Tom Holland Reveals the Big Spider-Man Change Fans Have Been Waiting For in ‘Brand New Day’

Tom Holland is taking a bigger role than ever in shaping Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and according to the actor, one major change came directly from listening to fans.

The upcoming Marvel movie will move Peter Parker in a different direction after the emotional ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Instead of focusing on world-ending threats and massive superhero battles, Holland says the new film will bring Spider-Man closer to his original roots by showing a more personal and relatable story.

During Fandango’s Big Ticket interview with Zendaya, Sadie Sink, and Jacob Batalon, Holland revealed that this was the first time he had been involved in the creative process so early.

“This time round is the first time I’ve been let into the creative process before pen has hit the page,” Holland explained. “Bringing the voice of the fans to the writers room has really given us a leg up in creating something that’s really fun and different.”

One of the biggest things Holland heard from fans was that they wanted a more grounded version of Spider-Man. After years of Peter fighting threats connected to the larger Marvel universe, audiences wanted to see the hero deal with more personal struggles.

“They really wanted this street-level Spider-Man movie that felt relatable,” Holland said. “That didn’t necessarily feel like saving the world, but maybe saving himself.”

That approach fits perfectly with where Peter Parker is after No Way Home. Following Doctor Strange’s spell, the world has forgotten Peter exists. His friends MJ and Ned no longer remember their relationship with him, leaving Peter completely alone while continuing his mission as Spider-Man.

Zendaya explained during the Fandango interview that the new movie explores what life has been like for MJ after losing her memories of Peter.

“It was fun to imagine what their lives have been like since we last saw them,” she said. “And also keeping in mind that Peter is not a part of those memories or that life maybe she wanted before.”

Although MJ does not remember Peter, Zendaya confirmed that the character’s personality remains the same. Fans who enjoyed MJ’s humor can expect that side of her to return.

“She’s still who she is at the core, so that was fun to find those moments again,” Zendaya said.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day will also expand Peter’s world with several new and returning characters. The movie brings back Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle, also known as The Punisher, and introduces Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Hulk. Sadie Sink’s mysterious role remains one of the biggest unanswered questions, with fans continuing to speculate that she could be connected to the X-Men.

Sink shared that joining the Marvel universe was a dream-like experience but avoided revealing details about her character.

“I grew up watching these movies, so to join was very surreal,” she said. “I really like the character and that’s all I’ll say.”

The film will also feature several villains from Spider-Man’s comic history, including Michael Mando’s Mac Gargan, also known as Scorpion, along with Tombstone and other characters.

Holland explained that exploring Spider-Man comics was a major part of creating the movie. The team wanted to bring some of the most memorable comic moments to life while making them work for the big screen.

“It presented an opportunity for us to really dive into the comics and pick out our favorite snapshots that the fans have really connected with over the years,” Holland said.

With Brand New Day, Holland hopes to deliver a Spider-Man story that feels closer to the character fans have always loved. After losing everything, Peter Parker is no longer trying to save the universe, he is trying to figure out how to rebuild himself.

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