Spider-Man's popcorn bucket sparked an awkward debate

Spider-Man’s popcorn bucket sparked an awkward debate

Daniel David June 20, 2026 3 minutes read

A popcorn bucket designed for Spider-Man: Brand New Day has gone viral for the wrong reasons, and the internet is not holding back.

Cinemark unveiled the container this week to promote the film’s July 31 release. The bucket features a Spider-Man arm holding a white cone-shaped bowl on top, with a straw running through the center. Fans can eat and drink from the same container. Designers meant the shape to evoke a bundle of webs. Many people online have drawn a different conclusion.

The bucket nobody can stop talking about

Social media reactions came quickly. Some people questioned whether anyone with approval authority had looked at the finished product before it went public. Others argued the design choice was calculated, not a mistake. The Dune: Part Two bucket from 2024 started this trend. That container featured a Sandworm mouth as a lid and generated similar attention. Several people online suggested movie theaters now welcome this kind of controversy. Others said they would skip it and choose a different option instead.

What Spider-Man Brand New Day is about

The film marks Tom Holland’s fourth time playing Peter Parker. Holland first took on the role in Captain America: Civil War in 2016. He then led Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2017, Spider-Man: Far From Home in 2019 and Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021.

In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Parker shifts to protecting New York City as Spider-Man full time. The demands of that work trigger a physical transformation that puts him at risk. Zendaya returns as MJ, Parker’s partner. Also joining the cast are Sadie Sink, Jon Bernthal, Tramell Tillman, Liza Colón-Zayas and Marvin Jones III.

Holland and Zendaya met during the filming of Spider-Man: Homecoming and began dating in 2021. They married earlier this year, and Holland later confirmed the news in a published interview.

Tom Holland and the ongoing challenge of not spoiling things

Holland has a documented history of revealing MCU details ahead of schedule. Early in his Marvel career, the studio sent Benedict Cumberbatch to accompany him during the Avengers: Infinity War press tour. The goal was to keep Holland from revealing plot details. He still managed to spoil a key moment during a live screening of that film.

For Spider-Man: Brand New Day, fans have noticed a shift. Holland appears visibly tense during promotional events when conversations edge toward plot details. Footage from recent interviews shows him growing anxious when his co-stars get close to mentioning certain information.

In a separate interview, a reporter asked Holland about a potential successor for the Spider-Man role. He pointed to Owen Cooper, the 16-year-old star of Netflix’s Adolescence, calling him talented and well-suited for the spotlight.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day opens July 31.

SOURCE: MSN