Tom Holland in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”
Sony Pictures Entertainment
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is a hit with Rotten Tomatoes critics, yet it is the lowest-ranked Tom Holland film in comparison to the actor’s three previous solo films as the legendary Marvel Comics character.
The review embargo for Spider-Man: Brand New Day lifted on Tuesday at 9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT following critics’ screenings across the country on Monday night. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, Spider-Man: Brand New Day picks up four years after the events of 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, which ended with Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) erasing everybody’s memories of Peter Parker (Holland) from everybody — including his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon).
While struggling through a lonely existence as he carries out the heroics of Spider-Man, Peter toys with trying to somehow reconnect with MJ and Ned while taking on a daunting new villain as his spider senses begin to grow out of control.
While Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer critics’ score was 92% out of the gate, the score has since dropped to 89% based on 120 reviews to make it the lowest-ranked Holland Spider-Man film on RT.
And while Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s critics’ score could potentially rise — or drop more — in the coming days as the film plays in Thursday previews and opens nationwide Friday, the current score marks the first time a Holland Spider-Man film has fallen below 90% on RT.
Tom Holland in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”
Sony Pictures Entertainment/Jay Maidment
What Critics’ Scores Did Tom Holland’s Previous 3 ‘Spider-Man’ Earn On RT?
Coming in at No. 3 on the Rotten Tomatoes’ list of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man films ranked on the aggregation site is 2019’s Spider-Man: Far from Home, which marks Holland’s second solo movie in the franchise.
Spider-Man: Far from Home earned a 91% “fresh” critics’ score on RT’s Tomatometer based on 454 reviews. RT’s Critics Consensus for the movie reads, “A breezily unpredictable blend of teen romance and superhero action, Spider-Man: Far from Home stylishly sets the stage for the next era of the MCU.”
Holland’s debut as Spider-Man in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming ranks No. 2 on RT’s list of the actor’s solo Spidey films. The film received a “fresh” critics’ score of 92% based on 396 reviews on the site’s Tomatometer with a Critics Consensus that reads, “Spider-Man: Homecoming does whatever a second reboot can, delivering a colorful, fun adventure that fits snugly in the sprawling MCU without getting bogged down in franchise-building.”
The highest-ranked Holland solo Spider-Man film on RT’s list is 2023’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, the Marvel superhero extravaganza which, of course, brings Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s multiversal versions of Peter Parker/Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The film, which earned a Spider-Man franchise-high $1.9 billion at the worldwide box office, was also a big hit on RT, earning a 93% “fresh” critics’ score on the site’s Tomatometer based on 429 reviews.
RT’s Critics Consensus for the film reads, “A bigger, bolder Spider-Man sequel, No Way Home expands the franchise’s scope and stakes without losing sight of its humor and heart.”
Rated PG-13, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which also stars Jon Bernthal, Sadie Sink, Tramell Tillman, Liza Colón-Zayas, Michael Mando and Mark Ruffalo, plays in preview screenings on Thursday before opening in theaters nationwide on Friday.