Brand New Day and Spider-Noir Will Decide Spider-Man’s Live-Action Future

by

It’s been five years since we’ve seen Marvel’s Spider-Man in a live-action movie, but that’s about to change. In 2026, two big Spider-Man projects are coming out. First, Tom Holland will return as Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, his fourth solo film, which hits theaters in July. And before that, in the spring, Nicolas Cage will star as a different version of Spider-Man in the Spider-Noir series, debuting on Prime Video.

This is the first time a new actor will play Spider-Man in a live-action movie while the previous actor is still playing the role. While Sony has made Spider-Man-related movies alongside the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2018, those films haven’t featured Spider-Man himself, except for a quick appearance by Tom Holland in Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Now, with Brand New Day and Spider-Noir, Sony is trying two different approaches to the character, and the success of one will likely shape Spider-Man’s future in movies.

Brand New Day and Spider-Noir Will Highlight Different Sides of Spider-Man

Amazon has shared the first details about the plot of its upcoming Spider-Noir series. According to Esquire, the show will center on Spider-Man as he investigates a conspiracy involving the crime boss Silvio “Silvermane” Manfredi. Unlike many Marvel Cinematic Universe stories, this one will be a more realistic and contained tale, focusing on a conflict with mobsters instead of aliens, monsters, or multiversal villains.

While the show won’t completely avoid fantastical elements – Ben will have superpowers, and one character can create fire with their hands – it’s primarily a crime drama. Expect realistic, intense action and drama rather than over-the-top comic book effects. Even characters with extraordinary abilities, like Spider-Noir, will appear as regular criminals.

It’s unlikely that Brand New Day will be a small-scale story. While we don’t know much about the movie yet, what’s been revealed suggests a massive conflict. The Hulk’s involvement, for instance, means the stakes will be much higher than anything Spider-Man faces in Spider-Noir. Rumors hint at a large group of villains, potentially including powerful characters like Jean Grey and the multiversal goddess Shathra.

While Brand New Day likely won’t have quite the same high stakes as Spider-Man: No Way Home, it’s still expected to be a significant superhero film, similar to Tom Holland’s other Marvel movies. Because both films are coming out so close together, people will inevitably compare the two versions of Spider-Man and decide which one they like best.

Spider-Man Means Something Different to Everyone

Comics have shown both versions of Spider-Man – the one who fights huge, universe-level dangers, and the more down-to-earth hero who focuses on local crime. This variety exists even apart from the Spider-Man: Noir comic, which served as inspiration for the Spider-Noir character.

As a huge Spider-Man fan, I’ve noticed for years that people have been really wanting a story that grounds him in the everyday lives of New Yorkers – something more street-level and personal. Spider-Noir seems to be giving us exactly that, and honestly, how it’s received will be a big indicator of whether this desire is shared by most fans, or if it’s just a smaller, but very enthusiastic, group who want to see Spidey get back to his roots.

While Brand New Day is likely to outperform Spider-Noir because it’s a movie and Spider-Noir is a streaming series, critical and audience reception will ultimately determine its success. If Spider-Noir proves incredibly popular, Disney might be inspired to make future Spider-Man movies within the MCU more realistic and gritty. However, if Spider-Noir flops, both Sony and Disney might avoid similar approaches in the future.

As the marketing for Brand New Day continues and the Spider-Verse animated movies approach their finale with Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, the Spider-Man franchise is at a pivotal moment. Both Brand New Day and Spider-Noir are being used to gauge audience reactions to different versions of the character, and how well they perform will shape the future of Marvel’s iconic hero.

Read More

2026-02-13 05:06