Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures
Contains spoilers for “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”
In the cinematic landscape, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” stands out by expertly weaving nods to past iconic stories while carving its unique narrative path. This film not only crafts an intricate tale involving Sadie Sink’s compelling yet complex character, Jean Grey, imbued with “WandaVision” and “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” vibes, but it also cleverly integrates elements reminiscent of two genre-defining classics: “The Dark Knight” and “Star Trek: The Motion Picture.”
“The Dark Knight,” with its thrilling plot, features a controversial move by Batman (played by Christian Bale) as he hacks into Gotham’s phones to track the Joker (Heath Ledger), a decision sternly critiqued by the tech inventor Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman). Drawing a parallel, “Brand New Day” sees Spider-Man (Tom Holland) employing his tech prowess in a modern twist, informing Detective DeWolff (Liza Colón-Zayas) that he’s taken over city security cameras for facial recognition to locate the elusive Scorpion (Michael Mando). While DeWolff’s reaction to this revelation is less severe than Fox’s, she reflects a similar disapproval of its legal gray area.
The V-Max plot twist is a heartbreaking riff on an old Star Trek mystery
The film also crafts a significant plot element with a clever homage to another classic. At the heart of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is the enigma of “V-Max,” a sought-after item by Jean. As the plot unfolds, viewers encounter a suspense-laden twist drawing inspiration from the infamous V’Ger reveal in “Star Trek: The Motion Picture.” In that film, the menacing V’Ger is ultimately revealed to be an altered Voyager 6 probe, distorted over time and space.
Similarly, the mystery of V-Max in Spider-Man’s story takes a personal turn for Jean. What seems like a formidable MacGuffin is simply a mundane Ventmax vent grille, installed overhead of where Jean is confined while the Department of Damage Control conducts its brutal experiments. The faded logo of this mundane object was the last image Jean’s sister, Sara (Olivia Booth-Ford), witnessed in her final moments—a haunting vision relayed telepathically to Jean, embedding it deeply in her consciousness.
Deliberate or not, the similarity between the V-Max and V’Ger storylines seems too obvious to ignore. It’s also a comparatively rare Star Trek reference from the MCU Spider-Man movies, which are more known for their Star Wars callbacks. It will be interesting to see whether the Marvel movies happening after “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” will feature similar references.
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” is now in theaters.