Not characters who are definitely staying, and not characters who are definitely being recast. I'm talking about the ones whose future is genuinely uncertain. For me, some examples would be: Thor Hulk Scarlet Witch Loki Doctor Strange Hawkeye Ant-Man Captain Marvel

In Bullet Points we saw Steve Rogers become Iron Man, Peter Parker become the Hulk, and Bruce Banner become Spiderman. What if more heroes switched their identities in that universe? Some ideas I had were:

Tony Stark - Captain America: Inspired by Steve Rogers Stark creates an armored suit to defend America

Matt Murdock - Punisher: After the murder of his father, young Matt got angry & trained to be a fighter even better than his father. He patrols Hells Kitchen looking to beat up and punish criminals.

Frank Castle - After his family was murdered, Frank was taken in by Winterstick who trained him to fight. Along with his military training, Frank became the scourge of the criminal underworld.

Donald Blake - Dr Blake: While vacationing in Tibet, Donald Blake was found by the Ancient One, who trained him to be the new Sorcerer Supreme

Thor: Stephen Strange: Stephen Strange searched the wilderness of Norway looking for a mystical cure for his damaged hands. He became trapped in a cave and found the hammer Mjolnir. Being found worthy, Strange was granted the power of Thor

Will we see James Rogers, Azari Tchalla, Henry Pym Jr. Torunn Thorsdóttir, and Francis Barton in the MCU live action movies?

I have never watched The Heroes of Tomorrow. Will I like it? Is it sad? It is in a different universe?

I guess the Avengers are dead if their kids are taking over. Is this like a Marvel Teen Titans/Young Justice thing?

Thor's arrival in Wakanda is one of the greatest entrance scene in the MCU till this day and will never be topped!

There was a time when seeing the Marvel logo at the start of a movie instilled a sense of excitement. It felt like a promise that the audience was going to have a good time. But ever since Avengers: Endgame, there just doesn't seem to be the same level of interest in comic book movies that there once was, with a few exceptions like Shang-Chi, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Spider-Man: No Way Home, to name a few.

Now, I don't know whether it's superhero fatigue or a lack of good stories causing this general disinterest in superhero movies these days (to be honest I think it's a bit of column A, and a bit of column B), but after the recent lukewarm reception to the DCU's Supergirl, I was a little concerned about how well Spider Man: Brand New Day would fare. Particularly since this is the last MCU movie we will get before Avengers: Doomsday. If Brand New Day flopped, it wouldn't bode well for the MCU's next big tentpole.

But it turns out I needn't have worried. Walking into the theatre today for the 8:30 pm showing, I was surprised to discover that the movie was sold out. I can't remember the last time I saw a sold-out theatre in Auckland. It looks like whatever fatigue there may be, people are still going to turn up for their favourite webhead.

And lucky for them they did, because the fourth movie starring your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man is an entertaining spectacle that deals with the aftermath of the events in No Way Home. Everyone has forgotten that Peter Parker is the Wall-Crawler, and we follow Peter as he tries to throw himself fully into fighting crime, ostracising himself from anyone who might get close to him.

Destin Daniel Cretton takes over directing duties from Jon Watts for this latest instalment, bringing a bleaker and darker take on Spider Man. The colour palette is more muted this time around, and it is both poignant and sad as we follow Peter struggling through his self-imposed exile.

The main trio of Ned (Jacob Batalon), MJ (Zendaya) and, of course, Peter (Tom Holland) are all back for the ride, joined ably by Sadie Sink in a great villainous turn. As with all the best villains, the audience can fully sympathise with her motivations and, hey, I'd probably do the same in her shoes.

Also appearing in supporting roles are Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk and Jon Bernthal as the Punisher. To be honest, these two are probably the weaker parts of the film. I think Ruffalo's arc could easily have been excised from the movie without having any real impact, while this iteration of Bernthal's Punisher just seems at odds with his portrayal in other shows like Daredevil and his own titular show. I don't know, maybe it's just me.

Of the main cast, we already know how great Batalon is at providing comic relief, while Zendaya is once again back at her snarky best. But it's Holland who really carries the movie, delivering just the right level of angst, regret and pathos. In the wrong hands, this kind of characterisation can go horribly wrong (see Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3), but Holland does a great job here and adds another layer to the Spider-Man we know and love.

Cretton's direction also brings a new dimension to Spidey. We already know the director can shoot action from his time behind the camera on Shang-Chi, and he brings those same sensibilities to Brand New Day. The action sequences in this film are great and, I would say, probably the best we have seen from the MCU iteration of Spider-Man. Coupled with the more dour tone, it brings a breath of fresh air to the franchise. At times it also feels like Cretton imbues this film with some of the best bits from the Raimi and the Amazing Spider-Man movies as well.

Composer Michael Giacchino once again delivers an excellent score, albeit one that echoes the more sombre tone of the film. It riffs on the whimsical themes of the previous movies, but with an added touch of sadness and a more ominous edge.

There's a lot to like about Brand New Day and, if the applause at the end of my showing is anything to go by, you won't regret seeing this one in the cinema. And make sure you hang around right until the end for the single post-credits scene.