There has always been a special parallel between superheroes and the realities of our Catholic faith. Whether it is Batman’s refusal to kill, Wonder Woman’s lasso compelling truth or Daredevil’s frequent visits to the confessional, superhero stories often contain echoes of faith and morality.
For those who swung into cinemas to see the latest Spider-Man film, Brand New Day, these Christian themes remain strong. Arguably, they have met us at just the right time.
Tom Holland’s fourth solo outing as Spider-Man opens in a world where Peter Parker has been forgotten. Following a magic spell – further evidence that we should not dabble in the occult – his secret identity is once again safe, but he is left isolated and heartbroken.
Parker throws himself into fighting crime to block out the pain. He struggles and suffers to help a world that does not know him.
Sound familiar?
Being known is a vital part of our human identity. Our Lord Jesus Christ, both human and divine, desired to be truly seen and known by those closest to him.
In Scripture, we see this in his explanation of the parables, his entrusting of truths to his disciples and, most dramatically, the Transfiguration.
We can apply this desire to be known and seen to our own journeys of faith. As Catholics, we understand that God, our creator, knows us in the deepest and truest way. In Jeremiah 1:5 we hear: “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.”
Acknowledging that God knows us brings us freedom – and invites us to surrender our pride and desire for control.
This dynamic is paralleled in Brand New Day. Spider-Man’s struggle to accept his identity, and the truth of who he and others are, is a compelling and timely story.
It affirms the importance of community, warns against judging others and demonstrates the strength required to remain true to oneself despite fear and a crisis of identity.
That has always been the appeal of a good superhero story: enduring moral truths explored in a fantastical world. Sometimes truth hits home most powerfully when delivered through capes, comics and fictional heroes.
One of these truths is the reality of loneliness. For what has been dubbed a “quietly lonely generation”, the film’s theme of isolation strikes home. There are heightened rates of loneliness and depression among young adults despite the apparent connection offered by the internet.
In the film, Parker scrolls listlessly through his former friends’ social media posts. Online, we can feel that we know someone without knowing them deeply or truly. That false intimacy can leave us feeling even more disconnected.
Another theme is the struggle for control. As Peter’s powers become turbulent, he discovers that gripping more tightly to control only makes things worse.
It is a lesson Catholics know well: in surrender, we discover true freedom. Because by entrusting ourselves to God, we become more fully who we were created to be. Christ tells us in Matthew 16:25: “Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
Perhaps Spider-Man: Brand New Day offers us a new Catholic lens through which to encounter superhero films.
The most heroic act depicted isn’t in the web-slinging action or the use of special effects. It is in Parker’s courage to be known – and to relinquish control in a loving surrender to a greater good.
Destin Daniel Cretton’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day is in cinemas.
