Glasgow gets starring role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day film

ByNichola Rutherford

BBC Scotland

Any comic book fan knows that Spider-Man's secret identity is Peter Parker, a science nerd who gained superhero powers after being bitten by a radioactive spider.

But in the latest installment from the Marvel cinematic universe, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Parker - played by Tom Holland - is not the only star in disguise.

The action takes place in New York City but much of the movie, which premiered in London this week, was filmed more than 3,000 miles away in Glasgow.

Filming almost brought the city centre to a halt last summer, when fans gathered to watch Holland in an action sequence in full superhero mode.

Parts of the nearby Merchant City were also dressed up to resemble the Big Apple.

It was the latest in a long line of Hollywood blockbusters to have been filmed in the city in recent years.

And next month Glasgow is expected to double as Gotham City, when filming starts on the sequel to The Batman.

Screen Scotland said the Victorian architecture, wide avenues and grid layout make it an "incredibly versatile stand-in" for many US cities.

Filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton praised Scotland as a filming destination during an interview at the premiere on Wednesday.

"I love Scotland," he told Press Association.

"I got to go to Scotland first ages ago with a short film to the Edinburgh Film Festival and I fell in love with that place."

The 37-year-old added: "When we shot in Glasgow, that was our first day shooting and that was just such an energising way to start.

"We had thousands of people show up who are cheering us on and getting excited and feeling that energy which was really a wonderful way to start."

Asked about what would draw him back to Scotland, Cretton said: "The people. The people in Glasgow, in particular, were so warm and welcoming and fun and knew how to party and have a good time.

"It was a really wonderful experience."

Producer Amy Pascal said "everything about Scotland is great" and that it was "wonderful to make movies in the real places".

The film follows Parker as he navigates his new life four years on from the events of the last film, 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home, which saw a spell cast to make the world forget his real identity so he can save the universe.

His romance with MJ (Zendaya) and his friendship with Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) have also been erased from civilians' minds, leaving a lonely Peter to continue his crime-fighting in secret while his friends experience life at university.

Screen Scotland, which supports Scotland's film and TV industry, said: "It's fantastic to see Spiderman: Brand New Day hitting our screens.

"As we can already see from the trailer, Glasgow has a starring role, as the city once again seamlessly doubles for New York.

"Glasgow's grid layout, wide avenues and Victorian architecture make it an incredibly versatile stand-in for many US cities including New York and Philadelphia and Spiderman: Brand New Day is the latest example of the scale of production the city can accommodate."