Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Is superhero fatigue a thing, or can Spidey swing above it? Matt, Harry and Luke Charlton find out in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Guest post by the Charltons

Are you Spider-Man? Or are you Peter Parker?

This is the question that our hero is faced with throughout the latest movie from Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures - with the latter hoping that the webhead carries on bringing in those dollars after every other attempt to bring a Spider-Man villain to the big screen without Spidey has failed miserably and is often lambasted for being ‘that bad’ - especially by the people who star in them.

We won’t mention Morbius; suffice to say we know that Jared Leto (Tron: Ares) is very capable in Masters of the Universe, but every single attempt by Sony to do anything with the Spider-Verse that doesn’t involve Spider-Man is terrible. It is known.

This will be a spoiler-free review for the most part - but if you want to stay completely away from anything going on until you’ve seen the movie, step away now.

We, of course, will not speculate nor confirm who Sadie Sink (Stranger Things) is playing in this movie.

She is in the movie. That’s all you’re getting. Oh, and there’s no Kate Bush.

The movie picks up after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, with Peter Parker (Tom Holland) being pretty much truly alone in the universe. Nobody knows who Peter is, but everyone knows Spider-Man and his reputation has never been better. Everyone loves him. It’s great.

If you’ve seen the trailers, you’ll have seen The Punisher (Jon Bernthal) features, as does Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) (and maybe even a little Hulk - and maybe even a big Hulk?).

I’ve seen a few early reviews that say bad things, but I think they were going to the shock jock angle. People saying it was emotionless and messy. I disagree, and at the moment the critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes is 91%, which is fair.

I’ve also seen people asking if we need a 4th Spider-Man film, and the answer is yes, we do, and more, please.

This movie is an emotional rollercoaster, and it will make you feel things, and feel things again. It covers topics of grief, of loneliness, of loss and of losing hope. But it also talks about finding hope and helping others, too.

There are many lessons, multiple layers and many laughs. The stakes are high; anything could happen, and you truly feel your heart leave your chest at multiple parts.

As always these days, I travelled to the cinema with Harry (15) and Luke (10), both big Spider-Man fans and again as a dad, I can’t tell you how much love I feel in my heart that I can share these moments with them. Seeing their faces light up with joy, seeing the shock and awe. You can’t beat it.

The cinema was the fullest it's been on any of our trips, given it was the first UK showing at 5:30pm on release day - and we get it two days before the USA, too. The people sat beside me sadly could not stay off their phones or stop talking all the way through - why people are happy to pay upwards of £70 with tickets, snacks and drinks and sit there like it is their living room, I have no idea - or maybe that’s just what it was, feeling they paid enough so they could do what they wanted?

The dynamics between Spider-Man and The Punisher are great. There’s a lot of quips, attitude and history there, and you get a feeling they’ve worked together quite closely in the past.

We see Peter go through a lot of changes in this movie, both physically and emotionally, and we also see him evolve in many other ways.

It’s fun to see how right or wrong people were about characters being photoshopped out of certain scenes in trailers, AKA Peter 2 and Peter 3 in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

There is a post-credits scene, just a single one - which doesn’t give much away but, as always with Marvel, it’s worth hanging around for, and shaking your head at the people who leave immediately - who even does that?

Some questions that you might have...

Will Spidey make it through the movie in one piece?
Does Venom eat lunch at Delmars?
Do we see Thor and the Avengers robbing ATMs again?
Do we see Man-Spider?
Does Ned turn into Hobgoblin?
Who is Sadie Sink playing?
Where else *do* those organic webs come out of?

For answers to these questions and more, book your tickets to see Spider-Man: Brand New Day... today!

Have you seen Spider-Man: Brand New Day? Let us know in the comments below.

Sony to end physical discs on PlayStation

Sony has entered the digital-only chat by announcing it will no longer produce physical discs for new games releasing on PlayStation in January 2028. Does this suggest the PlayStation 6 (PS6) will be digital-only?

The Tokyo-based electronics giant has also announced that 551 digital movies from Studio Canal would be removed from the PlayStation Store.

This is an anti-consumer practice.

The halcyon days of midnight launches are gone forever post-pandemic, and vertical companies will have complete control over distribution, availability and dynamic pricing.

