The 2026 summer blockbuster season got one for the ages with Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The film debuted with a smashing opening weekend, racking up an estimated $355 million domestic box office and $927 million worldwide, Box Office Mojo reported.
Those numbers are a testament to the arachnid hero’s allure with fans around the globe. But there’s a crucial reason why the film has become such a hit: The authenticity that has come from Tom Holland and Jon Bernthal’s on and off-screen chemistry.
As public relations expert Euan Jones of Casino.org told Entertainment Now, it’s the chemistry between Holland and Bernthal that has made 2026’s Spider-Man something fans want to see.
“Studios spend enormous sums trying to manufacture the exact thing Tom Holland and Jon Bernthal are giving away for free, which is genuine chemistry that makes people want to see two actors share a screen.”
Indeed, studios have seen great films flop due to the artificial on-screen chemistry between stars. Regardless of their stature, a lack of chemistry can doom even the most extravagant film.
But what makes the relationship between Holland and Bernthal so crucial is that neither is putting on a show. Everything fans in Spider-Man see is genuine.
“The clever thing, from a marketing perspective, is that neither of them are doing anything that looks like marketing. There’s no campaign built around ‘the friendship,’ no joint brand deal riding on it, no visible stage-management.” Jones added, “It’s just two people who worked together as a teenager and a young actor, stayed close, and now happen to be promoting two films at the same time.”
It’s that friendship that has made Spider-Man the success it has been.
Spider-Man Stars Go Back a Long Way
Holland and Bernthal’s respect for one another is nothing new. The two stars’ history goes well beyond Spider-Man. Their longtime friendship goes back about a decade. The duo met when Holland was 17 years old and working on an independent film.
That friendship has evolved, seeing both stars appear in Spider-Man and The Odyssey at the same time. And it’s their friendship that has become a gift for the studios.
“For the studios, it’s a gift that no press junket schedule or social strategy could have engineered on demand. You can put two actors in a room and ask them to talk about how much they respect each other, but you can’t fake a decade of shared history, mutual audition tapes, or Bernthal talking about Holland’s family the way he would his own.”
As Jones noted, that relationship between Holland and Bernthal may not be the main storyline, but it’s one that has helped make Spider-Man the hit it has become.
Authenticity Driving Holland, Bernthal’s Success
At the end of the day, it’s authenticity that’s driving the success of Spider-Man with moviegoers. And it’s that originality that cannot be paid, engineered, or generated by anything else other than sincere chemistry.
“That authenticity travels further than any paid campaign, precisely because it doesn’t feel like one. It’s the one thing money genuinely can’t buy in this industry, which is exactly why it’s worth more than most things that can.”
Jones’ comments underscore what Hollywood treasures the most: The authenticity that comes from actors who genuinely enjoy each other’s company.
