Peter Parker (Tom Holland) Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Disney/Marvel Studios
Spider-Man: Brand New Day sees Peter Parker (Tom Holland) grapple with the consequences of No Way Home.
Brand New Day isn’t too tangled up in the sticky, intricate web of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but casual viewers could miss some context—here’s what to know before watching.
‘Brand New Day’ Builds On The Twist Ending Of ‘No Way Home’
The previous entry, No Way Home, came out five years ago, and the twist ending of the film has a heavy impact on Peter Parker.
Each of Marvel’s Spider-Man movies adds a new complication to Peter’s not-so-secret identity, and No Way Home sees Peter flee from the consequences of being unmasked.
After Peter, Ned (Jacob Batalon) and MJ (Zendaya) apply to MIT and get rejected due to negative publicity, Peter runs to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for an easy, magical solution.
Strange obliges and casts a powerful memory-wiping spell, which Peter sabotages with indecisiveness, warping the multiverse.
This causes heroes and villains from other worlds to spill into Peter’s universe, with tragic consequences, such as the untimely death of Aunt May (Marisa Tomei).
The tragedy pushes Peter into making a hard decision to protect his loved ones, as Strange heals the fractured multiverse with a spell that causes everyone on Earth to forget Peter Parker’s existence.
Peter chooses not to reintroduce himself to Ned and MJ, hoping that they can live a safe, normal life without him.
This marks a major shift in Spider-Man’s character, as his first three MCU films depict Peter as somewhat irresponsible and immature.
Peter Parker Has Finally Grown Up
Holland’s Peter Parker was far removed from the working-class, self-made genius seen in other Spider-Man films.
Spidey fans criticized Marvel’s version of Peter as a “trust fund kid” relying heavily on the technology provided by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.).
This has changed at the start of Brand New Day, as Peter has been living a lonely life as a dedicated crimefighter without friends, family or the help of the Avengers.
Peter has hardened, finally maturing after making such a terrible mistake in the previous film.
Along with maintaining and upgrading his suit, Peter has also created his own AI assistant, growing into the self-made superhero envisioned by classic Marvel comics.
The Punisher Is Allied With Spider-Man
Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) recently appeared in Marvel’s television special The Punisher: One Last Kill—the murderous vigilante might seem an odd companion for Spider-Man, but Brand New Day makes the pairing work.
You don’t need to have seen One Last Kill to understand his role in the film—all you need to know is that Frank’s vigilantism is motivated by the brutal murder of his family by a powerful criminal network.
Unlike Spider-Man, Frank shoots to kill—one would think that this would be a dealbreaker for the webslinger (the morality of murder is a major plot point later in the film), but the two seem to agree to disagree.
The uneasy alliance formed after an unexplained incident on Staten Island, in which Spider-Man saved Frank’s life (much to Frank’s annoyance).
The details are never revealed, and Frank repeatedly denies being rescued, but he is clearly in Spider-Man’s debt, which proves vital to the story.
The Department Of Damage Control Is Back
A shadowy institution known as the Department Of Damage Control has been seen in previous Marvel films and TV shows, most recently in Wonder Man (which was abruptly cancelled and will not return for a second season).
Damage Control has featured in the MCU since the very beginning, mentioned in Iron Man.
Tasked with cleaning up the debris left by superpowered battles, Damage Control also confiscates otherworldly technology, reverse-engineering weaponry for the greater good.
As Damage Control director Bill Metzger (Tramell Tillman) explains in Brand New Day, the organization redirects the work of supervillains towards the task of crimefighting.
They even hire former criminals, such as the gang of scarlet-clad ninjas known as “The Hand.”
The Hand were previously seen in Daredevil, battling against Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), but have been reformed into agents for Damage Control.
Leftover pieces of weaponry from the MCU’s biggest battles have repeatedly come up as a plot point in the franchise, the stolen technology imbuing small-time criminals with major upgrades, transforming them into supervillains.
This was previously seen in Spider-Man: Homecoming, as Michael Keaton’s Vulture salvaged the technology, evolving into a dangerous threat.
One of the petty criminals from Homecoming, Mac Gargan (Michael Mando) returns in Brand New Day as Scorpion, armed with a mechanical tail.
The Hulk Returns For More Destruction
Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) appears in Brand New Day, but casual viewers might wonder how he got there.
Bruce’s relationship with the Hulk has changed as the franchise evolves. Bruce had no trouble controlling the Hulk in The Avengers, but later films depict him in a constant battle to contain his inner green monster.
After damaging his arm to defeat Thanos, Bruce heals himself using She-Hulk’s blood and figures out a way to revert to human form.
In Brand New Day, Bruce’s troubles seem behind him—he’s teaching a university class, and uses a wrist inhibitor device to keep the Hulk at bay.
Like everyone else, Bruce has no memory of Peter, but his device inspires Peter to invent his own suppression tech. Of course, the big, unfriendly giant is bound to break free, no matter how many protections are in place.
Without delving into major spoilers, that’s all you need to know before watching Spider-Man: Brand New Day.