Spider-Man: Brand New Day star Sadie Sink confirmed what everybody suspected about when her character's identity would be revealed to the world. For Spider-Man: No Way Home, the mystery leading up to its release was whether Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield would be returning. But for Brand New Day, the million-dollar question is all about Stranger Things' Max Mayfield actress Sink, who is making her MCU debut in the summer blockbuster as one of its highest-billed cast members, despite her character remaining a mystery.
Stranger Things star Sadie Sink directly addressed Chinese audiences in a new promo for Spider-Man: Brand New Day and confirmed when the identity of her mystery MCU newcomer will be revealed. As most fans had theorized by this point, Sink declared that audiences "will have to find out in the theater" who she is playing, confirming that her character won't be revealed until Brand New Day releases on July 31 (July 29 in select international territories).
Responding to the "creative" theories from "[her] friends in China" about her MCU character's identity, Sink ruled out the obvious, saying, "I can confirm, I am not Spider-Man [or] Aunt May:"
Marvel Studios has only offered a few glimpses at Sink's MCU character so far, teasing her as a mystery antagonist with mind-bending powers. If the last year's infinite stream of online rumors and leaks is to be believed, it may be the worst-kept secret in MCU history that Sink is actually playing X-Men hero Jean Grey.
That would presumably position the Stranger Things alum as the star of the MCU's upcoming X-Men reboot from Thunderbolts* helmer Jake Schreier. But before then, audiences will spend more time with Sink in 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars, in which she is rumored to play a "major" role.
How Sadie Sink Will Lead the MCU's Third Saga in Phase 7 & Beyond
In one of the first glimmers of anti-mutant sentiment in the MCU, Damage Control will reportedly be hunting Sadie Sink's character in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. If Sink is indeed a young Jean Grey who hasn't yet mastered her Omega-level powers, the government agency is bound to see her as a potential threat.
For now, the studio's secrecy about Sink's identity suggests it may be one of Brand New Day's bigger twists, possibly saved for the third act. The ending could set up Grey's search for other mutants, or her expected role in Secret Wars, where she could be among the heroes helping to defeat Doctor Doom on Battleworld.
Of course, Grey won't be a newbie with her superpowers forever; she is simply yet to meet the right teacher who will guide her to mind-bending mastery. Fans know well that her mentor in question will be Professor Charles Xavier, the MCU Variant of which likely won't arrive until Phase 7 and the rebooted X-Men movie.
With Marvel Studios opting for a younger cast of X-Men heroes, the blockbuster reboot could be the origins of Charles Xavier's School of Gifted Youngsters. At that school, Grey will meet more crucial figures in her life, including Scott Summers, aka Cyclops, her primary love interest and future husband.
Marvel Studios is supposedly eyeing Grey to be the "main character" of the MCU's third saga, which is expected to focus on mutants. It seems Marvel Studios is hoping Sink's rising star power will bolster interest in its X-Men reboot, likely casting an actor for her co-lead, Cyclops, based on chemistry with her.
That decision will leave many pondering if the MCU is about to adapt The Dark Phoenix Saga for the third time, as it was previously tackled in X-Men: The Last Stand and Dark Phoenix. Adapting Grey's tragic encounter with the all-powerful, cosmic Phoenix Force all over again would be bold, but perhaps appropriate, given that neither of Fox's attempts in 2006 or 2019 was well-received.