There are also cybersecurity concerns. Who else remembers the infamous PlayStation Network (PSN) hack of 2011?

An online backlash from console gamers (myself included) has witnessed satirical responses from Domino’s Pizza and KFC mocking Sony’s profit-driven decision with clever viral marketing.

What are your thoughts on Sony ending physical media on PlayStation? Let me know in the comments below.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day official trailer

Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures have dropped an official trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, starring Tom Holland as the titular web-slinger.



Read the official synopsis:

"After the record-breaking global success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Spider-Man: Brand New Day marks an entirely new chapter for Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Four years have passed since the events of No Way Home, and Peter is now an adult living entirely alone, having voluntarily erased himself from the lives and memories of those he loves. Crime-fighting in a New York that no longer knows his name, he's devoted himself entirely to protecting his city — a full-time Spider-Man — but as the demands on him intensify, the pressure sparks a surprising physical evolution that threatens his existence, even as a strange new pattern of crimes gives rise to one of the most powerful threats he has ever faced."

When Spider-Man: Brand New Day wrapped filming last December, director Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) published an open letter on social media praising Holland. The director thanked him for his “kind, generous leadership on and off screen, for your relentless work ethic, your fearless performances and for your friendship.”

“I’m so deeply grateful for the people who walked with me through the biggest, most rewarding film I’ve ever been a part of,” Cretton added. “To our amazing cast, for breathing so much life into these beloved characters and moving us every day. To our unbelievable crew, who worked tirelessly with unmatched creativity and craftsmanship, who made me laugh so hard my stomach never stopped hurting. I love you all so much and can’t wait for the world to see your stunning work on the big screen.”

Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into cinemas on 31st July, 2026.

Are you looking forward to Spider-Man: Brand New Day? Let me know in the comments below.

Marvel's Wolverine at State of Play

During the PlayStation State of Play, a gameplay trailer for Marvel's Wolverine was shown. The upcoming console exclusive was first announced in 2021.



Read the official synopsis:

"Become a living weapon. As he searches for answers about his past, Wolverine will do whatever it takes – unleashing brutal claw combat, violent rage, and relentless determination – to cut through the mystery of the man he used to be."

From Insomniac Games, the developers of the critically-acclaimed Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise, comes Marvel’s Wolverine, an all-new take on an iconic character based on Marvel Comics. Developed in collaboration with Marvel Games and Sony Interactive Entertainment, Marvel’s Wolverine is coming to PlayStation 5 (PS5) consoles in late 2026.

In a PlayStation Blog post, Insomniac senior community manager Aaron Jason Espinoza, said, "We aim to deliver the ultimate Wolverine fantasy built on Insomniac staples like fast, fluid, and ferocious combat; exhilarating, action-packed set pieces; robust accessibility features; and a gripping story that taps into the core tenets of one of the most compelling comic book characters of all-time."

X-Men fans (myself included) are eating well with X-Men '97, Deadpool & Wolverine and next year's Avengers: Doomsday.

Are you looking forward to Marvel's Wolverine? Let me know in the comments below.

The Witcher 4 demo at State of Unreal

CD Projekt Red showed a stunning tech demo at Unreal Fest Orlando 2025 of The Witcher 4 running on a base PlayStation 5 (PS5) with ray tracing enabled.



Read the official synopsis:

"This demo provides a glimpse at a number of 5.6’s powerful new open world features in action—all running on PlayStation 5 at 60 fps with raytracing—including the new, faster way to load open worlds via the Fast Geometry Streaming Plugin.

We get a peek at the power of 5.6 for handling busy scenes full of high-fidelity characters and visual effects like Chaos Cloth and an early look at Nanite Foliage, which provides a fast and memory-efficient way to achieve gorgeous foliage density and fidelity, slated for release in UE 5.7."

Remember that this isn’t gameplay of The Witcher 4 itself, but a deep dive into the technological groundwork.

