featured in the MCU, his life changed forever. Following Dr. Strange’s spell at the end of No Way Home, the entire, including those he loves the most, forgot that he exists. Four years on, Peter thrives as the friendly neighborhood web-slinger, while struggling to come to terms with isolation from his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon). But when a powerful new threat (Sadie Sink) emerges, Peter undergoes a surprising and potentially dangerous evolution in his powers.
The HoloFiles recently had the opportunity to attend a press conference for Spider-Man: Brand New Day with stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Sadie Sink, and Jon Bernthal, producers Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal, and director Destin Daniel Cretton. In an insightful and fascinating discussion, the talent in front of and behind the camera of the new Spidey flick discussed the reasoning behind the film’s title, the role New York City plays in the film, how The Punisher was included without compromised his character, Sadie Sink’s mysterious character, what lesson Peter failed to learn from Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man, and more.
“We Put Ourselves in a Really Difficult Position at the End of” Spider-Man: No Way Home
Nearly grossing $2 billion at the global box office in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Spider-Man: No Way Home was a resounding financial hit and one of the MCU’s most beloved entries post-Avengers: Endgame. Jon Watts’ film, which saw Holland’s Spider-Man interact with multiversal versions of the character played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, stunned audiences with an ending that had Peter realize that the only way to protect the multiverse was to erase himself from everyone’s memory.
For as bold as such an ending was, it also placed the creative team tasked with masterminding the inevitable sequel into a corner. “We put ourselves in a really difficult position at the end of that movie,” explained producer Amy Pascal, “because those movies that we’d made before were all about people finding out who Spider-Man was, that made his life a different kind of life than Spider-Man usually has. So what we decided to do is make it much more difficult and take him back to a place where nobody knew who he was because that is always Spider-Man’s dilemma.”
With No Way Home uniting three beloved Spider-Men together for the first time, producers Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal may have been inclined to go bigger and even more multiversal with a sequel, but, instead, they did the opposite. “After you make a movie about three Spider-Men, there could be a tendency to want to make a movie that is more gigantic,” said Pascal. “And what we decided, especially because of the director that we had, was to make a movie that was smaller and that was about somebody’s personal life and that was about Peter and that it all came from him. And we always tried to do that with Spider-Man movies, but I think we succeeded really in this one to do that.”
Destin Daniel Cretton “Saved” Spider-Man: Brand New Day From a “Scary Time”
To tackle this more ground-level adventure for Spider-Man, Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures turned to Destin Daniel Cretton. No stranger to superhero fare, Cretton directed the acclaimed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings before overseeing the Disney+ series Wonder Man, which we named in our review as the best Marvel series of all time.
“When [Cretton] came in, it was a scary time,” explained Holland as he touched on initial difficulties landing on the right story for Brand New Day. “It was a scary time. And he saved us. He sure did.”
Feige, who at one point hired Cretton to direct Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, discussed his rationale behind bringing Cretton in to take over directing duties from Jon Watts, the director of the previous three Spider-Man movies. “Well, I mean, [Cretton] did such a great job on [Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings] for us and it was such a great experience,” reflected Feige. “And when you find people like that, like many of the people here, we want to keep them. We want to work with them. We want to keep working with them. And we were doing that with Destin. He did a show for us called Wonder Man. That is an excellent show. And he was working on a couple of other movies for us when this sort of opened up and we realized maybe this would be the one.”
Holland was quick to sing the praises of Cretton for his work on Brand New Day. “I think we can all agree that Destin nailed it,” Holland confidently said. “I think we are so lucky to have Destin as the captain of our ship. He came into this process when the movie was going in a hundred different directions and really what we needed was someone to come in and focus us all on one idea.”
Loneliness is the Central Theme of Spider-Man: Brand New Day
This “one idea” that Holland refers to is “what is life like for a young person who is alone,” explained the leading man. “That is something that people deal with all across the world.”
When audiences are reunited with Peter Parker at the start of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, they will be introduced to “the darkest chapter of his life,” said Holland. “The thing I love the most about the film is that it really represents, or it’s a cautionary tale for the dangers of living a life alone and not having a community, not having friends. And a lesson that he learned from Andrew’s character in the previous movie is that sometimes the bravest thing that you can do is ask for help. And he is actively ignoring that advice. And it is having a profound effect on his life as a human being.”
