With great marketing comes great responsibility, and possibly even more fan questions. While Sony appears to be handling Spider-Man: Brand New Day's production with more transparency, the biggest questions surrounding Tom Holland's next MCU film remain unanswered.
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a sequel to 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home, and where Tom Holland's Peter Parker navigates his new life after the effects of Doctor Strange's spell. Since production began, Sony and Marvel have released teasers showing Spidey's new (and best ever?) suit, stunts, and action set pieces.
Set to arrive in theaters on July 31, 2026, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is part of Phase 6 of the MCU features several familiar Marvel stars, including Mark Ruffalo, Michael Mando, Jon Bernthal, Zendaya, and Jacob Batalon. Meanwhile, Stranger Things' Sadie Sink will be making her MCU debut, along with Liza Colón-Zayas (The Bear).
5 Burning Questions About Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Will Spider-Man 4 Connect to Avengers: Doomsday?
Following Spider-Man: No Way Home's Multiversal story, fans of the web-head are eager for a grounded, New York-focused Spider-Man narrative. And, while Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has confirmed just that, the fact remains Spider-Man 4 is the last MCU film before Avengers: Doomsday, which releases on December 18, 2026.
Also, the Multiverse is largely responsible for Spidey's new solo, street-level life. So the question is whether Brand New Day will ignore the Multiverse and only allude to Avengers 5 in a splashy post-credits scene, or will the film interweave some Multiversal plot points within its Big Apple story?
Who Is Sadie Sink Playing in Spider-Man 4?
One of the first and still biggest mysteries surrounding Spider-Man: Brand New Day is just who Sadie Sink is playing. Her casting igniting a online firestorm of speculation with rumors ranging from her playing X-Men's Jean Grey to Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man's daughter, Mayday Parker, to continuing the on-screen Spider-Man tradition of a redheaded actress playing Gwen Stacy. To date, the only reported details about Sink's character is that she's a "sharp and free-spirited" woman with a "mysterious past," and she's rumored to be going by the Spider-Man 4 codename "Annabelle Adams."
For reference, Annabelle Adams was a character introduced in Marvel Comics' Scarlet Spider (Vol. 2) #1 as a bartender who develops feelings for Peter Parker clone Kaine Parker (aka Scarlet Spider). Whether that codename is her character, or merely a reference, remains to be seen. But as Brand New Day production continues, the mystery surrounding Sadie Sink's character continues to grow.
How Many Villains in Spider-Man: Brand New Day?
After Tom Holland’s wall-crawler went up against the franchise’s legacy villains in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Sony appears to be doubling down on its villain-heavy strategy as multiple comic book baddies are rumored for Brand New Day.
In addition to Scorpion/Mac Gargan, played by Spider-Man: Homecoming's Michael Mando, a name that keeps popping up in the rumor mill (and as Spider-Man 4's main antagonist?) is Mr. Negative, a New York philanthropist behind the charity FEAST who is actually an energy-wielding supervillain with a photo negative appearance. A female villain described in her "30s-50s" is also rumored for Spider-Man 4, as is the comic book antagonistsTombstone, Boomerang, and Tarantula. Then, of course, Kingpin is a possibility now that Spidey is anchored in New York City and due to Wilson Fisk's ongoing presence in the MCU, including Daredevil: Born Again (check out all 8 villains rumored for Spider-Man 4 here!).
Which Hulk Is in Spider-Man 4 and Why?
A wildcard addition to Spider-Man: Brand New Day is Mark Ruffalo's Hulk or, potentially, Savage Hulk? Not only does Ruffalo's absence in Avengers: Doomsday (at least for now) raise a few eyebrows, but Savage Hulk produces a whole lineup of questions from how Smart Hulk turned into this new, uncontrollable version, to why he's crossing paths with Spider-Man, if Hulk can remember Peter Parker, and if he could be Spidey's main antagonist. It's also worth noting "Savage Hulk" is Hulk's most terrifying form and doesn't differentiate between friend or foe.
Zendaya and Jacob Batalon's Role?
Even though Zendaya's MJ and Jacob Batalon's Ned no longer remember Peter Parker, they have been cast in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Just how extensive their roles will be is the question. Since Doctor Strange's memory spell is responsible Peter Parker's solo existence, as well as a sign of his heroic sacrifice, they're not expected to play huge roles in the film. However, set photos featuring Zendaya and Tom Holland have led fans to wonder if their minutes onscreen is more than expected.
