A bootleg of Spider-Man: Brand New Day streamed on X for over seven hours, racking up 5.9 million views and 143,000 likes before being pulled down. While the leak may have boosted pre-release hype, Disney quickly issued takedown requests to keep the film's official box office performance untainted.
Despite the leak, No Way Home's preview weekend was already a smashing success, grossing $72 million, surpassing the previous record of $60 million set by Avengers: Endgame. The latter went on to earn over $1.2 billion worldwide and over $350 million in the US.
Sony is optimistic, predicting that Brand New Day could potentially outperform Endgame, with current earnings putting it ahead of Endgame's opening day takings. However, the film faces stiff competition and must maintain its momentum to surpass such a monumental record.
The leak serves as an interesting case study on how fans and platforms handle unofficial content. It also highlights the enduring allure of Spider-Man in the box office race. The question remains: will more leaks follow, or does No Way Home have enough staying power to reign supreme?