Speaking on The Witcher 4 Unreal Engine 5 tech demo, Joint-CEO of CD Projekt Red, Michał Nowakowski, stated:

“We started our partnership with Epic Games to push open-world game technology forward. To show this early look at the work we’ve been doing using Unreal Engine running at 60 FPS on PlayStation 5, is a significant milestone — and a testament of the great cooperation between our teams. But we’re far from finished. I look forward to seeing more advancements and inspiring technology from this partnership as development of The Witcher 4 on Unreal Engine 5 continues.”

I vividly remember playing Unreal Tournament on my iMac DV SE in 2000. The Unreal Engine has evolved, and The Witcher 4 promises truly next-gen fidelity.

Tim Sweeney, Founder and CEO of Epic Games, said:

“CD Projekt Red is one of the industry’s best open-world game studios, and we’re grateful that they’re working with us to push Unreal Engine forward with The Witcher 4. They are the perfect partner to help us develop new world-building features that we can share with all Unreal Engine developers.”

Sony's $250 million investment in Epic Games is paying dividends, and I can't wait to play The Witcher 4 on PS5.

Have you watched The Witcher 4 tech demo? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

The Last of Us cast at SXSW

South by Southwest (SXSW) hosted a panel at the Austin Convention Center on Saturday featuring the cast and creators of HBO’s Emmy-winning series The Last of Us.

Cast members Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Kaitlyn Dever, Gabriel Luna, Isabela Merced and Young Mazino attended the panel, alongside showrunners and directors Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin.



An official trailer for season two was dropped during the panel.



Read the official synopsis:

“After five years of peace following the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie’s collective past catches up to them, drawing them into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.”

Bella Ramsey, Pedro Pascal and Gabriel Luna are back, and we also see Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen, Danny Ramirez as Manny, and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac. Catherine O’Hara also guest stars.

The Last of Us returns this April on HBO and Sky Atlantic.

Are you looking forward to the second season of The Last of Us? Let me know in the comments below.

The Last of Us at CES

A new teaser trailer for season two of The Last of Us dropped during Sony's presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.



Read the official synopsis:

“After five years of peace following the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie’s collective past catches up to them, drawing them into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.”

Bella Ramsey, Pedro Pascal and Gabriel Luna are back, and we also see Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen, Danny Ramirez as Manny, and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac. Catherine O’Hara also guest stars.

In related news, Sony showcased its Future Immersive Entertainment Concept. According to Sony, it combines Crystal LED panels, audio, haptics, scent, and atmospherics with a PlayStation game like The Last of Us to create an interactive experience. For now, this is only a proof of concept.

The Last of Us returns this April on HBO and Sky Atlantic.

Are you looking forward to the second season of The Last of Us? Let me know in the comments below.

PlayStation turns 30!

This blog began 20 years ago and I've reviewed PlayStation hardware across generations. So it's only right I share my memories on the 30th anniversary of Sony's game-changing console.

I wouldn't own Sony's upstart console with a bundled copy of Tomb Raider from EB Games until 1996. However, I first played a friend's Japanese import PlayStation and then a university housemate's for a daily dose of Destruction Derby, Ridge Racer and WipEout (when I should have been writing my third-year dissertation).

In the mid-to-late nineties, saying you owned a PlayStation during work water cooler conversations was fashionably cool. The console was featured on newsstands everywhere, from Edge to FHM, nudging Nintendo and Sega off the top spots forever.

Without the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), there would be no PlayStation.

Sony's 32-bit console began life as an aborted SNES CD-ROM add-on in 1988. However, Nintendo shunned Sony at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and partnered with Philips in 1991. The rest is gaming history.

Sony brings back the original PlayStation boot screen to celebrate this milestone with the PlayStation 5 (PS5) anniversary update! No matter which generation of PlayStation you grew up on, that old-school PS1 boot screen hits differently! I will turn my PS5 on and off throughout the holidays to remember what it felt like to play Tomb Raider for the first time!

What are your PlayStation memories? Let me know in the comments below.

The Last of Us Day

It's The Last of Us Day and HBO has released the first official teaser trailer for The Last of Us season two. This is expected to adapt The Last of Us Part II video game from 2020.



Read the official synopsis:

“After five years of peace following the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie’s collective past catches up to them, drawing them into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.”

Bella Ramsey, Pedro Pascal and Gabriel Luna are back and we also see Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen, Danny Ramirez as Manny, and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac. Catherine O’Hara also guest stars.

