Polygon's review of *Spider-Man: Brand New Day* has been updated with fuller detail on the plot and returning stylistic influences, while maintaining its verdict that this is the strongest Spider-Man film since Sam Raimi's *Spider-Man 2*. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton with a script from returning writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, the film is praised for outgrowing the quip-heavy, Avengers-supervised tone of Tom Holland's earlier trilogy in favour of more grounded, mature storytelling, stronger action and better-integrated cameos.

The story picks up after 2019's *No Way Home*, with Peter Parker erased from loved ones' memories and fighting crime alone, aided only by NYPD detective Jean DeWolff (Liza Colón-Zayas) and The Punisher (Jon Bernthal), while watching Ned (Jacob Batalon) and MJ (Zendaya) move on via social media. New details include Peter developing unsettling "man-spider" physical changes that grant natural webbing and heightened senses, and a shape-shifting new villain played by Sadie Sink, whose performance is singled out for praise; Cretton reportedly borrows visual cues directly from Raimi's original films, including an homage to a signature slow-motion fight sequence from 2002's *Spider-Man*.