Spider-Man climax fight draws on Phoenix symbolism and ninja choreography

In promoting the Sony/Marvel release “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” director Destin Daniel Cretton discussed the choice of villains, highlighting The Hand as magical ninja antagonists for Jean Grey, played by Sadie Sink. Stunt coordinator Peng Zhang received a brief to make the showdown feel realistic yet spectacular, merging Spider-Man’s alien gadgets with traditional martial-arts. Drawing inspiration from a dance performance, Zhang choreographed twenty ninjas to move as a unified phoenix, with a central ninja representing the bird’s head and flanking groups forming its wings.

The action was captured inside Dorchester Prison in Dorset, England, where intricate rigging and hidden cameras were installed to accommodate the set’s concrete barriers. Tom Holland performed many of his own stunts, including a demanding long-take sequence where seven ninjas chase him on wires. The production team spent roughly twelve days shooting the elaborate finale.