In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Peter Parker is living in a world that does not know of his existence. 

To save the world in No Way Home, Peter had to erase himself from everyone’s memory, including those to whom he is closest – the love of his life, MJ (Zendaya), and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon). In Brand New Day, Peter is all alone, living in the aftermath of his sacrifice. 

Peter’s journey leads him to realize that he can’t do it all alone. And it is that sense of community, of belongingness, that resonated with director Destin Daniel Cretton. “It’s the first time that Peter is operating alone,” says the filmmaker. “Peter has always had a wonderful community around him, but now, because of the world-changing events at the end of No Way Home, he must do everything by himself. It’s quite emotional but it’s also a lot of fun. It’s a more mature Peter Parker, but in other ways it’s the same Peter that everybody knows and loves.”

Cretton adds that that balance of work – no matter how passionate one feels about it – and community and personal connection “is the most important thing to try to find in life. Who you really are is defined by the people who love you and the people you love.” 

The filmmaker takes the helm from Jon Watts, who directed the previous trilogy and laid an exceptional foundation for this new era of the beloved Marvel figure. Watts captured the heart of Peter Parker – his awkwardness, optimism, and humanity – while weaving him into the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe.

But with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the world has shifted as does the person behind the camera. Cretton, who’s known for grounding spectacle in emotion and character work, brings a bold vision to the Spider-Man mythos, one that isn’t afraid to explore a more grounded and mature hero, in a resonant story that never loses sight of the person at its center.

Producer Kevin Feige, who, as the president of Marvel Studios, has been the principal architect of its cinematic universe, calls Cretton “an artist who is also a fan. Destin has created some of the best fight sequences in any Marvel movie. At the same time, he’s incredibly character-oriented and has brought Spider-Man into a new direction.”

Feige emphasizes that this direction includes Cretton’s focus on community. “Destin conveys the dangers of isolation,” he notes. “Peter Parker, who’s lived by the credo, ‘With great power comes great responsibility,’ initially believes that this responsibility is only to others, when, in fact, there must be an element of it that encompasses being responsible for yourself, so that you can be your best for others.”

Amy Pascal, who is nothing less than a curator of the evolving saga, having served as producer on the previous Spider-Man films, also praises Cretton, whose work on Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Short Term 12 she has long admired. “Destin can combine action and heart and isn’t afraid of earnest emotion,” she points out. “With Brand New Day, he has made a film about Peter thinking that the past is buried and that he can move on from his previous life. But he cannot, even though he’s living in complete denial when we meet him in this story. Brand New Day is about Peter growing up.” 

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, and also starring Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Sadie Sink, Jon Bernthal, Michael Mando, Tramell Tillman and Mark Ruffalo, Spider-Man: Brand New Day dawns in Philippine cinemas on July 29. Tickets available now!