‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Director Teases a Darker MCU Story Thanks to The Punisher

After three superb Spider-Man films, director Jon Watts stepped away from the Marvel machine ahead of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Without a captain to steer this ship, the studio enlisted trusted filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton, who cut his superhero teeth on 2021’s action-packed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Now, with less than two weeks until its theatrical release, Cretton talks with Collider’s Steven Weintraub about spinning his own web in the MCU’s ever-expanding lore.

In Brand New Day, we pick up with a Peter Parker (Tom Holland) who’s hit rock bottom since his ultimate sacrifice in Spider-Man: No Way Home. He’s still fighting crime full-time, but he no longer has the support of Stark Industries and his superpowered allies, and no one, including his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) and partner MJ (Zendaya), even remembers who Peter Parker is. This isolation not only leads to a surprising team-up with Frank Castle/Punisher (Jon Bernthal) but also to an uncontrollable mutation in his Spider-Man transformation that may prove useful against an invisible new villain — if he can learn to harness it. Brand New Day also stars Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink in her MCU debut and Avengers: Endgame’s Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Hulk.

During his conversation with Collider’s editor-in-chief, Cretton discusses taking on Spider-Man’s fourth feature in the MCU, from editing room hurdles to the surprising lack of deleted scenes, and how they found the balance of Peter Parker’s darkest storyline yet with the fun Spider-Man fans love. The director also breaks down the innovative new Spider-Man shots in the movie, how they put audiences in the suit, and discusses bringing a character as brutal and complex as Berthal’s Frank Castle into Spider-Man’s world.

Destin Daniel Cretton on the Unique Cinematography of ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’

The Marvel veteran also gives a brief update on ‘Wonder Man’ Season 2.

COLLIDER: I was a huge, huge fan of Wonder Man. What’s the status of Season 2? Do you think you’ll be filming this year?

DESTIN DANIEL CRETTON: I hope so. We’ll leave it at that. [Laughs]

Okay, I’ll leave it there. One of the things I saw in the first 30 minutes of Brand New Day, and one of the things that so impressed me, was that you have shots of Spider-Man swinging through the city that have never been done before in a previous Spider-Man film, and I loved it. Can you talk about coming up with those new types of shots, like him inside the mask?

CRETTON: It was really important for us to try to find ways to remind people that Peter Parker is in that suit. So, finding a way to get the camera in a place that you could believe you are sitting inside that mask with him. We also looked quite a lot at different videos online of parkour videos and wingsuit videos, and where the camera’s placed and what types of lenses they’re using to create the most sense of vertigo, all to try to give the audience a new experience of what it feels like to really be in that suit, being that high and going that fast.

I loved those shots, and fans are going to love them. Did you speak to any of the previous Spider-Man directors before helming this to ask them what not to do?

CRETTON: The only director I spoke with was Jon Watts, who was very gracious in sharing some wise words. But I was mainly very positive about the people I was going to work with and the experience I was going to have.

‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Has Very Few Deleted Scenes

“It wasn’t ever a battle of trying to keep things in the movie that I wanted.”

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

I’m fascinated by the editing process. I think the movie’s around two hours and 24 minutes with credits. Did you ever have a longer cut of it? Did you have those battles in the editing room?

CRETTON: Yeah, that’s always a part of the process. I think the first cut of this movie was a little closer to three hours, maybe two hours and 50 minutes or something, but that’s not the length that I wanted it to be. It wasn’t ever a battle of trying to keep things in the movie that I wanted. I think the movie is the right length that it should be right now.

When you say that length, do you mean that’s an assembly cut or a cut you’re actually happy with?

CRETTON: That’s more of an assembly cut.

Totally. I don’t want people thinking there are all these deleted scenes.

CRETTON: There actually aren’t that many deleted scenes in this movie, surprisingly.

How The Punisher Fits Into ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s Darker Tone

“He’s a bit older, he’s in his 20s, and he is dealing with real life.”

Images via Sony Pictures Releasing

One of the things that really impressed me about the opening 30 minutes is that it really feels like a completely new Spider-Man movie compared to the last trilogy because of what Spider-Man is dealing with emotionally. Can you talk about balancing the emotions of what he’s going through with the fun Peter Parker Spider-Man that audiences are used to?

CRETTON: That was front of mind. We’re still doing a Spider-Man movie. We’re not doing a depressing drama. It’s a fun, fun movie. It’s exhilarating, the action’s fun, and Spider-Man is still quippy Spider-Man. But he’s a bit older, he’s in his 20s, and he is dealing with real life, and real life is hard. So, I do think the subject matter of his emotional arc does go deeper and does get quite real, but that’s the fun of movies like this, is being able to find that balance between drama and comedy. Nobody does it better than Tom Holland.

I completely agree. I was so surprised when Punisher ended up in this movie, because he’s a famously R-rated character and Spider-Man is a PG-13 universe. Can you talk about figuring out, “Where can I go with Punisher? How hard can I go?” and the philosophical debate between the two characters, because Spider-Man is not about killing, and Punisher is a whole different story.

CRETTON: That, to me, is the point of having Punisher in this movie, is so the two can have that debate. I think this movie is still a Spider-Man movie, and Punisher is in his world. That doesn’t mean that the Punisher is somehow suddenly a different character. He’s the same Punisher, but we’re not showing the things that a PG-13 movie can’t show.

But to me, the point of the Punisher being in this movie is to be a little bit of a warning sign for Spidey, and the journey that he could go down if he’s not careful.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters on July 31.

Release Date

July 31, 2026

Runtime

145 Minutes

Director

Destin Daniel Cretton