It's no secret that Spider-Man: Brand New Day will feature appearances from villains like The Scorpion and Tombstone. Spidey may even have to contend with friends-turned-foes like The Punisher and a Savage Hulk, though much has been said about a mysterious female big bad.
Something has to happen to set the Smart Hulk off, after all, and we're still in the dark about Sadie Sink's mysterious character (who, according to a recent report from the trades, will return in Avengers: Secret Wars).
The plot has thickened today with a rumour shared by scooper Daniel Richtman. According to the insider, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is going to feature a villain with the power to control people. As you might expect, Spidey will battle those who fall under this unnamed character's spell.
Richtman doesn't specify whether they're the movie's main antagonist or a side villain, but there are several compelling possibilities.
Following reports that Spidey battles a group of ninjas in a prison break, could we get a Mister Negative cameo? He's synonymous with the "Brand New Day" era of storytelling and can influence others with his powers.
Shathra is another possibility, as are a returning Mysterio and Jean Grey's villainous clone, Madelyne Pryor.
During a recent interview, Sadie Sink was asked to describe her character in one word and replied, "I thought this was the Stranger Things premiere. I wasn't prepared," the clearly flustered actress replied. Pushed to answer, Sink responded, "No. No. I have enough secrets [Laughs]."
With Sony Pictures reportedly eager for Spider-Man: Brand New Day to have a Multiversal tie-in and Tobey Maguire all but confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday, we're putting our money on Sink playing a villainous Jean Grey Variant who is working with Doctor Doom.
A couple of new shots of Spider-Man on The Punisher's battle van from filming in Glasgow a couple of months ago have recently been picked up on social media. As you're here, you can take a closer look at those in the Instagram gallery below.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day shares a title with a divisive era of comic book storytelling, which, thanks to a deal with Mephisto to save his dying Aunt May, saw the wall-crawler given a fresh start when his marriage to Mary Jane Watson ended and his identity became secret again. He faced many new sinister foes during that time and was surrounded by a fresh supporting cast, including Mister Negative, Jackpot, Menace, Carlie Cooper, and Freak.
In the MCU, all signs point to Spidey teaming up with—and at some point fighting—The Punisher to take on a Savage Hulk, with The Scorpion thrown in for good measure. The street-level adventure promises to resolve a dangling plot thread from 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming, when Mac Gargan vowed to take revenge on the wall-crawler.
Several other villains are reportedly set to appear in the movie, including Tombstone, Tarantula, Boomerang, and Ramrod. There's also been some chatter online about the Symbiote factoring into the story, potentially setting the stage for Mac Gargan to don the alien costume as Venom (presumably after Avengers: Secret Wars).
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings helmer Destin Daniel Cretton directs Spider-Man: Brand New Day from a script by returning Spider-Man franchise writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers.
Tom Holland plays Spider-Man in a cast that also includes Jon Bernthal (The Punisher), Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk), Zendaya (MJ), Sadie Sink, Michael Mando (The Scorpion), Tramell Tillman, Marvin Jones III (Tombstone), Jacob Batalon (Ned Leeds), and Liza Colón-Zayas. Avengers: Doomsday star Florence Pugh is expected to reprise her Thunderbolts* role as Yelena Belova.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be released in theaters on July 31, 2026.