Every callback in Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s suit, from Tobey Maguire to Steve Ditko

Tom Holland’s suit in Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a mix of every Spider-Man before him. It has the raised webbing of Tobey Maguire’s suit, the honeycomb fabric texture of Andrew Garfield’s Amazing Spider-Man 2 suit, and colours that go back to Steve Ditko’s original 1962 design. It also drops the Stark tech. For the first time, Holland’s Peter looks like he made his suit himself.

For our review of the film, read Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the loneliest Peter Parker yet.

What’s borrowed from Tobey Maguire’s suit?

The raised webbing. The black web lines stand out from the fabric instead of being printed flat, just like the suit in Sam Raimi’s films. Holland himself has talked about the nod to both earlier Spider-Men (SuperHeroHype).

What’s borrowed from Andrew Garfield’s suit?

The texture. The red and blue panels have a honeycomb, brick-like pattern that echoes Garfield’s suit in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (TheWrap). It gives the suit a slight sheen and makes it look like real fabric under real light.

What comes from the comics?

• The colours: bright blue panels, black webbing and red, closer to Steve Ditko’s 1962 original and John Romita Sr.’s later refinements than to the darker MCU suits (Express Tribune).
• The eyes: slightly bigger lenses, a style linked to Todd McFarlane’s art in the late 80s and 90s (Slashfilm).

What’s new about the logo and web-shooters?

The spider logo is slimmer and longer, a clear break from the Iron Spider-era symbol. The web-shooters are bulkier and more visible (TheWrap). That looks less sleek, but it makes sense: Peter no longer has Tony Stark’s money or lab behind him.

What did the director say about the suit?

Director Destin Daniel Cretton said the team embraced the folds and wrinkles of a real costume, so “you can see the human beneath the material” (Dark Horizons).

Why is the cheaper-looking suit the most emotional one?

This is Pylcrow analysis. Holland’s earlier suits were gifts. Stark built them, upgraded them and, in a way, owned them. This one is the first that looks like it came from Peter’s own hands, and it’s built from pieces of the Spider-Men who came before him.

That’s the film’s whole mood in one costume. After everyone forgot who he is, Peter is starting over with what he has, which is his history. The suit says what the script says: he’s alone, but he isn’t nobody.

Frequently asked questions about the Brand New Day suit

Is the new Spider-Man suit inspired by Tobey Maguire’s?

Partly. It uses the raised webbing from Maguire’s suit, combined with the texture of Andrew Garfield’s.

Why does Spider-Man have a new suit in Brand New Day?

Peter no longer has Stark technology, so the suit is simpler and more homemade, marking a fresh start.

Is the new suit based on the comics?

Its colours and proportions are closer to the classic Ditko and Romita comics than earlier MCU suits.

What should you read next?

Read our Brand New Day review. For another superhero film that leans on the past, see Clayface’s horror family tree.

Sources: TheWrap, SuperHeroHype, Slashfilm, Dark Horizons.