“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” finally swings into theaters this week, and that might mean you have some catching up to do before going to see it. The good news is, you don’t have to watch a crazy number of MCU projects to understand what’s going on in this movie.
Really, if you want a good marathon, you could rewatch every appearance Tom Holland has made as Spider-Man in the MCU. But that would in fact be a lot of homework. For the purposes of this post, we’re strictly going to tell you what movies have a direct tie to or even shoutout in this one — ones that have real bearing on the story.
Technically, you don’t have to watch any if you really don’t want to or don’t have the time. Peter Parker (Tom Holland) himself outright explains onscreen why we’re picking up in a world where no one remembers who he is. But that explanation is pretty simplified (intentionally so, for the sake of his friends), so while you can get by on that, it doesn’t mean you should.
Here are all the projects you should watch ahead of“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” to fully understand what’s going on.
Tom Holland’s “Spider-Man” trilogy
You don’t need to have seen every MCU project that Tom Holland’s Spidey has popped up in, but you definitely should watch his three standalone films, dubbed the “Home Trilogy,” due to each one having the word “home” in its title. There are flashbacks to each in “Brand New Day.”
In order, it goes “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” All three are vital to understanding the core characters in “Brand New Day,” and much of the background of the plot. But, if you really only have time for one of the three, make absolutely sure you see “No Way Home” before headed into the theater for “Brand New Day.”
This movie picks up in the direct fallout from that film, and while Peter does vaguely explain it via voiceover, “Brand New Day” will make far more sense if you have the full context of everything that goes down in “No Way Home.“
What about Jon Bernthal’s “Punisher” series?
Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) is one of multiple MCU characters that cross over in this and, as you can probably tell from the trailers, he has more than just a cameo. So, do you need to watch past “Punisher” projects?
The short answer is: no. If you want to understand his backstory, which plays into a single moment where he snarks at a character in “Brand New Day,” go for it. There’s his first appearance in “Daredevil,” two seasons of his standalone series, “Daredevil: Born Again” Season 1 and a new special on Disney+ that Bernthal co-wrote. But really, those are just there if you want more of the character himself; you don’t need them to avoid getting lost in “Brand New Day.”
Anything with the Hulk?
Indeed, Mark Ruffalo returns as Bruce Banner in “Brand New Day.” But, similarly to the Punisher, he’s just there as garnish. There’s no piece of his backstory that you outright need before heading into this movie. In fact, if you catch up on his full storyline, you might end up leaving a bit confused (more on that in the coming days, stay tuned right here).
Note: Entering light spoiler territory
If you’re trying to go into “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” completely, entirely unspoiled, now would be the point where you should close out of this article. Anything you see beyond this point is of your own volition.
Obviously, we’re not about to give away anything truly major in here, but there’s one project you should see that will help you understand a surprise appearance. And that project is…
“Thunderbolts*”
Yes, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) makes her next MCU appearance in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”
She hasn’t been in any of the trailers, but Marvel head Kevin Feige publicly teased that she would be popping up in the movies ahead of “Avengers: Doomsday.” “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is the only film remaining for Marvel ahead of “Doomsday,” so we’re not considering this a true spoiler. She was also at the London premiere of the film.
Yelena’s got a new job in “Brand New Day,” and if you want to understand much of what she’s saying, “Thunderbolts*” will go a long way toward helping you out. You can get by without it, but this movie is also just very good and worth seeing, if you’ve got the time.
