‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Achieves A CinemaScore Grade Among MCU Elite

Peter Parker’s return to the big screen was always going to be a significant event. After a five-year hiatus from a solo film, Tom Holland’s beloved web-slinger made his comeback this week, backed by a robust marketing campaign, a new director, and a storyline that continues from the aftermath of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home.’

Such high expectations come with their own set of pressures, and ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ has demonstrated its ability to rise to the occasion during its opening week. With record-breaking preview figures and a wave of positive critic reviews, Sony and Marvel Studios have much to celebrate even before the film’s first full weekend.

The audience response is in, and it’s overwhelmingly positive. ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ has received an A grade from CinemaScore, the market research firm that surveys moviegoers as they exit opening-night screenings. This achievement marks it as the 25th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the sixth live-action Spider-Man installment to earn an A or higher from opening-night audiences.

This A grade places ‘Brand New Day’ alongside its franchise peers, although it falls just short of the highest accolades. Sam Raimi’s original ‘Spider-Man’ and ‘Spider-Man 2’ both garnered A- ratings, while ‘Spider-Man 3’ received a B+. ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ also earned an A-, with its sequel landing a B+. Holland’s previous films, ‘Homecoming’ and ‘Far From Home,’ both achieved A grades, while ‘No Way Home’ set a new standard with an A+.

That A+ remains a rare achievement. Only a few comic-book films have reached that score, including ‘The Avengers,’ ‘Black Panther,’ ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,’ ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ and ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home.’ While ‘Brand New Day’ didn’t quite reach its predecessor’s historic score, an A still positions it among the best-reviewed entries in the Spider-Man franchise.

The CinemaScore is just one aspect of a broader reception that has been largely positive. The film has also achieved a 90% Certified Fresh score from critics and a remarkable 98% score from verified Rotten Tomatoes audiences, tying the MCU’s audience record. According to Forbes reports, the film holds an 8.2 rating on IMDb, reportedly the highest of the Holland era, surpassing even ‘No Way Home’s 8.1.

Box office figures are reflecting this enthusiasm as well. Thursday preview earnings alone reportedly reached $75 million, significantly ahead of the $50 million ‘No Way Home’ earned during its previews, and enough to break the previous preview record held by ‘Avengers: Endgame’ since 2019.

The narrative unfolds four years after Doctor Strange’s memory spell erased the world’s knowledge of Peter Parker’s dual identity. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the film depicts Peter as a solitary hero, with MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon) having no recollection of who he is.

The film’s cast has also generated excitement. It reunites Holland and Zendaya with Batalon and Jon Favreau, while introducing new faces such as Sadie Sink, Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo, Liza Colón-Zayas, Tramell Tillman, Marvin Jones III, and Melanie Scrofano.

Industry analysts are already predicting historic numbers. Some estimates suggest the opening weekend could exceed $250 million domestically, with global projections nearing $800 million by Sunday, all without the film having a single domestic IMAX screen due to Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey.’

For a franchise known for consistently resetting box office expectations, an A CinemaScore coupled with record preview figures indicates that ‘Brand New Day’ is not only meeting the moment but also fostering the kind of word-of-mouth that typically leads to a prolonged theatrical run. Whether it can rise above an A in the cultural conversation is secondary to the fact that the numbers themselves are already making history.

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