While Peter Parker has made it more than apparent how much of an NYC native he is, Tom Holland has revealed that the superhero's new film is not as grounded in New York as one might prefer because the Big Apple's streets can, practically, not be shut down. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the start of a new chapter for Tom Holland's Peter Parker after the globe-trotting events of Spider-Man: Far From Home and the multiversal chaos of Spider-Man: No Way Home. The movie returns to a more grounded, street-level story as Peter rebuilds his life after the world forgot his identity.

Now that the much-anticipated sequel has just been released, fans are eager to learn more about how the filmmakers approached bringing Spider-Man’s world back to the big screen. 

However, filming Spidey's home city came with unique challenges as Holland recently explained why the team looked beyond New York. 

In an interview on the Dish podcast featuring Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett, Tom Holland explained why Spider-Man: Brand New Day could not be shot extensively in New York City, despite the association of Spider-Man with the city of New York. He pointed out that it is hard to control the streets in New York City. Meanwhile, shooting in London allows them a lot of flexibility.

“When you shoot in New York for whatever reason, you can't shut down streets,” Holland explained to host Grimshaw and Hartnet during the podcast.

Holland explained during the same Dish podcast that filming in London gives studios much greater control, as they can pay to close entire streets and use them without interruption throughout the day. In contrast, shutting down public streets in New York is far more difficult, making it easier for pedestrians to wander onto active sets. He noted that these unexpected interruptions can complicate filming, especially during major scenes.

‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Beats ‘Avengers: Endgame’s’ Numbers for Historic Box Office Record

Meanwhile, the production decisions have clearly not affected the film's reception, as Spider-Man: Brand New Day has opened to record-breaking box office numbers worldwide. 

Spider-Man: Brand New Day has been an outstanding success at the box office, setting many records both domestically and internationally. It grossed a record $72 million in Thursday previews before making a record $168 million on its opening day in North America, thus beating the record set by Avengers: Endgame. It is expected to end up with an opening weekend of $325-358 million in North America.

Meanwhile, Tom Holland’s comments provide a rare glimpse behind the curtain into the practical realities of bringing Spider-Man’s world to life. New York is an inseparable aspect of the character’s identity, but the production chose efficiency and creative flexibility in the end. On the other hand, Spider-Man: Brand New Day has broken box office records and has been received positively by the audience. All this suggests that the filmmaking decisions have paid off and Marvel Studios has another major success on its hands as Peter Parker enters a new chapter. 

With $225M, ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Is Now the Second-Highest-Budgeted Spider-Man Movie

Do you think filming Spider-Man outside New York affected the movie, or did the final result prove the production team made the right choice? Let us know in the comments.