Spider-Man inspires people to become heroes, says ‘Brand New Day’ director Destin Daniel Cretton

Director Destin Daniel Cretton says Spider-Man's enduring appeal lies in his humanity and vulnerability, themes explored in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The filmmaker also praised Tom Holland's performance and highlighted the film's practical action sequences ahead of its India release

Mumbai: Spider-Man’s greatest strength isn’t his web-slinging abilities but his power to make people believe they could be the hero too, says filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton, explaining why the friendly neighbourhood superhero has inspired generations across the world.

That Spider-Man belongs as much to Mumbai as he does to New York was evident recently when a local resident went viral after dressing up as the superhero to manage traffic, warn motorists about hidden potholes and help commuters navigate waterlogged roads following heavy rains.

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“I think it’s so cool that people are able to see themselves behind the mask of Spider-Man. If there is going to be a character to emulate, I can’t think of a better character than Spider-Man,” Cretton, who has directed the new Tom Holland-starrer superhero film “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”, told PTI in an interview.

“For somebody to help other people during a very difficult time in life, I think is so beautiful and represents the heart of Peter Parker,” he added.

Like millions of fans around the world, Cretton, who is of Japanese, American, Slovak, and Irish descent and was raised in Hawaii, said he spent his childhood imagining himself behind Spider-Man’s mask.

“… Even though I’m from a very different culture from Peter Parker, there’s something so universal about him that allows me to imagine myself behind that mask,” he added.

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day”, which will hit Indian cinemas on Thursday, is the fourth instalment in Holland’s solo Spider-Man series.

Set four years after the events of “Spider-Man: No Way Home”, the film follows Peter as he fights crime full-time in a world that no longer remembers him, while confronting a mysterious new villain and the personal consequences of living an anonymous life.

Cretton said the new film focuses on the emotional journey of Peter Parker.

“This movie is about the importance of human connection. In the beginning of the movie, Peter Parker is completely alone and he’s trying to survive that way. He is pouring all of himself into his work, but not really into things that make him human, like his relationships or any part that feeds his humanity,” Cretton said.

The director praised Holland for effectively getting into the skin of his character and conveying loneliness through his performance.

“In this movie, he’s a bit older and is dealing with more adult problems. This is the first time that we are seeing him completely outside of his community of friends and family. So, to see Peter Parker for the first time operating completely alone and Tom was able to portray this feeling of loneliness, even though he is in the middle of a very busy city like New York.”

Speaking about the film’s scale and action, Cretton said the team has tried to push the boundaries while staying true to the character.

“Both technology and our stunt department were able to try things that we’ve never seen Spider-Man do before and not only the swinging but also in the action design and the moves that we’re seeing him do and the amount of things that we were able to do practically in this movie was very exciting,” he said.

“When people see the action of this movie you will feel the adrenaline rush of knowing that those are real people doing these wonderful choreographed stunts. But the same is true on just the performance side too,” he added.

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” marks Cretton’s third outing in the superhero genre after “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”, centred on Marvel’s martial arts superhero, and “Wonder Man”, which follows an aspiring actor who gains superpowers and navigates life as a reluctant superhero.

The filmmaker sees vulnerability as the shared quality that links Spider-Man, Shang-Chi and Wonder Man.

“There’s something in their past that haunts them and that they have to learn to overcome it. At their core, they all need the same thing, they’re all trying to do this on their own, but they all need to learn to connect to the people around them and lean on the people who truly care about them. And that’s a subject and a theme that is worthwhile.”

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” also brings back Zendaya as Michelle “MJ” Jones-Watson and Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds, while Sadie Sink joins the cast in an undisclosed role alongside Jon Bernthal, who reprises his role as Frank Castle/The Punisher.

In India, the movie will open across all premium large formats in both 2D and 3D in six languages — English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam .