Brandon Sanderson Reveals Why ‘Brand New Day’ Isn’t the Best Spider-Man Movie of All Time

Brandon Sanderson has a pretty interesting take on Spider-Man: Brand New Day, because while he clearly enjoyed the movie, he doesn’t think it deserves the title of the best Spider-Man movie ever. In his Intentionally Blank review, Sanderson gave the fourth movie a 7/10, saying there were some things he absolutely loved and others that really held it back.

I walked out at a seven. Now, this is a seven that is balancing a lot of tens and a lot of fives and fours for me. So, that’s how it’s averaging out. The things that I don’t like, I really don’t like.

Now, I expected a 10. This is absolutely unfair to Spider-Man because it has the highest reviews. Everyone was gushing over it. And I’m not going to agree that it’s the best. I think I liked the third one better, and I might have liked the first one better.

His biggest problem was with the movie’s story and character writing, which he felt didn’t always make sense or earn the emotional moments it was going for. Basically, he likes the movie, but he just thinks it has some pretty noticeable flaws keeping it from being the best Spider-Man installment.

Brandon Sanderson Weighs the Highs & Lows of Spider-Man 4

Sanderson’s review of Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a pretty mixed bag. He found a lot to enjoy, while also spotting several choices that he felt weakened the overall experience. For him, the movie has plenty of standout moments, but it doesn’t quite come together as consistently as the best Spider-Man film.

The Mistborn author’s biggest issue is probably the way the movie handled Jean Grey. He felt the film asked viewers to sympathize with her even after showing her doing some seriously awful things, making her redemption feel hard to buy.

Sanderson went as far as comparing her to the Joker, arguing that her actions put her way beyond the point where a simple redeeming storyline feels convincing. For him, the problem isn’t that Jean can never be redeemed. It’s that the movie doesn’t do enough to make Peter’s determination to save her feel emotionally earned.

But there was plenty Sanderson loved. He praised Tom Holland’s performance, the more mature version of Peter, the Peter/Punisher dynamic, and the movie’s cinematography and practical-looking Spider-Man suit. He also liked that the film lets Peter’s relationships feel messy instead of conveniently fixing everything.

At the end of the day, Sanderson’s criticism doesn’t come from a place of disliking Brand New Day. If anything, he seems frustrated because the movie gets so many things right that the weaker writing stands out even more. His take is basically that there’s a great Spider-Man movie hiding inside it that just needed a tighter story and more convincing character work to fully get there.

Why Spider-Man: Brand New Day Is Winning Over Critics & Audiences

Spider-Man: Brand New Day currently sits at 89% with critics and an impressive 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes (as of September 1, 2026), making it one of the better-reviewed Spider-Man movies in recent years.

Critics have been praising Holland’s performance, the movie’s emotional stakes, and its focus on Peter’s loneliness and growing up. Some have called it one of the most mature Spider-Man stories yet, while others say it successfully brought back the heart that makes Spidey so appealing.

Basically, even with a few complaints, fans seem to have enjoyed it, especially the mix of big superhero action, emotional character moments, and classic Spider-Man humor. If anything, the movie feels like a fresh chapter for Peter, and that could be why the audience response has been so overwhelmingly positive.

Have you watched the latest Spider-Man movie? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is now showing in cinemas worldwide.