The Tom Holland sequel has become the highest-grossing film of 2026, earning $1.708 billion worldwide, while also setting a new record for the biggest domestic opening weekend. Speaking on the Revenge Of podcast, as reported by GamesRadar, Vellani offered her perspective on why audiences continue to turn up for the right superhero movie.
Iman Vellani Has a Clear Take on Superhero Fatigue
Vellani, who last played Kamala Khan in 2023’s “The Marvels,” pointed directly to the audience response as evidence that the appetite for superhero stories has not disappeared. “People showed up on the first week,” she noted.
“Nobody really believed in superhero fatigue,” Vellani continued. “Nobody really believed that this movie was going to fail and they were over [superhero movies].” For the actress, the reaction to the latest “Spider-Man” film is easy to separate from the assumptions that have surrounded superhero hits in recent years.
“They wanted it to succeed,” Vellani said. She then pushed back against the broader idea that audiences have simply become uninterested in the genre, arguing that the conversation has become too focused on predicting failure before audiences have had the chance to respond.
“I think we’re so used to being cynical and assuming that everything new coming out is going to s**k and it’s all propaganda, or people’s attention spans are low,” she said. “No, we can appreciate a good thing when we see it.”
Her comments arrive as “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” has become the highest-grossing picture of 2026, with $1.708 billion worldwide, while also setting a record for the biggest domestic opening weekend. The film presents a more mature Peter Parker who is operating on his own and focusing on street-level crime after the events of “No Way Home.”