Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the next entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, arrives in about four months. So you might be surprised to hear that rather recently, Spider-Man himself, Tom Holland, was doing some last-minute reshoots. The actor says these aren’t necessary, just a few extra touches to add “more humor” and other “fun stuff.” Hmmm.
For a new interview with GQ, Holland called in from London where he’s been wrapping up Spider-Man reshoots ahead of the movie’s upcoming July 31 theatrical release. Likely sensing that some fans and critics might find it odd or even troubling that Spider-Man: Brand New Day was still doing reshoots this close to launch, Holland tried to downplay these extra bits, but ended up stepping into a whole other mess in the process by claiming that one reason for the extra work was to add in more jokes.
“I can positively say that the stuff we’re doing, we don’t need,” Holland told the outlet during the Zoom interview. “The movie works and sings as it is. We’re just adding the icing on the cake in certain areas. We’re finding some ways to add a little bit more humor. We’re layering in a villain plotline in a new way and some really fun stuff.”
For a long time now, many fans and critics have complained that the MCU adds too much humor to its films, leading to these comedic moments sometimes stepping on more dramatic scenes or breaking any tension that was building. Comic book movies should always have some amount of levity and humor. After all, these are stories about spandex-wearing superhumans with names like Batman fighting aliens and magical wizards. But in recent years the MCU has been accused of adding too much, so Holland suggesting that one reason they are doing reshoots for Brand New Day is that the people in charge demand more jokes is a bit…worrying.
That first trailer seemed darker and gloomier than past MCU Spider-Man films, and I was hopeful it might have a more serious tone as Peter Parker deals with none of his friends remembering who he is after the events of No Way Home. Hopefully, “a little bit more humor” just means a few gags and not a movie’s worth of jokes.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters on July 31. We’ll find out then if the latest MCU Spider-Man movie sticks the landing.
