Spider-Man: 5 moves Brand New Day should steal from Insomniac's games

The MCU's Spider-Man swings back into theaters very soon, and the hype for Brand New Day is real. A few big mistakes aside, Tom Holland's Spidey has already proven his worth, but he can definitely pick up a few lessons from Insomniac's versions of Peter Parker and Miles Morales. As stated in his interview with Polygon, director Destin Daniel Cretton and his team looked to the games for inspiration.

While everyone has their favorites, Insomniac's Spider-Man games have the best combat and movement in any of the wall-crawler's outings, and both heroes pull off incredible moves like they are nothing. With the magic of cinema, stunt actors, and CGI, Tom Holland could be made to move just like his video game counterpart.

Stealth Spider-Man: Web Yanks And Perch Takedowns

A Different Tactical Approach

• Spider-Man taps into his inner Batman.
• One of the easier moves to adapt into live-action.
• Have the Spider-Man movies done this move before? Yes, but always as a gag or one-off moment, never as a sustained tactical approach.

All three cinematic eras show Peter Parker hanging upside down from a ceiling at one point or another, and The Amazing Spider-Man and Homecoming even have moments when he webs up enemies. However, we have yet to see Spidey approach a situation with a stealth-first mentality, taking out enemies quietly and consistently. Insomniac's games not only make stealth a viable option, but also a necessary tactic to even the odds before jumping into melee.

Live-action Spider-Man movies almost exclusively treat Peter as a bright-daylight, center-stage brawler. The Amazing Spider-Man's sewer sequence comes the closest to showcasing just how terrifying Spider-Man can be when shrouded by darkness, and Holland's version has yet to produce anything like that. We all love high-octane fights, but a well-choreographed set piece revolving around perch takedowns would be fantastic.

This move would highlight Peter's spider-sense and agility over gadgets, which should fit Spider-Man's stripped-down status in the movie. Spider-Man: Brand New Day probably shouldn't throw MJ into a stealth scenario, though.

Airborne Spider-Man: Slingshot Launch

Let Spider-Man Fly

• The rule of cool.
• If done right, this move could be really intense.

Spider-Man movies have a couple of instances similar to the games' slingshot launch, including the legendary train-stopping sequence from Sam Raimi's second movie. However, they have yet to go the full distance and incorporate this absurd stunt that demonstrates Peter Parker's raw power, and it should look wildly impressive on the big screen.

The MCU has been criticized for over-relying on CGI for action, resulting in movement that can feel weightless. The slingshot could act as a sharp contrast to these moments, especially if the scene focuses just as much on the setup as the actual launch. Brand New Day needs to show Peter's effort and strain as he prepares to pull off this incredible feat, with the concrete cracking under his feet and the web seeming on the verge of breaking.

The blast should also be terrifying, similar to bungee jumping or skydiving. Then, when Spidey reaches his peak, things could slow down as he takes in the skyline.

Momentum Spider-Man: Swing Kick

Nothing Beats A Swinging Kick To The Gut

• Perfect start to a fight sequence.
• Visceral attack.

In Insomniac's games, the swing kick is one of the most basic moves in Spider-Man's arsenal, and most players use it a few times in each fight. Really well-rounded and fun to pull off, this attack showcases many of Peter's core skills: reflexes, speed, agility, and power. More importantly, it brings together Spider-Man's traversal and combat, which are typically treated as separate events in the movies.

A move this fundamental has naturally appeared in the movies, but only sporadically and not definitively. Spider-Man 3 has a CGI-heavy swing kick in the New Goblin fight, and Andrew Garfield's version occasionally uses a swinging kick. Both of these are fine, but the swing kick's brilliance lies in how it connects movement to action and then effortlessly launches a combo, something the movies have never tried.

Sticky Spider-Man: Wall-Stick Takedown

Quite An Impact

• Total defeat.
• Fights don't have to rely on just punches and kicks.

In the games, nothing is more satisfying than a well-timed Impact Web leaving a grunt stuck to the wall like a piece of decoration. Whenever this happens, that enemy is down for the count but also relatively unharmed in the grand scheme of things, demonstrating Spidey's overwhelming power along with his no-kill policy.

The Amazing Spider-Man is the only one to utilize this move, with Spidey temporarily webbing Lizard in their sewer fight. The villain breaks out fairly quickly, and it doesn't look as awesome or as final as the version in Insomniac's games. Although not generally terrible, the movies have struggled to translate Spider-Man's street-level heroics and fights, with these sequences often lacking that spark that makes them memorable rather than just filler until the next big set piece.

The Wall-Stick Takedown is the exact type of move that adds flair to these encounters, being both visually interesting and comedically viable.

Improve Spider-Man: Environmental Attacks

Turn New York Into Spider-Man's Greatest Weapon

• Who needs tech when you have a manhole?

Insomniac's Spider-Man games make expert use of environments to complement fights, encouraging players to fling all sorts of objects at enemies. As a street-level hero, Spider-Man should be constantly using New York to supplement his moveset, and he is an opportunist. The games capture this brilliantly, but the movies largely ignore this aspect.

Besides just adding variety to fights, these types of attacks ground Spider-Man in his environment, making him and the world feel more real. This could help counter the MCU's tendency to feature fights that lack impact, along with allowing Tom Holland's Spidey to move past his dependency on tech.