Moviegoers around the world have been flocking to cinemas to watch the latest installment of the Spider-Man franchise, but Russian-speaking audiences were met with an unexpected surprise when the soundtrack featured a song by Russian-born pop artist Elizaveta Gyrdymova, better known by her stage name Monetochka.
The inclusion of her 2024 song "Monopoly" had been kept under wraps by both the filmmakers and the artist, only coming to light after the film began screening. Film critic Tamara Khodova, who attended an advance screening, revealed the discovery on Telegram after spotting Monetochka's name in the end credits. Fans of the Marvel franchise soon confirmed the report by sharing photos of the credits on social media.
The film's director, Destin Daniel Cretton, later confirmed his appreciation for the track. After Khodova and fellow journalists contacted him to share the excitement among Russian-speaking audiences, Cretton replied that he loved the song and was pleased by the positive reaction.
Footage of the scene featuring the track surfaced online two days before the film's worldwide release.
The song plays during a scene in which Peter Parker arrives at the New Avengers headquarters in Brighton Beach, where he meets Yelena Belova, portrayed by Florence Pugh.
Monetochka, whose real name is Elizaveta Gyrdymova, writes music together with her husband and producer Viktor Isayev. She currently lives outside Russia after being designated a foreign agent by the Russian Justice Ministry over her criticism of Russia's actions in Ukraine and her outspoken anti-war stance. Her song Monopoly satirizes corruption, wealth and ruthless business practices through the metaphor of the popular board game.
The singer has continued touring internationally and remains especially popular among Russians living abroad, many of whom left the country because of their shared opposition to the war. She has also become a symbol of anti-war resistance for many young people, with her songs being performed during protests in Russia, particularly in the early months of the conflict.
Despite Gyrdymova's outspoken opposition to the Russian government's actions in Ukraine, her song was removed from the Ukrainian theatrical version of the film. Ukrainian social media users first noticed its absence, as reported by the Russian outlet Meduza. One movie viewer later revealed on social media that, after raising the issue online, they were contacted by the Planeta Kino cinema chain and informed that the segment had "been cut by our people."
Responding to an inquiry from Meduza, Planeta Kino responded to a user via Instagram that cinemas do not alter films themselves.
"We do not make any changes to films ourselves — movie theaters screen the finished version provided by the distributor. According to its official information, this short episode (about three seconds) has been completely removed from the Ukrainian version of the film. The film's plot and overall concept remain unchanged."
Ukraine's distributor, B&H Film Distribution, has not issued any official statement on social media explaining the removal of the brief scene featuring Monetochka's song.
Despite featuring a Russian-language song, Spider-Man: Brand New Day will not receive an official theatrical release in Russia. Sony Pictures suspended its film distribution in the country in 2022, and the studio's boycott remains in place.
By Nazrin Sadigova
