Spider-Man: Brand New Day appears to have struck a chord with audiences that Marvel’s other recent films have failed to do. Those same scenes have prompted cheers, applause and even a few standing ovations during opening weekend screenings, not because they are full of explosions, but because they deliver emotional climaxes that fans have waited years to see.
Warning: Major spoilers for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Here are the three scenes that always electrified theaters:
MJ and Peter’s Rooftop Reunion
The film’s first major audience reaction occurs surprisingly early on. The emotional weight of Peter’s reunion with MJ (Zendaya) is already considerable, considering the events at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home. When the two share kisses and she whispers, “Peter,” it’s hard not to believe the spell is finally broken. That’s all that was needed at the screening I attended.
As the scene ended, people started clapping. Some people yelled out in happiness, some just sat there smiling, happy that Peter’s long nightmare seemed to be coming to an end. It seemed like a moment well earned after watching him spend years in total solitude. That feeling, of course, is temporary.
Jean Grey Reveal!
All of a sudden the film breaks the audience’s expectations as they start to expect the reunion. It turns out MJ still hasn’t remembered. Instead, she’s under the psychic influence of Jean Grey (Sadie Sink), which transforms what was originally one of the trilogy’s happiest moments into something far more disturbing. Instantly the reactions of the theatregoers changed.
The applause died away and a loud groan went up from the crowd. The truth dawned, and you could hear people saying, almost as one, “No!” The twist in the film is surprisingly effective, allowing enough time for the viewer to believe that the reunion is real before the truth is revealed. The emotional whiplash is one of the most discussed moments in the film, and it’s not hard to see why. That scene works only because the audience is so invested in Peter and MJ’s relationship.
Last Scene of Peter and Ned
The rooftop sequence may be the most shocking moment, but the ending is the biggest emotional release. Brand New Day slows down the action after the main conflict is resolved. Pete spots Ned (Jacob Batalon) at a diner in their neighborhood and cautiously approaches him. Peter does their old handshake automatically, though neither of them should know the other. Much to Peter’s surprise, Ned performs each maneuver without hesitation.
Then comes the moment that brought the crowd to its feet. It’s a quiet moment, but also the emotional center of the film. The film ends with two friends reconnecting to a relationship they thought was gone forever, instead of a final joke or another massive battle. Applause often echoed through the theater as the credits began during this scene.
Why These Moments Worked
The interesting thing about all three scenes is that none of them rely on spectacle. The foundation of these scenes is relationships. The rooftop reunion works because the audience wants to see Peter and MJ get together. The Jean Grey twist works because it shatters that optimism in a split second. That ending with Ned is a powerful reminder to the audience that Peter’s biggest loss was not his powers, or his enemies, but the people who knew him best.
This is something Spider-Man stories have always understood. Peter Parker can handle supervillains, alien invasions and multiverse madness. His biggest obstacle is loneliness.
Early screenings suggest that Brand New Day has managed to do something that many blockbuster sequels struggle with. Whether those moments will continue to elicit the same reactions in the weeks ahead remains to be seen. It’s not simply about providing audiences with thrilling action sequences. It’s giving them the emotional character arcs they really want to root for.