Spider-Man: Brand New Day director puts Jackie Chan rumours to bed

Right, so this rumour about Jackie Chan secretly running the show behind the scenes on Spider-Man: Brand New Day has been making the rounds for ages. With the film finally out and Destin Daniel Cretton able to actually talk about it properly, we’ve now got a bit of clarity on what really happened on set, and it isn’t quite as wild as people wanted to believe.

Here's what Cretton told TheWrap about the persistent reports: "The film's stunt work was handled by Peng Zhang, who trained under the late Brad Allen, a longtime member of Jackie Chan's stunt team."

To break that down: Peng Zhang ran the stunts, yes, and he’s got close ties to the bigger world of Chan’s legendary action crew through his work with Brad Allen. But no, the official Jackie Chan Stunt Team weren’t the ones swinging Tom Holland about set or choreographing fights, despite what online sleuths might've insisted.

Where the Rumour Started

The confusion really kicked off after Jackie Chan himself popped by the set. Around that same time, he spoke to Hong Kong’s HK01 and said – slightly loose with wording – that “My Jackie Chan Stunt Team was busy filming Spider-Man, and I was the action director for the Jackie Chan Stunt Team.” He went on to explain:

“I went to watch their rehearsals, and the director was quite surprised to see me. I made sure he understood that they are part of my team,” Chan added, referring to Zhang.

The bit everyone missed: 'they' essentially means Zhang and crew, not the full-on, official Chan Team. Fans, though, took it and ran, assuming that meant Chan had his entire veteran squad embedded in Marvel’s latest. In reality, it was Peng Zhang – who learned the ropes from Brad Allen, one of Chan’s most trusted deputies, and the first non-Asian member of Chan’s team. Allen, if you don't know, is a bit of a legend himself and had been with Chan on films like Mr. Nice Guy and Gorgeous, keeping that amped-up, improvisational action style alive up until his last film, Shang-Chi.

Stunt Praise and Spider-Man’s Return

For what it’s worth, Jackie Chan was apparently impressed with Tom Holland’s own athleticism and willingness to get stuck into his own stunts – not just the odd somersault, but properly complex fight work and wire gags. That probably makes a difference, especially since Holland’s back for a fourth go as Peter Parker, and this time the action’s ramped up with the likes of Hulk, Scorpion, and The Hand all involved.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is now showing in cinemas worldwide.