Spider-Man 4 is continuing to tap the well of Marvel Netflix characters at Disney's disposal. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the first in a new era of Tom Holland-led Spider-Man films, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton. Spider-Man: No Way Home began to bridge the divide between the Marvel Netflix characters and the MCU by including Charlie Cox's Daredevil, and now Spider-Man: Brand New Home is taking things one step further with a rumored third character from the Defenders Saga set to appear.
The latest report from entertainment scooper Daniel Richtman, who shared on his Patreon that Rosario Dawson will be reprising her role as Claire Temple in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Dawson's character previously made appearances in Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and The Defenders.
This addition would mean three Marvel characters from the Netflix era are making their way to Tom Holland's fourth solo movie.
Jon Bernthal's Punisher was one of the first heroes announced to be joining the film. Frank Castle made his way into the MCU along with his fellow Daredevil characters in Disney+'s sequel/reboot Daredevil: Born Again. He has since had no shortage of bookings in the MCU, with a solo Punisher TV special on the way, and his first Marvel Studios film role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Richtman also shared the news that The Hand, the antagonistic ancient ninja clan that served as the villainous group in Daredevil, is set to appear in the new Spider-Man film, adding to the major crossovers from Netflix's Marvel shows.
With even more Marvel Netflix characters returning to the MCU, the chances of other heroes and villains from the era showing up are rapidly rising.
With Daredevil out of the picture, his paramour, Elektra, could potentially show herself. Daredevil's Elektra actress, Elodie Yung, has expressed interest in returning to the role, and her character was closely tied to The Hand during the Netflix show's run. Elektra was killed during Daredevil's second season, but was then resurrected by The Hand and trained to become their ultimate weapon: the Black Sky. However, her fate was left unknown at the end of The Defenders, after she was seemingly buried under the Midland Circle building that collapsed.
Notably, Daredevil was presumed to have died in this accident as well, but was then revealed to have survived and continued into Daredevil Season 3 and Daredevil: Born Again, suggesting Elektra's death may also not be so permanent. Spider-Man: Brand New Day could be the right place to reintroduce Elektra into the Marvel narrative, particularly if the Hand is somehow involved in the web-slinger's journey.
Another Marvel Netflix character linked to The Hand is Iron Fist, the martial arts superhero and member of the Defenders. Rumors have been abundant that the full Defenders team will be assembled in the MCU at some point, and introducing Iron Fist in conjunction with his nemesis, The Hand, in Spider-Man 4 could be a way to do it. However, it seems more likely that Luke Cage and Iron Fist's return would be saved for the television side of things, as is the case with Jessica Jones in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2.
What Are Marvel's Netflix Characters Doing in Spider-Man 4?
The inclusion of so many Marvel Netflix characters in Spider-Man: Brand New Day is making it a historic MCU crossover film, but it's still unclear precisely what the Punisher, the Hand, Claire Temple, and any other mystery Marvel Netflix characters are doing in the story.
One major thing that links Spider-Man and the Marvel Netflix heroes together is their placement in New York. As Marvel begins to expand its television narrative in Daredevil: Born Again, which is canon in the MCU, it makes sense that events from the series and films would start to impact each other.
Both Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 seem intent on building out that connection, and both projects are the right place to do it, given the characters' history in the comics.
Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 is set to be released in March 2026, a few months before the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Hence, it's likely that the events of the new Disney+ series will explain why exactly the other Marvel Netflix characters are being incorporated into Spider-Man's story.
