New ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Behind-the-Scenes Footage Shows Tom Holland Taking Practical Stunts to the Next Level
Superhero movies have leaned so heavily on digital effects over the past decade that audiences have practically forgotten what old-fashioned, bone-rattling stunt work looks like on screen. That’s exactly what made this summer’s Spider-Man outing feel like such a breath of fresh air, delivering action sequences that hit differently precisely because so much of it was real.
New behind-the-scenes footage circulating online has fans buzzing about just how much practical stunt work went into bringing the latest web-slinging adventure to life, offering a fresh look at the physical craftsmanship behind some of the film’s most jaw-dropping moments. The footage, shared by stunt performer danjgamble on Instagram, gives fans another glimpse into the production’s hands-on approach to action filmmaking.
That commitment to grounded, tactile action wasn’t accidental. According to reporting from Manila Bulletin, director Destin Daniel Cretton enlisted the legendary Jackie Chan Stunt Team to help design and execute many of ‘Brand New Day”s street-level action sequences, resulting in fight scenes that felt faster, more fluid, and packed with practical martial arts choreography that stood out from typical superhero spectacle.
Chan himself wasn’t personally choreographing every fight scene, but he served as action director for his renowned stunt team, working closely with the filmmakers throughout production. Chan didn’t hold back his admiration for Holland’s dedication to the physical demands of the role. “I heard this young man pays homage to my films, performing many of his own stunts in numerous action sequences,” Chan told Manila Bulletin. “He is incredibly dedicated.”
The Jackie Chan Stunt Team’s involvement wasn’t their first collaboration with Cretton, either. The group previously contributed to the acclaimed fight choreography in ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,’ which was widely praised for bringing Hong Kong-style martial arts to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and their reunion with Cretton on ‘Brand New Day’ brought that same signature style back to the franchise.
Peng Zhang, who previously worked on ‘Shang-Chi’ as well, served as the film’s main stunt coordinator, elevated to second-unit director for this production. Working alongside the late Brad Allan’s legacy within the Jackie Chan stunt tradition, Zhang embraced intricate Hong Kong-style choreography throughout the film, blending human-level acrobatics, aerial flips, and hand-to-hand combat sequences that reflected Peter Parker’s street-level fighting style.
Some of the film’s most demanding physical sequences reportedly required months of intensive training. A prison brawl sequence, filmed on location at the decommissioned HM Prison Dorchester in England, required Holland and the stunt performers to undergo extensive preparation to pull off the scene’s complex choreography convincingly.
The production also embraced practical effects beyond hand-to-hand combat, with earlier behind-the-scenes footage showing Spider-Man performing real web-swinging stunts using wires and harnesses rigged to cranes, alongside genuine pyrotechnics and explosions captured live on camera rather than added digitally in post-production.
For a franchise that’s occasionally faced criticism over reliance on CGI in previous installments, this behind-the-scenes glimpse into ‘Brand New Day”s stunt work offers a satisfying answer to any doubts about the authenticity of its action.
What do you think of the practical stunts in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’?
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