'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' Director Says Insomniac Scenes Inspired Movie

In an interview with Polygon, director Destin Daniel Cretton said that the team behind Spider-Man: Brand New Day drew inspiration from Insomniac Games' titles to choreograph the film's action scenes.

Cretton said that, although he is not a "gamer," he played the game and several members of the stunt team are fans of the franchise. "They would take screenshots while playing and bring them in to ask, 'Can we pull off this move?' That was a huge inspiration," he explained.

The director highlighted that the fluidity of the movements – both in combat and web-swinging – in Insomniac's games served as a reference for the feature's scenes. The stunt team tried to recreate in the movie the moves seen in Marvel's Spider-Man, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Actor Tom Holland, who plays the hero, also praised the games, calling them "absolutely sensational."

Everything about Spider-Man: Brand New Day

In addition to Tom Holland returning as the lead, Jacob Batalon will be back as Ned and Zendaya returns for the new Spidey movie as MJ. New additions include Sadie Sink (Stranger Things), confirmed for a still-unspecified role (though heavily speculated to be Jean Grey).

Another confirmed cast member is Jon Bernthal as the Punisher, marking the hero's debut in Marvel films. In addition,  Mark Ruffalo is in the movie as Hulk and will transform, for the first time in the MCU, into Gray Hulk, a bigger and more dangerous version of the giant.

The official synopsis for Brand New Day has been released: "Fighting crime full-time as Spider-Man in a world that doesn’t remember him—and the pressure of seeing his old friends move on without him—sparks a change in Peter he may not have the power to control. But that transformation might also be the only thing that can stop a shocking new threat to the city and those he loves—a powerful villain no one can even see."

Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) is directing the project. Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna, who wrote Spider-Man: No Way Home, are also responsible for the upcoming film. 

Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters on July 31, 2026 .