Season one of The Last of Us is an intense, character-driven story, and there’s a haunting beauty to its rustic depiction of America in the wake of an incurable pandemic. Heightened by a real-life pandemic we’re emerging from. Our shared trauma is explored in HBO’s live-action adaptation of Naughty Dog's award-winning PlayStation 3 (PS3) video game from 2013.

The Last of Us returns in 2025 on HBO and Sky Atlantic.

Are you looking forward to the second season of The Last of Us? What did you think of the first teaser trailer? How are you celebrating The Last of Us Day? Let me know in the comments below.

Miles and Gwen swing Across the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse swings into cinemas this June.

Sony Pictures has released an official clip featuring Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) and Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) from the highly-anticipated sequel to the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.



Read the official synopsis:

"Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga, "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse." After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn's full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders, and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most."

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is the middle part of the Spider-Verse trilogy concluding with Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, and the co-directors have likened it to Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.

"Across The Spider-Verse is a movie on its own, but it definitely ends on a bit of a cliffhanger,” co-director Kemp Powers revealed. “I think it’s a good cliffhanger. We hope that it’s a satisfying tee-up for what’s coming in the third film, because you want people to be excited about what’s coming next.”

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is my all-time favourite film! Colour me most excited.

Fellow director Joaquim Dos Santos adds, "I was very satisfied after The Empire Strikes Back. And hopefully, this is our Empire."

This weekend I'm going to rewatch Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse on Sony's BRAVIA CORE streaming service exclusively for BRAVIA XR.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is exclusively in cinemas 2nd of June.

Are you looking forward to Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse? Let me know in the comments below.

The Last of Us avoids Super Bowl

HBO has announced The Last of Us episode 5 will be aired this Friday to avoid clashing with the Super Bowl on Sunday.

UK-based fans (myself included) won't have to wait. It will be available on demand from Saturday morning ahead of Monday's premiere on Sky Atlantic.

The live-action adaptation of the award-winning PlayStation video game is taking the world by storm. The show, which co-stars Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian) and Bella Ramsay (Game of Thrones) in the lead roles, has been renewed for a second season.

"I’m humbled, honoured, and frankly overwhelmed that so many people have tuned in and connected with our retelling of Joel and Ellie’s journey," executive producer Neil Druckmann said in an official statement.

"Now we have the absolute pleasure of being able to do it again with season two!"

Executive producer Craig Mazin added: "I’m so grateful to Neil Druckmann and HBO for our partnership, and I’m even more grateful to the millions of people who have joined us on this journey.

"The audience has given us the chance to continue, and as a fan of the characters and world Neil and Naughty Dog created, I couldn’t be more ready to dive back in."

Are you watching The Last of Us? Let me know in the comments below.

The Last of Us infects TV this January

The Last of Us, written by Neil Druckmann, was released by Naughty Dog a decade ago on the PlayStation 3 (PS3). It's that rare breed of video game I've owned across console generations, most recently on PlayStation 5 (PS5).

So, it's not entirely surprising I'm looking forward to HBO's live-action adaptation, co-written by Druckmann and Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) and filmed during a real-life global pandemic, starring Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian) and Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones).

Read the official synopsis:

"THE LAST OF US takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival."

The Last of Us premieres on 15th January on HBO and HBO Max in the US and 16th January on Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK.

Are you excited about The Last of Us on HBO? Let me know in the comments below.

Adam Driver blasts dinosaurs in 65

Well, I didn't see this coming.

Adam Driver (Star Wars) time travels back to when the dinosaurs ruled the earth in 65. Sony Pictures has released an official trailer for the upcoming sci-fi thriller produced by Sam Raimi (Spider-Man 2).



Read the official synopsis:

"After a catastrophic crash on an unknown planet, pilot Mills (Adam Driver) quickly discovers he’s actually stranded on Earth… 65 million years ago. Now, with only one chance at rescue, Mills and the only other survivor, Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), must make their way across an unknown terrain riddled with dangerous prehistoric creatures in an epic fight to survive."

65 reminds me of a 2000 AD Annual storyline from Christmas past and I'm here for it. It hits theatres on 10th March.

