New Delhi, July 29 -- LOS ANGELES - Tom Holland said the right things at the right time on Monday night, which is exactly what you want from the face of a franchise opening in three days.

Brand New Day drew Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, and a cast that included Jon Bernthal, Sadie Sink, Michael Mando, and Mark Ruffalo, a lineup suggesting Sony and Marvel have treated this as something closer to an Avengers event than a standalone superhero film.

Director Destin Daniel Cretton, speaking to press after the premiere, singled out Holland's commitment to the production: "work ethic was incredible, the passion for the craft, the ability to make daring choices." The praise arrived with context, as Brand New Day had an adjusted production ti...