While Peter grapples with the isolation of not having MJ or Ned in his life, his superhero alter ego is thriving. “ We’re probably seeing the most truthful version of what Spider-Man means to New York City at the beginning of this movie,” commented Holland. “And the smashing of those two worlds is such a fun thing for us to play with. Standing on the world stage and beaming and doing all of this amazing stuff to then coming home to a pretty grubby New York apartment and nursing a headache to go to sleep. Especially the scenes when we’re watching [MJ and Ned] on Instagram. It’s just so true to what young people are going through on a daily basis. So for me, I really kind of dove into this new idea because it just felt so relatable, so prevalent with what’s happening in the world. And I love telling a movie on this scale that is something that I really think will resonate with young people.”
MJ and Ned Don’t Remember Peter But They “Feel Like Something is Missing”
As Peter anguishes in isolation, MJ and Ned have moved on with their lives. Zendaya’s character is in a relationship with a new man, played by Ahsoka star Eman Esfandi, whereas Ned spends his free time trying to uncover the identity of Spider-Man.
“I think unfortunately for Peter, Ned and MJ live really great full lives,” Batalon said. “But I think there’s also that sort of veil of they do feel like something is missing.” Zendaya similarly remarked, “For us, [Peter Parker] never existed, but clearly there’s an effect of Peter on our lives.”
The portrayal of MJ in the MCU so far has been decidedly different than most other depictions of the iconic character, primarily due to Zendaya’s pragmatism, deadpan sarcasm, and occasional cynicism. Zendaya noted, however, that MJ and Peter undergo a “reversal” of personalities in the new film. “I think that in previous films, MJ was always the pessimist and it was Peter that was always the optimist,” explained Zendaya. “And so it’s interesting to see that reversal. Now that he’s alone, he’s kind of adopted that negativity and she’s adopted his positivity without even knowing it. So there’s clearly something still there.”
Peter’s adoption of negativity continues a thematic throughline introduced in Spider-Man: No Way Home. “He was warned by the other Spider-Man men about what could happen,” Zendaya said. “And I think in many ways, this film is grappling with those ideas and really confronting the things that they warned him about.”
Sadie Sink is the “Breath of Fresh Air” that Spider-Man: Brand New Day Needed
Much of the discussion heading into Spider-Man: Brand New Day has revolved around the role Sadie Sink will play in the film. The Stranger Things alum enters the Marvel Cinematic Universe shrouded in immense frequency, with fans speculating that she may be playing Jean Grey in the upcoming movie.
Kevin Feige outlined how Sink ended up playing a key role in the film. “We were discussing what character to bring in, what types of characters, and villain agendas, and we were thinking, we had sort of this idea for a storyline, and we were thinking about various characters, of who it could be. And the reason it’s the character that people will see very, very soon, is because of Sadie, is because our co-producer Emily Fong said, well, ‘Sadie Sink could play this character.’ And Destin had worked with her, and within that moment, we went, oh, yes, it should be her, and it should be this character. Which is why there was no audition process or anything, there was some phone calls and stuff.”
While Sink was understandably tight-lipped about who she is playing in Brand New Day, Holland was quick to shower the new member of the MCU in praise. “Sadie had a really tough job coming into this massive movie with an established family,” Holland remarked. “And she fit in so perfectly. She was so professional. She gives an absolutely wonderful performance. And the emotion she brings, the professionalism, the heart, it’s exactly what this movie needed. It’s a breath of fresh air. It’s something fresh and unique. And we haven’t seen it before in one of these movies. So for me, I think Sadie is an unsung hero.”
“We Don’t Compromise Frank or The Punisher in Any Way”
Jon Bernthal will make his big screen debut as The Punisher in Spider-Man: Brand New Day after playing the fan-favorite vigilante for 10 years in television. Bernthal’s relationship with Spider-Man actor Tom Holland dates back even further as the two helped one another film their respective audition tapes for The Punisher and Spider-Man.
