The Spider-Man: Brand New Day Trailer Is Here and "New York" Is Actually Scotland

How Glasgow Became New York City

Pedestrians walking down Bothwell Street during filming last August could have been forgiven for thinking they were on the other side of the Atlantic. New York street signs, American flags, fire trucks, NYPD police cars, and yellow taxis lined every block. American vehicles were brought in wholesale, street signs were swapped out, and props like newspaper stands and hot dog carts were placed throughout to make the transformation complete.

It's not the first time Glasgow has pulled this off. The city has previously doubled for New York in World War Z and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and stood in for Gotham City in The Batman and The Flash. At this point, Glasgow might just be the most convincing fake New York on earth. The Victorian streetscapes, wide commercial avenues, and adaptable building facades make it a reliable and cost-effective stand-in for American cities that would be significantly more complicated to shut down for a film shoot.

The New Spider-Man: Brand New Day Trailer

For anyone who hasn't had a chance to watch it yet, here's where Peter Parker's story stands. Brand New Day picks up four years after the events of No Way Home, with the world still under Doctor Strange's spell and no memory of who Peter Parker is. He's protecting New York anonymously, investigating a string of crimes that pull him into something much larger than expected.

The trailer opens quietly, with Peter sitting upside down on the side of a skyscraper, mask off, watching a video of MJ and Ned on their first day at MIT. It tells you everything you need to know right away. He’s alone, he’s anonymous, and he’s still holding onto a life he doesn’t get to be part of anymore.

From there, things unravel quickly. Peter starts developing what looks like organic webbing, then shows up emerging from a human-sized cocoon attached to his apartment building, which is… not exactly subtle. At one point, Bruce Banner appears and gently drops the kind of news no one wants to hear, that Peter’s DNA might be mutating. The running theory is that this is setting up a Man-Spider transformation, which would push the character into much stranger, more physical territory than we’ve seen before.

The villains don’t exactly ease you into things either. Jon Bernthal’s Punisher crashes in with all the subtlety you’d expect, before the two end up in a surprisingly funny exchange that ends with Peter webbing his mouth shut. Michael Mando’s Scorpion finally shows up again after what feels like forever, and Sadie Sink’s character, who seems to have some kind of mind-control ability, is already being widely guessed as Jean Grey. There’s also a brief appearance from The Hand during a prison sequence, which has fans immediately wondering if Matt Murdock might not be far behind.

The Cast and the Story

Tom Holland is back as Peter Parker for his fourth solo outing, with Zendaya returning as MJ. Jon Bernthal plays the Punisher, Mark Ruffalo returns as Bruce Banner, and Sadie Sink joins the cast in a role that's still officially under wraps. Jacob Batalon is back as Ned, and Tramell Tillman of Severance appears as what's believed to be the head of the Department of Damage Control.

The film is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who previously helmed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and serves as both Holland's final contracted standalone Spider-Man film and a direct prequel to Avengers: Doomsday. Filming began in Glasgow in August 2025 under the working title Blue Oasis, before moving to Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire and additional locations throughout England, with production wrapping in December 2025.

Every Glasgow Location Used During Production

The filming footprint across Glasgow city centre was surprisingly large, covering several well-known streets that locals will recognize immediately. Here's where production actually took place:

Bothwell Street

Reimagined as lower Manhattan, this is where the film’s biggest chase sequence comes to life. The street was packed with American vehicles, NYPD cruisers, and yellow taxis, as explosions and high-intensity stunt work played out in front of the Aurora office building.

Hutcheson Street

Additional scenes were filmed here, with the street dressed in American signage. Local Glasgow street art from artists Mul Draws and Frodrick is visible on surrounding buildings in production footage.

St Vincent Street

Spider-Man scenes were filmed outside Little Tuscany, a real Glasgow restaurant, with the street fully transformed to match a New York block.

Merchant City, George Square, and Trongate

Further scenes set across New York were filmed throughout these areas, all dressed with American props and signage throughout production.

Why Scotland Keeps Getting Cast as America

Scotland has quietly become one of Hollywood's most dependable backdrops, and the reasons are both practical and financial. The Scottish government's film incentives, combined with Glasgow's Victorian streetscapes and the relative ease of filming outside actual Manhattan, make it an easy call for productions of this scale.

Tom Holland was also in Scotland for another movie, filming Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey at locations around Inverness and Moray. At this point, Scotland isn't just a filming destination. It's a standing set for half of Hollywood's biggest franchises.

Every filming location is within easy walking distance of Glasgow city centre, and the whole route takes less than half an hour on foot. Start on Bothwell Street for the tank chase and the Aurora building, head to Hutcheson Street to find the Mul Draws mural that appears in production footage, and finish on St Vincent Street with a table at Little Tuscany, which is a real restaurant and a genuinely solid lunch stop.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits cinemas on July 31, 2026, making this summer the perfect time to visit before the film arrives and the streets fill up with Marvel fans doing exactly what you're doing. Glasgow has been New York before, but never quite like this. The trailer makes a strong case that the city gave Marvel everything it needed and then some.

Frequently Asked Questions: Spider-Man Brand New Day Glasgow Filming Locations

Where was Spider-Man: Brand New Day filmed in Scotland?

Principal photography took place across Glasgow city centre, including Bothwell Street, Hutcheson Street, St Vincent Street, Merchant City, George Square, and Trongate. All of these streets were dressed to double as New York City during production.

When did filming take place in Glasgow?

Filming began on August 3, 2025, under the working title Blue Oasis, and was originally scheduled to run until August 15 before being extended through August 26 to complete additional scenes.

Can you visit the Spider-Man filming locations in Glasgow?

Yes. Every filming location is in Glasgow city centre and easily accessible on foot. Bothwell Street, Hutcheson Street, St Vincent Street, and the Merchant City area are all within easy walking distance of each other.

Why was Glasgow chosen instead of New York for filming?

Glasgow's Victorian architecture, wide city-centre streets, and adaptable building facades make it a convincing stand-in for American cities. Scotland's film incentives and the practical advantages of filming outside Manhattan also make it a popular choice for major productions.

Which other films have been shot in Glasgow posing as American cities?

Glasgow has doubled for New York in World War Z and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and stood in for Gotham City in The Batman and The Flash. Glen Powell also filmed the Running Man reboot and The Ghostwriter in the city.

Who is in the cast of Spider-Man: Brand New Day?

Tom Holland returns as Peter Parker, with Zendaya as MJ, Jon Bernthal as the Punisher, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner, Sadie Sink in a mystery role, Jacob Batalon as Ned, and Tramell Tillman of Severance in a new MCU role.

When does Spider-Man: Brand New Day come out?

The film is scheduled for release on July 31, 2026.

Is Spider-Man: Brand New Day connected to Avengers: Doomsday?

Yes. The film serves as a direct prequel to Avengers: Doomsday and is part of Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's also Tom Holland's final contracted standalone Spider-Man film.