Listen to this article
Estimated 3 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
With great power comes … great box office numbers? Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the friendly neighbourhood webslinger’s latest outing, has become the fastest film in history to cross the $500-million US mark at the North American box office, doing so in just seven days.
Brand New Day, a Marvel and Sony production, marks Tom Holland’s fourth time suiting up to lead a Spider-Man film as Peter Parker. He stars alongside his wife Zendaya, as well as Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fan favourites Jon Bernthal, Florence Pugh, Mark Ruffalo, and newcomer Sadie Sink.
The film, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, broke the record set by another Marvel hit, Avengers: Endgame, which reached $500 million US domestically in eight days. Brand New Day also ranks just behind Endgame in the race to $1 billion US worldwide, crossing the threshold in only six days. Endgame still holds the record at five days.
On top of the state-of-the art effects, carefully choreographed action sequences and dramatic twists the MCU has become known for, pop culture analyst and content creator Mikael Melo says that Brand New Day has elements that broaden the appeal for casual and hardcore Marvel fans alike.
“No Way Home, it ended on such a cliffhanger,” he said, referencing the previous Spider-Man instalment. “I think this is the first MCU movie in a while where people were like, ‘No, we really need to see this before any spoilers hit the internet.'”
The fact that Sink’s role in the film had not been announced before its release added another degree of suspense and anticipation, Melo says.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day challenges viewers with a new, darker tone for the franchise as the webslinger faces a crossroads of self-identity, struggling to balance his personal life with fighting crime in New York. Eli Glasner asks if the movie is trying to cram in too much, detracting from the grounded tone set throughout the film.
He also thinks the film succeeded in balancing stand-alone accessibility with the crossovers and intertextual references fans expect.
“That’s kind of what this movie did really well,” Melo said, pointing to the appearance of franchise favourites such as Pugh and Bernthal’s characters. “It gives context to people who might not know things, but also gives Easter eggs to people who have been following along this whole journey.”
He says the mega-wattage star power of Holland and Zendaya — who also co-starred in this summer’s hugely successful adaptation of The Odyssey — shouldn’t be underestimated.
“The Tom and Zendaya love story is really what is also drawing people who might not be superhero fans,” Melo said, “but they’re going with their friends because they’re just like, ‘Yo, I love Tom and Zendaya, so why not?”