“Tom’s top notch for me,” Bernthal said. “And to have gotten to know him as a 17 year old guy who is just on a mission to do this. And I had never seen the focus and the dedication and the belief he went and he got this thing. And then to sort of root him on from afar and to see what’s come of his life and what this unbelievable franchise and so many people adore him. And then to become this unbelievable man and then to come back and step onto this set and to sort of see it fully realized from some dinky room in Ireland where we were slapping together these audition tapes.”
The Punisher made his first comic book appearance in 1974’s The Amazing Spider-Man #129, making Frank Castle the perfect fit for a big-screen Spider-Man movie. But fans, including Bernthal himself, were concerned about how the violent and unhinged character would fit into a PG-13, more family-friendly superhero film.
“Look, I’m enormously protective of Frank and the Punisher fans and what he stands for,” Bernthal passionately explained. “And that was a real question for me. And it’s such a testament to Destin and to Amy and Kevin and Tom and this entire group. It was a concern for them, too….I think what we set out to do is to make it believable that The Punisher could walk out of one of those TV-MA shows and onto this set and vice versa. And I think you’re going to get that while also just paying respect to this unbelievable tone of this film and what Destin did.”
Holland also spoke enthusiastically about welcoming The Punisher into the fold. “It was a real challenge to try and find a way to bring a character that is, for lack of a better word, an R-rated character and put him into our world,” Holland said. “And I think Destin managed that tonal shift in such an amazing way. Because I feel like we don’t compromise Frank and the Punisher in any way. That was really important to everyone up here today. And I am so excited for people to see the relationship between Spider-Man and Frank.”
The Scene in Brand New Day That Captures the “Essence of Spider-Man”
In response to a question about why audiences connect with Peter Parker and Spider-Man so strongly, producer Amy Pascal singled out a scene in Spider-Man: Brand New Day that captures “the essence of Spider-Man.”
“When he is sitting on the floor by the washing machine and he’s…looking at the key to the city, which is the thing that’s supposed to make him feel good about himself, and this little washing machine in this little apartment and his suit in there spinning around, I thought, that is the essence of Spider-Man,” Pascal said.
Tom Holland Explains the Role His Brother Plays in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Tom Holland’s real-life brother Harry Holland made a brief cameo as a thief in Spider-Man: No Way Home and now his other brother Paddy joins the Marvel universe, albeit in an unexpected way.
During the press conference, Tom Holland revealed that his younger brother Paddy “worked on the art department in this movie.” In discussing the painstaking lengths his brother and the rest of the production and art departments went to bring an authentic depiction of New York City to life, Holland explained, “Before we started shooting on the back lot, we would go and rehearse there a lot. And I would see my brother. And he’s working with the department. He was learning as you’d go. And you’d see him pop a chewing gum, chew, chew, chew, spit it on the ground, step on it, go another bit, chew, chewing gum. Then he had a scalpel. And he was digging up the traffic lines and stuff like that.”
Such extraordinary attention to detail to actualize New York City in the film speaks to the role the Big Apple plays in the story. “New York is as big a character in this movie as any of us sat up here today,” said Holland.
The Title of Spider-Man: Brand New Day Explained
The titles of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man movies are always interesting as they hold a number of different, often nuanced meanings. According to director Destin Daniel Cretton, Brand New Day is no different.
“Brand New Day, I think, is something that Peter hasn’t quite learned yet at the beginning of this movie,” said Cretton. “I think it represents something that he is deep inside hoping for. And you will see that, in many ways, Peter’s character and many of the other characters in this movie find that feeling of a brand new day and a new start over the journey of this film.”
“I’m So Proud Of This Movie”
As the press conference came to a conclusion, Holland movingly spoke about his gratefulness toward Spider-Man and his millions of fans around the world.
“The fans are as much a part of this process as we are,” Holland said. “We make these movies for them. We listen to them. There’s this amazing movement of young cinephiles around the world. And they have such great ideas and they’re so passionate. And we share that passion. So for me, to get to be the lucky kid that stands on that stage and represent that passion is just a gift that I will never take for granted. And I’m so proud of this movie.”