Spider-Man: Brand New Day reportedly added another cast member, and her heritage may hint at Miles Morales' MCU debut. As Spider-Man 4 edges closer to starting production, the first castings have begun to be confirmed. Tom Holland and Zendaya will reprise Peter Parker and M.J., while Stranger Things alum Sadie Sink will play an undisclosed role.
Many are holding out hope that Morales will finally board the MCU with Spider-Man 4 as the Spider-Verse trilogy winds to a close in 2027. Interestingly, one of the casting calls noted a search for a "resourceful young man in his early 20s," which many have speculated may be describing the second Spider-Man.
According to a report from Deadline, The Bear actress Liza Colón-Zayas closed a deal to appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. While her character remains under wraps, there is evidence that she may have ties to Miles Morales, setting up his imminent MCU debut as another Spider-Man.
Colón-Zayas was born in the Bronx, New York, but she is actually of Puerto Rican descent through her grandmother. Some may be aware that Miles Morales is half Puerto Rican through his mother Rio, who was born there and fluently speaks both English and Spanish.
It should be noted that even if Colón-Zayas is playing Rio Morales (which is pure speculation at this time), it doesn't guarantee her soon-to-be super-powered son will accompany her in Brand New Day.
Miles' uncle, Aaron Davis, better known as the Prowler, joined the MCU in Spider-Man: Homecoming where he was played by Atlanta star Donald Glover and even mentioned having a "nephew" in a deleted scene. That movie came out in 2017, eight years ago, and yet there is still no sign of Miles in the MCU.
When Will Miles Morales Join the MCU?
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige previously confirmed that after Miles Morales concludes his animated journey in Beyond the Spider-Verse, he will, hopefully, join the MCU in live-action "shortly after that."
As Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be released in July 2026 and Spider-Verse 3 won't follow until June 2027, it seems unlikely he will appear in live-action just yet. But that doesn't mean Liza Colón-Zayas couldn't still appear as Rio Morales and drop a few references to her son, setting him up to join the MCU in Spider-Man 5.
Alternatively, a previous casting call noted a search for a "female villain" between "30s-50s" and of "any ethnicity." At 52 years old, Colón-Zayas fits the bill for this villainous role, albeit on the upper age limit, so she could also have no ties to Miles and instead be playing this mysterious antagonist.
Regardless of what happens, as Miles' popularity is growing and the Spider-Verse trilogy is ending, it shouldn't be long until fans see him in live-action. With Tom Holland nearing a decade into his Spider-Man career, he may be looking to hang up the web shooters soon, at which point the mantle will need to go somewhere.
