Tom Holland Just Proved Why He's the Best Live-Action Spider-Man - United States News Beep

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is already one of the most exciting upcoming projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Following the landmark events of Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021, the highly anticipated sequel picks up the story of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker as he strives to build a new life for himself after losing everyone he ever loved as a result of Doctor Strange’s spell. The film is currently set to finally hit theaters on July 31, 2026, as a part of Phase 6, just a few months before Earth’s Mightiest Heroes reunite to fight Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday.

Anticipation for Brand New Day is growing with every day as new images and videos from the set emerge online. One epic action sequence filmed on the streets of Glasgow received special attention, particularly for employing impressive practical swinging, something which no Spider-Man film has ever featured in any substantive capacity. It seems that Brand New Day will finally be the film where Tom Holland settles into the role of Spider-Man–and it’s long overdue. The actor’s recent comments reveal that he has long been overlooked as the best live-action Spider-Man actor of all time.

Tom Holland Is Taking a Unique Approach to Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Spider-Man swings through New York City in his new suit at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home

Spider-Man swings through New York City in his new suit at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home
Image via Sony/Marvel

As Spider-Man: Brand New Day commences filming, anticipation is high for this first installment in what will hopefully be Spider-Man’s best trilogy yet. The MCU is reinventing its version of Spider-Man for the new film, and Tom Holland will be a major part of the process. The actor recently spoke to LAD Bible, revealing an unusual part of his preparation for this new era of Peter Parker:

I have been actively sifting through the internet and trying to best understand what it is that the fans want from a Spider-Man movie, and that’s been my driving force in these pitch meetings. I think the producers, at times, were like, absolutely sick of me, but I think it’s really important, because we make these movies for [the fans].

Evidently, part of Holland’s creative preparation for Spider-Man: Brand New Day includes exploring various Internet outlets to observe fans’ discussions about the character and his role in the MCU. This is especially surprising given that the general first rule of fame on the internet is to never read the comments. As with any popular character or franchise, there are strong opinions out there on the MCU’s Spider-Man. Holland most likely ran into some of these opinions on his journey through the fandom, including some that may have been negative toward him and his depiction of the character. Nevertheless, this doesn’t seem to have shaken Holland’s resolve to deliver the best film possible and to improve his character as best befits the fans. In the same interview, the actor also revealed that he is much more involved in the creative process of Brand New Day than he was with the previous trilogy, allowing him to bring up new ideas that he feels would improve Peter Parker’s story in the MCU.

All-Three-Spider-Men pose together for Spider-Man No Way Home

All-Three-Spider-Men pose together for Spider-Man No Way Home
Image via Marvel Studios

Tom Holland’s comments about his preparation for Brand New Day prove once and for all that he is the best live-action Spider-Man actor. This has been a point of contention for Spider-Man fans for years, as they discuss the merits of Holland compared to Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. Maguire appeared in some of the best Spider-Man movies of all time, and Garfield nailed the superhero’s masked personality, but neither delved as deeply into the character as Holland. All too often, major movie franchises lose touch with fans after achieving some level of success, but Holland seems to be actively counteracting this possibility with his upcoming Spider-Man movies. Rather than siding with what Hollywood deems most desirable in a Spider-Man movie, Holland is looking to the fans to see what they want to see from the character and working backward from there. While this approach has its drawbacks (comic book fans often disagree), it could result in major changes to the benefit of his MCU franchise. For example, fans have almost unanimously decided that they would prefer to see more grounded Spider-Man stories moving forward, rather than cosmic adventures through the multiverse. If Holland is truly keeping his ear to the ground in the Marvel fandom, then he may be able to steer the franchise’s creative direction in such a way as to please his audience.

Even more interesting is Tom Holland’s stronger creative voice as he enters his second MCU trilogy. As a young actor still establishing himself in Hollywood, Holland likely had very little creative control in the Spider-Man: Home trilogy. Likewise, neither Tobey Maguire nor Andrew Garfield was particularly involved in their respective franchises. However, Holland seems to have been much more involved in the development of his upcoming film than any previous Spider-Man actor has ever been in one of their projects. This gives him an extra push to make Brand New Day the best film it can possibly be, and allows Holland to implement the things he learns fans want. With this combination, not only can Tom Holland establish himself as the best live-action Spider-Man actor of all time, but Spider-Man: Brand New Day could also be the triumph that everyone is hoping it will be.

What Should Fans Expect From Spider-Man: Brand New Day?

Spider-Man’s chest logo on full display on his new suit in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Credit: Sony Pictures

Fans should expect Spider-Man: Brand New Day to be the most grounded MCU Spider-Man film yet. The scenes shot in Glasgow revealed what looked to be one of the most intense action sequences of the franchise thus far, including hand-to-hand combat and practical swinging. Moreover, it was recently revealed that Jackie Chan’s stunt team overseeing Brand New Day’s fight sequences, suggesting that fans will see some of the best-choreographed combat scenes out of any Spider-Man movie ever made. This idea is only supported by Destin Daniel Cretton’s previous work with Marvel, as his 2021 film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, featured some of the best fighting scenes in the entire MCU. With a solid team behind it and a leading man who cares what the fans think, Brand New Day has everything going in its favor.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day will also be a fresh start for the character after the landmark events of No Way Home left him without any friends or family. As he builds a new life for himself, Peter Parker will most likely be depicted as a college student and an employee of the Daily Bugle, suggesting that audiences will see a more mature version of the character than in previous installments. This gives Tom Holland a chance to play Spider-Man closer to the classic version of the character. Whereas his version has been more in line with the younger Ultimate Spider-Man from the comics, Brand New Day offers him the opportunity to take things a step further as a more mature Peter Parker. Brand New Day’s set photos have also shown off what many fans are calling one of the best live-action Spider-Man suits of all time, ditching the Stark technology from his previous costumes. This is yet another great move that will make many fans of the franchise happy and only improve their reaction to the film when it finally hits theaters.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day has the potential to be one of the best live-action Spider-Man movies ever made. Moreover, if he continues to inject his voice, fueled by the fans, into the creative process, Tom Holland will use Brand New Day to finally emerge as the best live-action Spider-Man.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day will hit theaters on July 31, 2026.