GLASGOW, UNITED KINGDOM – AUGUST 3: (UK OUT) Tom Holland is seen on the set of ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ on August 3, 2025 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by MEGA/GC Images)
GC Images
Spider-Man: Brand New Day gathers steam four years after the events of previous instalment No Way Home, which means there is a decade of Peter Parker’s life you need to understand before walking into the cinema. For non-MCU fans, that might seem like a mountain you’d rather not climb, but let me assure you, this movie is worth watching. Plus, you really don’t need to watch the entire MCU (that might take months, no joke).
So if you haven’t caught the film yet because you’re dreading the homework, grab the popcorn and settle in. Here, in chronological MCU order, are both the specific and optional MCU properties that will give you the bare minimum you need to not lose yourself entirely during Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
1. Captain America: Civil War (2016) — OPTIONAL
Stream on: Disney+
This is where Tom Holland’s Peter Parker begins. A fifteen-year-old from Queens gets recruited by Tony Stark to fight Captain America’s faction of Avengers in an airport in Germany. He’s immediately wide-eyed, hyperverbal and very loveable.
2. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) — REQUIRED
Stream on: Disney+
Peter’s first solo film establishes everything that will eventually come into play — the relationship with Tony Stark, Aunt May, his Queens neighbourhood, the chasm between wanting to be an Avenger and knowing your place is on the ground. This is Peter at his most hopeful, most naive. Brand New Day flashes back to this version of him, so this would give you an idea of who he used to be before he got…well, you’ll see.
3. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) — OPTIONAL
Stream on: Disney+
Peter’s appearance is brief but the scene on Titan is the one that told the world Tom Holland was the real thing. Beyond Peter, this film sets up some backstory for the Hulk — specifically that this is the last time you see Bruce Banner’s uncontrolled Hulk form before Brand New Day brings it back (this detail was in the trailer), and you might need this homework to understand why Bruce Banner would rather never see this version of himself ever again.
Avengers: Endgame (2019) — OPTIONAL
Stream on: Disney+
Peter Parker spends most of Endgame off-screen after being dusted by Thanos in Infinity War, which is why this is optional, but the film is still an important chapter in his story. It brings him back for the final battle against Thanos before the moment that bleeds into everything that follows — Tony Stark’s sacrifice. Far From Home is built around Peter grieving the loss of his mentor and trying to live up to his legacy, so while you can technically skip Endgame, watching it makes Peter’s emotional baggage in the next two Spider-Man film punch you in the face much harder.
4. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) — REQUIRED
Stream on: Disney+
Picks up immediately from Endgame and explains some of Peter’s emotional state for this one. Peter trying to have a normal holiday while grieving Tony, Mysterio’s deception, and the post-credits scene that blows Peter’s life apart — all of it feeds into where the new film finds him. You will not fully feel the four years of no friends and sad little flowers eating alone without this film.
5. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) — REQUIRED
Stream on: Disney+
The most essential film on this list. It’s also actually just the best one, so go ahead and watch it anyway. Brand New Day is the direct sequel to No Way Home’s ending, showing his relationship with Zendaya’s MJ and Jacob Batalon’s Ned Leeds, their dreams for the future, and the eventual devastating decision he had to make. Spider-Man: Brand New Day flashes back to this film. There’s a bunch of scenes in the latest movie where the theatre goes entirely silent, but it will not hit as hard without this one. Do not skip this one.
Leave a comment