Are you looking forward to 65? Let me know in the comments below.

Spider-Man’s home on Disney+

Spider-Man's coming home to Disney+ this Friday.

Disney+ subscribers (myself included) will be able to watch Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Oddly, Spider-Man 3 is missing. However, at least fans of the friendly neighbourhood web-slinger will be able to watch Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield in action along with Tom Holland's first solo adventure.

Whilst Netflix has a first-run exclusive deal with Sony Pictures, Disney teased the following: "Additional titles from Sony Pictures’ film and television library are expected to premiere on Disney+ in UK and Ireland later this year."

Are you pleased standalone Spider-Man movies are becoming available on Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.

Marsh mystery Where the Crawdads Sing

2 years ago, the UK went into lockdown for the first time with a new normal in the wake of coronavirus (COVID-19). Like many, I’ve lost family and friends during the ongoing pandemic, attended funeral services online and helped elderly and clinically vulnerable neighbours without access to technology. All the while socially distanced and shielding.

Normal People, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones (War of the Worlds) and Paul Mescal as ill-fated lovers, became a poetic pop culture phenomenon on BBC Three and Hulu. Subsequently, Edgar-Jones has appeared alongside Sebastian Stan (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) in Fresh on Star on Disney+ and will soon be seen in a movie adaptation of Delia Owens' novel Where the Crawdads Sing.

Sony Pictures Entertainment has released an official trailer featuring a new song by Taylor Swift.



Read the official synopsis:

"From the best-selling novel comes a captivating mystery. Where the Crawdads Sing tells the story of Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jones), an abandoned girl who raised herself to adulthood in the dangerous marshlands of North Carolina. For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” haunted Barkley Cove, isolating the sharp and resilient Kya from her community. Drawn to two young men from town, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world; but when one of them is found dead, she is immediately cast by the community as the main suspect. As the case unfolds, the verdict as to what actually happened becomes increasingly unclear, threatening to reveal the many secrets that lay within the marsh."

“I fell so deeply in love with the world that Delia created, she has such a poetry to her writing. And her characters are so incredibly special, and deep and complex — particularly Kya, of course,” said Edgar-Jones in a video on Instagram. “I would describe Kya as fiercely resilient, wonderfully curious and strong. And I just feel so privileged and excited to be playing her.”

Where the Crawdads Sing is in cinemas this July.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is coming home

On Wednesday, Sony Pictures announced Spider-Man: No Way Home is coming home digitally this March.

A popular internet meme based on the sixties animated Spider-Man series was recreated featuring Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire.

Nick Smith raved about the blockbusting movie in his spoiler-free review. Soon fans (myself included) will be able to watch it digitally on 22nd March and on 4K UHD Blu-ray on 4th April. No news on when it'll premiere on Netflix.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is available to pre-order (affiliate link).

Make Mine Spider-Man

Spider-Man: No Way Home is a box office behemoth and I can't wait to see the beloved web-slinger's latest adventure when it debuts on Netflix.

Nick Smith, our resident US-based comic book guru, enters a multiverse of Marvel's making.

Guest post by Nick Smith

2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse took a charming swing at celebrating Spidey’s history, with turns from Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man Noir and even Peter Porker. The animated feature was a joy to watch and a deserved hit. But was a live-action multiverse adventure feasible, or would it be a futile exercise in fan pandering? Fortunately, the former is true.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is one of the most accomplished and heart-warming Marvel movies so far.

In Spider-Man: No Way Home, J. Jonah Jameson (J. K. Simmons) has outed 17-year-old Peter Parker (Tom Holland) as – gasp! – the vigilante super-hero Spider-Man. This rotten revelation adversely affects the lives of Peter, his besties Ned (Jacob Batalon) and MJ (Zendaya) and his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei). The only person who seems to come out smelling of roses is Flash Thompson (Tony Revolori), who proclaims himself Peter’s real BFF and has a book out to prove it.

Peter goes to fellow Avenger Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for help. Strange casts a spell to help the world forget Spider-Man’s alias. Unfortunately, the spell goes wrong and worlds collide as other super-powered characters, who know his true identity, are pulled from alternate Earths.

