I saw Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and it was a blast.

On Tuesday, my boys and I went to a packed out theater to watch Spider-man Brand New Day! I may have been geeking out a little more than they were. But hey, I have no shame!

I’m not much of a “go to the movies type of guy.” Call me cheap, but I don’t like spending money.

But Spider-man was an amazing film. It reminded me why I fell in love with superheroes in the first place. It’s funny. It’s heartfelt. It’s exciting. But more than anything, it feels refreshingly… human.

Tonight, you can join me live with fellow YouTuber Josh R. Smith as we talk all things Spider-Man: Brand New Day. We’re going to dive into what worked, the parts that surprised us, and why we think this movie is connecting with audiences in a way so many recent superhero films haven’t.

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One thing that really stood out to me is that Brand New Day is, at its core, really a story about identity.

Peter Parker has one thing left that gives his life purpose: and that’s being Spider-Man.

That’s not a spoiler. It’s simply where his journey begins in this film.

He works. He puts on the mask. Then he comes home to a quiet apartment and doomscrolls through a world that has moved on without him, looking at lives that seem fuller than his own. Constantly watching reels of his friends.

As I watched, I couldn’t help but think how understandable that is.

For many men, life changes after college. You get married, you have kids, and you build a career. Somewhere along the way, friendships become less frequent. Your calendar fills up with responsibilities and before you know it, your work has become the primary thing that defines you.

I’d argue many women experience the same thing. Careers, parenting, responsibilities, endless to-do lists. Life gets so busy that it’s easy to wake up one day and realize you’ve wrapped your identity around what you do rather than who you are.

Then we come home. And what do we do? We pick up our phones and start to scroll through everyone else’s highlight reels.

We compare, and find ourselves wishing. We imagine a different life, searching for something we can’t quite name. Saying to yourself: Someday.

That’s one reason I think Spider-Man continues to resonate with audiences after all these years.

Peter Parker isn’t a billionaire with endless resources. He isn’t a king or a god like Thor. He’s the working man. He’s trying to pay his rent and struggling. He’s exhausted, and he makes mistakes. He wonders if any of what he’s doing, really even matters.

He’s the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

That’s a hero people understand. And at the same time, he’s aspirational.

He keeps showing up. He keeps serving. He keeps choosing compassion, even when no one notices and even when the people he’s helping don’t know who he is.

There’s something deeply admirable about that. Because in many ways we all aspire to be that way.

Maybe that’s why Spider-Man has lasted for generations. Underneath the web-slinging and spectacular action is a character asking the same questions many of us ask.

Who am I?

What gives my life meaning?

What kind of person do I want to become?

Those questions never get old and neither does Spider-Man.

If you’re a Spider-Man fan, don’t forget to join Josh R. Smith and me tonight as we go live to talk about Spider-Man: Brand New Day. I think it’s one of the most refreshing superhero movies we’ve gotten in a long time, and I can’t wait to hear what everyone else thought.

This week on YouTube I shared my Review of Star Wars The Paradise Snare, along with the 5 Darkest Star Wars novels ever written, and where to start reading Brandon Sanderson… I keep all my videos on the channel at 10 minutes or less so you can quickly consume them. So subscribe and join in. Click any of the graphics below to head to the channel.