Spider-Man 4 Set Photo Reveals The MCU’s Answer To DC’s Jim Gordon (Theory)

New Spider-Man 4 set photos may have just revealed the MCU's answer to classic DC comic character Jim Gordon. Tom Holland's fourth solo outing as Marvel's masked wall-crawler, officially titled Spider-Man: Brand New Day, is in the midst of filming in the U.K., meaning scant glimpses of the super-powered blockbuster have started to trickle out from the set. This has included several looks at new actors/characters set to debut in the upcoming film, like Sadie Sink, Mark Ruffalo, and (for the sake of this story) Liza Colón-Zayas. 

Colón-Zayas was spotted on the Spider-Man 4 set for the first time by fans, with new photos of The Bear star interacting with Holland's web-head circulating online. These first peeks at Colón-Zayas' character have some thinking she could be playing the Jim Gordon-esque character Jean DeWolff from Marvel Comics. 

In the set photos, Colón-Zayas can be seen sporting a long brown trench coat and black boots standing next to Spider-Man. This particular costuming choice seems to evoke a particular detective vibe, which DeWolff is known for inhabiting in Spider-Man comics.

Jean DeWolff debuted all the way back in August 1976, serving as a key collaborator of Spider-Man for decades in the comics. She is known as one of the few members of the New York Police Department who sympathizes with Spider-Man and his pursuits to clean up criminal activity in The Big Apple. 

So, while characters like Captain George Stacy (who is unconrifmed to appear in Spider-Man 4) see Spidey as an enemy, Jean does exactly the opposite, essentially becoming the friendly neighborhood version of Batman's Commissioner Jim Gordon. 

In the comics, Jean eventually begins to harbor secret romantic feelings for Spider-Man; however, given the age difference between Colón-Zayas and Holland, that likely would not be adapted for the upcoming MCU epic. Instead, she could potentially develop a pseudo mother-son relationship with the 20-something supe now that his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) is has passed.

This Jean DeWolff theory is a far cry from the most popular name attached to The Bear actress since her casting in the 2026 Marvel film. Almost immiediatly after she was announced to join be joining Brand New Day, rumors of her potentially bringing to life the MCU's Rio Morales began popping up online.

While her playing the mother of beloved superhero in his own right, Miles Morales, would be exciting, so too would her portraying another classic comic character like Jean DeWolff.

Colón-Zayas joins Tom Holland, Michael Mando, Jon Bernthal, Sadie Sink, Mark Ruffalo, and many others on the Spider-Man 4 cast. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is set to swing into theaters on July 31, 2026. Helmed by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton, the new web-slinging blockbuster will follow Holland's 20-something hero has he adjusts to life post-high school, balancing being an anoymous New Yorker just trying to get by with his life as the city's masked protector.

Why the Introduction of Jean DeWolff Makes Sense for Spider-Man 4

Liza Colón-Zayas playing a character like Jean DeWolff will almost surely be an exciting prospect for longtime Spider-Man fans. DeWolff is one of the few longtime comic book characters who has not made the jump over to the big screen to this point. 

For years, the NYPD detective played a key role in Spider-Man's comic book stories, helping the wall-crawler stay out of the eye of the force.

The pair's partnership was mutually beneficial, as Spider-Man could do some of the detective work the work she was morally/legally not able to at the NYPD, and could open up a fun dynamic for Holland's on-screen hero that fans simply have not seen as of yet.

She also opens up the door to some potentially fun villains to come in future MCU projects if Marvel Studios and the Spider-Man team want to head that direction. 

The character has a close connection to the classic comicbook villain Wraith. The psyonic-powered big bad is actually DeWolff's thought-to-be-dead older brother who remerges after years away and comes to blows with Spidey, Iron Man, and seveal other members of the avengers. 

DeWolff is also a part of a major Spider-Man storyline known as "The Death of Jean DeWolff" in which the longtime Spidey collaborator is killed by a villain known as Sin-Eater—the character who was retroactively credited for ruining the journalistic career of the first Venom, Eddie Brock, and enstilling a hatred of Peter Parker.

Jean DeWolff's introduction to the MCU could open the door to several key components of the Spidey canon coming to the on-screen franchise. So, if Colón-Zayas is, in fact, playing her in Brand New Day, this could be the start of some fun things coming down the road for the wall-crawler.