A brand-new set photo from Spider-Man: Brand New Day's production has offered a peek at Sadie Sink's mystery MCU character. Spider-Man 4 is confirmed to have a stacked cast joining Tom Holland, which includes the likes of Mark Ruffalo, Jon Bernthal, Michael Mando, and MCU newcomer Sadie Sink. Much of the headlines surrounding Spider-Man: Brand New Day revolves around Sink's mysterious role in the movie, leading to widespread speculation among fans online.
In August 2025, a rumor claimed that Sadie Sink's character had a codename of Annabelle Adams, but nothing much led to a conclusive take about which specific character she would be playing in the Marvel universe. While others have speculated that Sink could be playing a version of Mary Jane Watson or even Mayday Parker (the daughter of Peter Parker from another universe), Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures have been tight-lipped about her MCU debut.
X user and UK-based photographer @UnboxPHD shared an exclusive first look at Sadie Sink on the London set of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, where she can be seen talking to director Destin Daniel Cretton while taking a break from filming.
The photo itself shows off some of the costume & hair of Sadie Sink's new Marvel character.
Based on the set photo, Sink's character is confirmed to have red hair, and the actress is wearing pants and boots as part of her overall look. However, her jacket - which is being worn by the actress in between takes and won't be featured in the movie itself - covers the body portion of her character's costume, making it difficult to decipher which Marvel character she is playing in Brand New Day.
In September 2025, another scoop from The Hot Mic claimed that Spider-Man: Brand New Day's villain is a shapeshifter, while another insider pointed out that Sink could end up playing a character who has ties to the supernatural, leading some to speculate that Sink could end up portraying the Marvel villain named Shathra.
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, Spider-Man: Brand New Day highlights a fresh start for Tom Holland's Peter Parker following the game-changing ending of No Way Home. However, trouble seems to follow him after the arrival of brand-new villains with a bone to pick with the friendly neighborhood web-slinger. Spider-Man: Brand New Day premieres in theaters on July 31, 2026.
So, Who Is Sadie Sink Playing in Spider-Man: Brand New Day?
The latest set photo of Sadie Sink from Spider-Man: Brand New Day is likely to spark widespread online speculation about her role, potentially as one of Spider-Man's comic book love interests, a female villain, or a character connected to the Multiverse.
Given that the actress has red hair in this first look, one would argue that she could be playing Mary Jane Watson, but there is a slim chance that this is true because the MCU already has Zendaya as Peter Parker's MJ. Still, there are other notable characters from the comics whom Sink might end up playing, such as the likes of Jean Grey, Firestar, or Frank Castle's rumored sidekick in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Sadie Sink as the MCU's version of Jean Grey would be a dream casting for the franchise, considering that it already aligns with the X-Men reboot's goal of casting younger stars for the upcoming Mutant Saga. However, this could complicate things because the MCU has yet to introduce a proper X-Men team and including Jean in Spider-Man's random adventure in New York would further confuse fans.
Another possibility is Firestar (aka Angelica Jones), a longtime ally of Spider-Man in Marvel Comics and a mutant who has the ability to generate and manipulate microwave radiation. Given that she has red hair from the comics as well, this seems likely, and Sink's version could end up being a regular human first before eventually turning into Firestar when the MCU undergoes a rumored soft reboot following Avengers: Secret Wars.
Not much is known about Frank Castle's rumored sidekick in Spider-Man 4, but considering that Sink is wearing camouflage pants suggests that she has combat training and may end up being an expert in hand-to-hand combat and various weapons. This could mean that Sink might be playing the Punisher's trusted and red-haired ally from the comics: Rachel Cole-Alves.
The prevailing speculation among fans is the fact that Sink could be playing Mayday Parker, and the fact that she is confirmed to have red hair means that this theory has gained traction. With Sink possibly bringing Mayday Parker (the daughter of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson from the future) to life, this could tie to Spider-Man: No Way Home's ending, potentially revealing her as the daughter of Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man variant.
