Mr. Negative voice actor Stephen Oyoung shared his honest thoughts about his Marvel villain potentially appearing in the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day - whether he could play him or not - following the movie's recent title announcement.
Tom Holland and Marvel Studios officially confirmed Spider-Man: Brand New Day only recently at CinemaCon 2025, unveiling the full title for the film and a few select details about the upcoming MCU project. Still, no villain has yet been revealed (read more about the Spider-Man: Brand New Day announcement here).
Recent rumors have pegged Martin Li/Mr. Negative as the potential villain in the upcoming Tom Holland Spider-Man film, leading many to wonder if Oyoung knows anything about the character's inclusion. Mr. Negative was notably the big bad of the Spider-Man: Brand New Day comic story.
Speaking with 4GQTV, Oyoung addressed the Mr. Negative in Spider-Man: Brand New Day rumors head-on, revealing he has not been contacted by Sony Pictures personally but is excited by the prospect of the characters coming to the big screen:
"I know nothing. I have not been contacted by Sony. Let me just say I know certain things, but as far as contacting me, that is yet to manifest itself."
"I think the rumors started three or four years ago...[and] at first, it was kind of like this, 'Oh, who knows,' the Mr. Negative voice actor joked before adding, but "now it feels very serious:"
"Every few years, we will hear rumors. I think the rumors started three or four years ago about Mr. Negative. At first, it was kind of like this, 'Oh, who knows,' or maybe it was just made up. Now it feels very serious."
OYoung posited that he "think there is a pretty good chance you will see Mr. Negative in the future," whether that be in something like Brand New Day, a new video game, or elsewhere:
"I have sort of a nebulous idea, but I also kind of have no idea. Marvel, and gaming, and Sony. There are so many big parts. There is so much machinery to this that even if I did know, I couldn’t tell you if I wanted to. What I can say, though, is, again, I am hopeful, very, very hopeful. Personally, I think there is a pretty good chance you will see Mr. Negative in the future in some sort of media, whether it is me or not."
Oyoung brought the (at the time) little-known Marvel big bad to the mainstream with his performance of the character in 2018's Marvel's Spider-Man video game. He has since commented several times about playing Mr. Negative in other media if given the chance.
Because of his performance, OYoung has become a popular fan cast for a potential live-action take on the character. To these fans throwing his hat in the ring, Oyoung said he has been "humbly grateful:"
"There are so many people that are reaching out right now and supporting myself, which I am very humbly grateful for...For myself, I am very hopeful. I always fight to the bitter end, but like I said, the biggest thing for me has been the fan support, which has been overwhelming. And now, people are throwing me in the same breath as all the other guys that they used to talk about. Steven Yeun, Daniel Dae Kim, you know, those guys. Now, all of a sudden, it is like, 'Oh yeah, let's get the video game actor.'"
Brand New Day will star Holland as the iconic wall-crawler yet again, as Peter Parker begins a new era of his life in which the world no longer knows he is Spider-Man. Shang-Chi filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton is directing the film, which is set to star MCU newcomer Sadie Sink in an undisclosed role.
Who Will Be the Spider-Man: Brand New Day Villain?
With the title, release date, and tentative production schedule now locked in for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the next big question for many will be who will be the film's primary villain.
Some have speculated names like Shocker and Scorpion could come back in some form, as both classic Marvel Comics characters have previously been teased in the MCU; however, it seems as though there is another name sitting primed and ready for his moment in the Marvel Studios spotlight.
Mr. Negative feels like a natural fit for everything Spider-Man: Brand New Day seems to be trying to accomplish. First, the character does what any good Spider-Man villain does best, blurring the lines of Peter's everyday life and his wall-crawling alter ego.
In the comics, Martin Li is a former Chinese gangster who founded the New York-based charity FEAST, a foundation that Peter Parker's Aunt May plays a major role in.
With Tom Holland's Peter now living on his own in the upcoming sequel, working at a place like FEAST could be an excellent way for him to meet new people while keeping his ear close to what is going on around the city.
It also helps that Mr. Negative played a key role in the comic story from which the movie takes its name. In that story, Li crosses paths with Spider-Man for the first time, harnessing the power of his inner demons as he attempts to wipe our rival gangs on the streets of New York with a powerful bioweapon.
This story includes the iconic web-slinging hero recruiting the Black Cat vigilante—someone who has also been rumored to appear in the upcoming film.
While everything is mere speculation at this point, it seems as though Marvel may be setting up for a straight-up Brand New Day adaptation of the upcoming Spider-Man 4, with Martin Li/Mr. Negative playing a key role.
