Tom Holland’s Peter Parker had quite the adventure during the events of 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. Not only did he manage to undo multiverse-based damage, but he also teamed up with returning Spider-Men, played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. Holland’s variant (or Peter 1) learned a lot from his web-slinging counterparts during their time together. However, it seems that by the time we get to Brand New Day, Parker will be “actively ignoring” some sage wisdom shared by Garfield’s Peter.
Even now, it’s hard to forget the sight of the three Peters swinging into action together, but it’s the more intimate moments between them that are truly memorable. There’s a lot of humor that comes as a result of the three Spideys chopping it up, and the older Peters also relate their own experiences to Holland’s Parker. Ahead of Brand New Day, Holland spoke at the film’s press conference – which CinemaBlend attended – and explained that his character’s dour circumstances cause him to neglect a key principle:
I think you really meet Peter Parker at the beginning of the darkest chapter of his life. You know, to me, the thing I love the most about the film is that it really represents, or it's a cautionary tale for the dangers of living a life alone and not having a community, not having friends. And a lesson that he learned from Andrew's character in the previous movie is that, you know, sometimes the bravest thing that you can do is ask for help. And he is actively ignoring that advice, and it is having a profound effect on his life as a human being.
Garfield’s “amazing” Spider-Man (or Peter 3) did indeed tell Holland’s Parker not to be afraid to ask for help when needed. Well, based on the trailers for Brand New Day, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s wall-crawler has pretty much put the weight of the world on his own shoulders. For years, mental health has long been synonymous with Spidey, and that seems to be in full swing – no pun intended – in Destin Daniel Cretton’s new film. Holland also explained the difference between Peter’s situation and his alter ego’s:
On the other side of that, as Spider-Man, he is thriving. You know, we're probably seeing the most truthful version of what Spider-Man means to New York City at the beginning of this movie. And the smashing of those two worlds is such a fun thing for us to play with. You know, standing on the world stage and beaming and doing all of this amazing stuff to then coming home to a pretty grubby New York apartment and, you know, nursing a headache to go to sleep, especially the scenes when we're watching them on Instagram.
Such a situation parallels “what young people are going through on a daily basis.” Those youngsters may not have spider-based powers and have other costumed vigilantes as mentors, but the sentiment still rings true. As for Brand New Day, Peter may not be heeding advice from his counterparts, but Holland certainly hasn’t forgotten them. The actor wanted Parker’s new costume to pay homage to Garfield and Maguire’s Spider-Men by taking elements of both of their suits.
Peter’s fresh duds won’t exactly hide his depression, of course, and it seems he’s going to have some internal struggles in his latest film. I’m curious to see how he wrestles with those inner demons while dealing with New York’s nastiest criminals. Let’s hope he does manage to eventually heed the advice from Andrew Garfield’s version of the friendly neighborhood hero.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters on July 31 amid the 2026 movie schedule. Prepare for the film by streaming the previous three films, including No Way Home, using a Disney+ subscription.
