Forget the Theater, Spider-Man is Absolutely Dominating Streaming, Too

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is currently the talk of the town in Hollywood, shattering box office records left and right as it marches towards the $2 billion mark. The film’s overwhelming success is a clear illustration of not just Spider-Man’s enduring popularity, but also how much Tom Holland’s iteration has resonated with audiences. Since making his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut a decade ago in Captain America: Civil War, Holland’s Peter Parker has become a beloved fan favorite — thanks in large part to a trilogy of extremely successful solo movies. As Brand New Day continues to make history at the box office, Holland’s other outings as Spider-Man are dominating streaming charts.

According to FlixPatrol, which measures the popularity of titles across various streaming services, installments from the original Holland-led Spider-Man trilogy are in the top 10 on multiple platforms. All three entries are in the top five on Disney+ in the United States, behind only The Devil Wears Prada 2. Spider-Man: Homecoming is the No. 8 movie on Netflix domestically. Worldwide on HBO Max, Homecoming is No. 2, while Spider-Man: No Way Home is No. 8.

Despite Recent Backlash, the Spider-Man “Home” Trilogy Is Worth Watching

In the build up to Spider-Man: Brand New Day‘s premiere, much was made about the film’s relatable, character-driven story and practical filmmaking approach. Following his experience on Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, Holland went back to Marvel and advocated for a shift in process. The end result was a grounded, street-level Spider-Man film that harkened back to the Sam Raimi trilogy in a lot of ways. Understandably, Marvel fans have been quick to praise Brand New Day director Destin Daniel Cretton, and the hope is Cretton will return for future Spider-Man installments. However, the surge in Brand New Day‘s popularity has also led to Jon Watts, director of the first three Holland films, receiving a substantial amount of criticism for the way he handled those projects.

A convincing argument can be made that Brand New Day is an improvement in the visuals department when compared to Watts’ Home trilogy, and it’s easy to see why moviegoers have responded so positively to it. In particular, Holland’s new practical Spider-Man costume looks great. But two things can be true. Cretton did an amazing job kicking off this new era of Spider-Man on the big screen, and Watts also did a great job with his films. It’s important for people to keep in mind that Watts and Cretton were working on two very different production timelines. All three Home trilogy films released every other year between 2017-2021 (with Holland making other MCU appearances in between), putting them on a tight schedule as they fit into Marvel’s overarching plan. In contrast, Brand New Day released five years after No Way Home, and Cretton clearly took advantage of all that extra time. Additionally, No Way Home was produced during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, making it a highly unusual experience for the cast and crew. It’s a minor miracle that film was even completed. If certain shots or sequences come across as unpolished, it’s forgivable due to the circumstances.

Brand New Day wouldn’t be nearly as effective as it is if it wasn’t for the excellent foundation Watts laid with his films. Not only did Holland cement himself as Peter Parker for a whole generation of moviegoers, the Home trilogy was built around the impeccable chemistry between Holland, Zendaya, and Jacob Batalon. The friendship between Peter, Ned, and MJ became the defining part of the Home trilogy’s emotional core. As fun as it was to see Spider-Man interact with other MCU heroes on screen, the Peter/Ned/MJ dynamic is what gave those films heart, capturing the high school experience in a way that felt true to the source material while also modernizing it for today’s audiences. There’s a reason why Cretton and Co. looked to build on that by bringing Ned and MJ back for Brand New Day, showing how isolating himself from society impacted Peter.

The Home trilogy also delivered on the genre thrills audiences have come to expect from these movies. No Way Home‘s multiversal narrative, which allowed the team to bring back legacy actors from previous Spider-Man film series, gets a lion’s share of the attention for obvious reasons. Watching Holland share the screen with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield brought joy to audiences worldwide. But long before a live-action Spider-Verse was even a thought in Kevin Feige’s mind, the Home trilogy featured some of the best MCU villains. Michael Keaton’s Vulture was a scene stealer in Homecoming (his tense conversation with Peter in the car after a jaw-dropping twist is still a series highlight), and Jake Gyllenhaal brought his typically committed approach to his performance as Mysterio. The MCU has struggled in the villain department at times, but that hasn’t been a problem for Spider-Man.