A major Fox X-Men character was seemingly recast for Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures' Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and it's not Jean Grey. While the X-Men are on their way to getting their first MCU movie, legacy mutants and new characters have been introduced across the franchise post-Infinity Saga. This will continue in Marvel's first live-action solo Spider-Man film in five years.
Sony Pictures released a new featurette for Spider-Man: Brand New Day ahead of its July 31 release. Highlighting the film's arrival on Screen X, the footage showed material for the MCU's revival of the Hand, who were first utilized as a core group of villains in the Defenders Saga on Netflix. This featurette seemed to include a look at a new version of Mariko Yashida, who jumps toward Spider-Man in a long red robe while wielding a katana.
While the actress playing the character has not been confirmed, she will replace Tao Okamoto in the role.
Okamoto first played Mariko in a supporting role in 2013's The Wolverine, the second of Hugh Jackman's two solo Wolverine movies released as part of 20th Century Fox's X-Men saga.
In The Wolverine, Mariko is a wealthy heiress to a powerful Japanese tech empire and a love interest for Wolverine (outside of Famke Janssen's Jean Grey). However, her inheritance makes her a target for Yakuza assassins and a dangerous mutant named Viper, leading Wolverine to protect her.
In the comics, Mariko is the daughter of a Japanese crime lord named Lord Shingen, the leader of Clan Yashida. Originally scared of Wolverine upon meeting him (when the X-Men sought the help of Mariko's cousin, Sunfire), he and Mariko became attracted to each other and spent a great deal of time in Japan and New York together.
This comes as rumors tease Jean Grey's potential arrival in this movie, bringing one of the most powerful X-Men in history into the MCU. However, Sink has not been shown outright in any marketing material, nor has her role been discussed publicly by Marvel or Sony.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Michael Mando, Jon Bernthal, and Mark Ruffalo and will bring Holland's Spider-Man back into a world unaware of his existence, pitting him against a horde of terrifying new villains, including Scorpion, Tarantula, and Boomerang.
How Mariko Could Impact Spider-Man: Brand New Day
While Mariko does not typically have any powers in Marvel Comics, she is known as one of the more prominent fighters in Marvel's history. The question is how she could be introduced in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, especially if she does end up being part of The Hand upon her debut.
Mariko has never been a willing member of The Hand in the comics, but past runs have shown her being killed and brought back to life to work with the group (similar to what happened with Elektra in The Defenders). While the character will differ from the version seen in The Wolverine (if this is truly Mariko), this could be a way to bring her into the MCU while keeping her as a protagonist rather than turning her into a villain. She was also shown to eventually regain her senses and break free of the brainwashing by the end of that run.
Teasers for Brand New Day hint at multiple mutant-esque powers being included, even though the cast does not officially include any X-Men-related characters yet. Combine that with Spider-Man getting organic webbing and even more undisclosed plot developments, and this universe will only expand into more wild stories, with The Hand surely causing chaos.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