DC does multiple worlds well, at least on TV; The CW’s shows have already schooled modern audiences on multiverses and different variations of characters. Many made charming cameos in the Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover, from 1960s Robin (Burt Ward) to the current movie Flash (Ezra Miller) meeting his TV equal (Grant Gustin).

It’s a hard act to follow, but Marvel does it in its hyper-real, epic style that tugs at the heartstrings and leaves you wanting more. Amidst the action and character-based comedy, there are strong themes of loyalty and redemption. To say who gets redeemed would spoil this movie’s surprises – let’s just say some of the pay-offs are decades in the making.

All the Tom Holland Spider-Man films have been satisfying but this one respects its legacy by referring to previous entries in the saga, complete with music cues, familiar phrases (‘with great power…’) and several sinister villains.

Although the story presupposes knowledge of Avengers and Spider-Man lore, that’s balanced with characters popping into our world and being surprised – magic exists here? There’s a guy who turns green? – giving newbies a chance to relate to the far-fetched drama.

The actors help to sell the fairytale aspects of the plot as well as the more everyday drama (getting into college, actions having consequences). Tom Holland (Peter Parker/Spider-Man) gets more charismatic with each of his films. Zendaya (MJ) and Jacob Batalon (Ned Leeds) are perfect supporting players. Alfred Molina picks up his sympathetic portrayal of Doc Ock, last seen in 2004’s Spiderman 2, as if he never left it. Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange provides a perfect wry remedy for Peter Parker’s teenage turmoil.

We’ve seen Doctor Strange’s eye-bending, twisted planes of existence before but a crack between dimensions opens new realms of possibility. It would be fantastic to see the Negative Zone or Jack Kirby starfields in full effect.

There’s no dispute that DC lay the multidimensional groundwork for contemporary viewers to accept different takes on favourite characters and stories. Nevertheless, since Spider-Man: No Way Home captures the humanity and down-to-earth concerns of its characters – the heroes and villains – there’s no contest. Marvel does it better.

Have you seen Spider-Man: No Way Home? Let me know in the comments below.

Spidey's billion-dollar Betwixmas

Betwixmas brings Spider-Man: No Way Home a billion-dollar bonanza in theatres for Sony Pictures!

It's the first movie to reach that box office milestone since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker concluded George Lucas' 9-part space opera, which was the last movie I saw before the pandemic, in 2019.

Whilst I've had the booster vaccine, I remain reluctant to venture into the cinema due to health reasons. So, in place of a press screener, Nick Smith, our resident US-based stellar scribe, will be reviewing Spidey's latest and greatest at his local multiplex. I'll wait to see it on Netflix (hopefully on an LG OLED) in 2022.

Have you seen Spider-Man: No Way Home? Let me know in the comments below.

Spider-Man's box office bite

Spider-Man: No Way Home, starring Tom Holland as the titular web-crawler, opened to a historic $587.2 million weekend box office during the pandemic.

“This weekend’s historic ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ results, from all over the world and in the face of many challenges, reaffirm the unmatched cultural impact that exclusive theatrical films can have when they are made and marketed with vision and resolve,” says Tom Rothman, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group chairman and CEO.

Have you seen Spider-Man: No Way Home? Let me know in the comments below.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse first look

Sony Pictures has released a first look at the upcoming sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Shameik Moore and Hailee Steinfeld reprise their roles as Miles Morales AKA Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy AKA Spider-Gwen in the teaser for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One). The film will be the first entry in a multi-part story. Steinfeld can currently be seen playing Kate Bishop in Marvel Studios' Hawkeye on Disney+.



Read the official synopsis:

"Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar-winning Spider-Verse saga, an epic adventure that will transport Brooklyn's full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man across the Multiverse to join forces with Gwen Stacy and a new team of Spider-People to face off with a villain more powerful than anything they have ever encountered."

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) is expected to premiere in cinemas in October 2022. Spider-Man: No Way Home, starring Tom Holland as the titular web-slinger, swings into UK cinemas on 15th December. Both Spider-Man film franchises will be available to stream first on Netflix as part of a multi-year deal announced earlier this year.

Are you looking forward to Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One)? Let me know in the comments below.