There is plenty to unpack for Spider-Man fans. The latest trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, has finally arrived, and it has landed on the very same day that tickets go on sale. This marks Tom Holland's fourth solo turn as the web-slinger. The hook this time is a clever twist on memory, because while the events of No Way Home left the world having forgotten all about Peter Parker, Peter and his masked alter ego certainly have not forgotten the world.
A Trailer Packed With Showdowns
The new footage is wall to wall action. Spider-Man is shown fighting on several fronts at once. At one point he squares off against Scorpion, while elsewhere he goes head to head with the Hulk himself. He also clashes with the group known as The Hand. Yet the biggest battle of all may be the one Peter wages against himself, as he goes through a transformation the trailer dubs 'Spider-Puberty'. During this phase his body changes in strange ways, his webs now appear to be organic rather than mechanical, and his spider eyes blacken out entirely. Peter cannot quite make sense of what is happening to him.
A Forgotten World And A Lonely Hero
The emotional weight runs just as deep. Zendaya's MJ and Jacob Batalon's Ned still do not remember Pete, even though Spider-Man comes to MJ's rescue and Ned has gone so far as to build an entire Spider Tracker to keep tabs on the Queens superhero. Through all of this, Peter is still grieving his beloved Aunt May, whose advice surfaces as a poignant voice-over in the new trailer and gives the story a tender edge.
Mysterious Villains And An Unseen Force
The trailer also shows Sadie Sink lurking in a hoodie, giving off strong Jean Grey vibes, as an invisible force tears through New York. On top of that, yet another mysterious hooded figure, this one dressed entirely in black, now stands in Spider-Man's path. That may well be why Peter has called in Frank Castle for back-up.
The Official Synopsis And Fresh Faces
The cast of Brand New Day brings several newcomers into the Spider-Man fold, including Jon Bernthal, Liza Colón-Zayas, Tramell Tillman and Mark Ruffalo. The film's official synopsis is written in suitably cryptic fashion, and reads, "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 Questions Left Hanging
Will anyone ever remember Peter Parker? Who exactly are all these hooded villains? And why does Spider-Man suddenly shoot organic webs? Some fans suspect Mephisto could be behind it this time, while others point to Morlun, or to the long-theorised secret big bad The Jackal. Whatever the answer turns out to be, it looks like Cretton and his team are set to deliver a huge helping of blockbuster action and plenty of comic-book moments to delight fans on the way to those reveals. Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into cinemas on 29 July.
