“Spider-Man: Brand New Day”, Peter Parker’s loneliness in an entertaining film

Will it be another big summer hit following Christopher Nolan’s *Odyssey*? The outlook looks extremely promising for *Spider-Man: Brand New Day*, the undisputed box-office leader this weekend.

The 38th feature film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it is the fourth film in which Tom Holland takes centre stage as Spider-Man, following “Spider-Man: Homecoming” (2017), *Spider-Man: Far From Home* (2019) and *Spider-Man: No Way Home* (2021), though his pivotal role in *Captain America: Civil War* (2016), “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) and “Avengers: Endgame” (2019).

Five years on from the surprising film in which the protagonist found himself alongside two other ‘Spider-Men’ (played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, who had previously portrayed the character), a ‘new day’ has now dawned 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 without being able to reveal his true identity to them) triggers a change in Peter that he may not be able to control. But this transformation is perhaps the only thing capable of stopping a new and terrifying threat to the city and the people he loves: a powerful enemy who is invisible to the naked eye.

The world may have forgotten Peter Parker, but he hasn’t forgotten anyone: this could well be the tagline for a film that builds on the success of the previous instalments in a series which not only delivers great entertainment but also brilliantly explores various aspects of contemporary life, starting with the fickleness of success and popularity in a world increasingly governed by the logic of social media.

In this feature film, Peter Parker grapples not only with loneliness, but also with the changes taking place in his body, which seem to serve as metaphors for a painful transition into adulthood, marked by trauma, loss and a deepening darkness within his very being.