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Spider-Man: Brand New Day first reactions revealed as critics tease "tearjerker" moments
It's almost time for Tom Holland's Spidey to swing back into cinemas.
Sony Pictures
- Patrick Cremona
Published: Tuesday, 28 July 2026 at 11:48 am
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The first reactions are in for Spider-Man: Brand New Day ahead of its imminent release this week – teasing an emotional new adventure for the webslinger.
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The film will see Tom Holland reprise his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man for his fourth solo outing, almost five years after previous film No Way Home became a major smash hit.
He's joined once again by his real-life partner Zendaya as MJ and Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds while Stranger Things star Sadie Sink is the highest-profile new addition to the cast, in a role Marvel has been keen to keep under wraps.
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Mark Ruffalo also reprises his role as Bruce Banner/Hulk, while Jon Bernthal stars as Frank Castle/Punisher – his big-screen debut in the MCU after various appearances in Disney+ shows.
While first reactions are sometimes best taken with a pinch of salt – given they normally tend to skew more positive than reviews after the official embargo has lifted – those that have watched the film so far appear to have liked what they've seen.
"Spiderman Brand New Day is fantastic, no notes," wrote critic Wendy Lee Szany on X. "Top tier action! Love how deep the story goes into the consequences of Peter’s choice (from NWH) and how it affects his life as Peter and as Spider-Man."
She added: "Definitely some tearjerker moment in there. Felt like a mini Avengers film."
Fandango writer Erik Davis was equally as effusive, writing that director Destin Daniel Cretton "injects a ferocious energy into Spidey's latest adventure, delivering all the thrills you'd expect from a Tom Holland Spider-Man movie while feeling deeper, more thoughtful and more mature than the previous trilogy."
He also said that Sink was "perfect" in her mystery role while describing the film as "part detective story, part psychological thriller, part buddy comedy."
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Meanwhile, critic Peter Howell praised the film for leaving behind the multiverse "tedium" of recent MCU movies, arguing that it was "a grounded Spider-Man tale that’s back to the grungy city roots of the comic book hero we knew and loved", although he criticised the "bloated 145-minute running time."
A more measured take came from Twitter account The Holo Files, who called it "a mixed bag" adding that it "evokes the very best and the very worst of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy."
The official synopsis for the film teases: "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."
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is released in cinemas on Wednesday 29 July 2026.
Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
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Authors
Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
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