Rumors are pointing to who will be the villain of Spider-Man 4 —a character who would be the perfect fit for the sequel's newly revealed title.
Disney took the opportunity at CinemaCon 2025 to give Spider-Man fans something to look forward to with the title of the web-slinger's next solo film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day. This will follow the efforts of Tom Holland's "Home" trilogy, setting him up for the next stages of his MCU tenure.
With this movie potentially having both street-level and Multiversal elements, there is still plenty of mystery about which antagonists Holland's web-slinger could face. Thankfully, with the title now confirmed, fans are starting to theorize about what may happen on that front.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Rumor Teases Mr. Negative
Insider Daniel Richtman (per X user @cosmic_marvel) shared a rumor indicating Marvel Studios is looking to cast an Asian actor between the ages of 30 and 50 for "a big role" in 2026's Spider-Man: Brand New Day. This report is one of numerous factors leading fans to believe the role in question is Mr. Negative.
Further adding to that rumor, in the weeks since the news broke, Stephen Oyoung (who voiced Martin Li/Mr. Negative in Sony's Spider-Man games) has become more vocal about wanting to play the role in the new movie. Per @cosmic_marvel, he asked, "What's a guy gotta do..." in response to the rumor.
Important to note is that, in Marvel Comics, the Spider-Man: Brand New Day storyline features Mr. Negative as the primary villain.
In that story, Spidey's marriage to Mary Jane Watson is erased, which results in changes to history. Included in this is Spider-Man's secret identity being forgotten after he was unmasked to the public during Civil War (similar to the spell Doctor Strange cast to make that happen in Spider-Man: No Way Home).
The comic features Mr. Negative as a ruthless crime boss who uses darkforce powers to terrorize the Big Apple. However, he is also Martin Li, a philanthropist who runs charity organizations, most commonly FEAST.
Li previously made a name for himself in modern media with a role as one of the main villains in the Marvel's Spider-Man PlayStation game released in 2018. Fully showing his Mr. Negative side, he would join Dr. Octopus as part of that game's Sinister Six.
How Could Mr. Negative Be Used in Spider-Man 4?
Looking at Spider-Man's recent MCU tenure, Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures have plenty of natural avenues through which to introduce Martin Li in Spider-Man 4.
Most notable is the inclusion of FEAST in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which was a charity organization Marisa Tomei's Aunt May helped run. Also important to remember is FEAST's place in the 2018 Spider-Man video game and its sequels, the first game heavily featuring Martin Li as the shelter's benefactor.
While there was no sign of Li in No Way Home, Brand New Day could introduce him either as FEAST's new leader after Aunt May's tragic death. He could also have been the shelter's funder long before May died, but no matter which option is picked, his inclusion in the story would be just about seamless.
Li could also be a great villain to use when thinking about this film's mix of street-level and Multiversal storytelling due to his connection to darkforce and more supernatural powers. While he definitively comes from Earth, his wild powers could lend themselves to meshing well with potential Multiversal storylines as well.
For now, fans wait to hear more news from the Spider-Man: Brand New Day set as the sequel looks to start filming before its July 31, 2026 release date.
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