Spider-Man: Brand New Day is easily one of the most anticipated movies of 2026, and it’s not hard to see why. It takes place four years after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home in a world that has no idea Peter Parker exists. This reset fundamentally alters the narrative foundation of the franchise, and for the first time, Peter is truly on his own.
Already shaping up to be a significant deviation from Spider-Man stories we’ve seen on screen, it would be intriguing to see how the MCU and Sony’s Spider-Man universe navigates this shift. Beyond the storytelling aspect, fan-favorite MCU characters will also be joining the friendly neighborhood superhero in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Jon Bernthal will be returning as Frank Castle/Punisher, Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil, and Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Hulk, but viewers are also getting several new faces too. The Bear’s Liza Colón-Zayas, Severance’s Tramell Tillman, and Black Lightning’s Marvin Jones III will also be stepping up to the plate.
However, the most exciting and talked about casting is Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink who will reportedly play the iconic Jean Grey, and there’s a reason why this casting is easily one of the most buzzed-about recent superhero castings.
Jean Grey Isn’t Just a Superhero, She’s a Legend
Introduced as Marvel Girl, Jean Grey is an original X-Men character who first appeared in the 1963 issue, The X-Men #1. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, she’s gone on to become one of the most powerful X-Men and Marvel heroes in general. She is after all an Omega Level mutant and they don’t hand that out to just anyone. As Charles Xavier’s protégé and one of the strongest telepaths in the Marvel Universe, Jean Grey can read minds, project her thoughts into others’ consciousness, control others to manipulate their physical functions, cast illusions, wield telekinesis, and even project her consciousness onto the astral plane. And that’s just scratching the surface of her powers.
Personality-wise, she’s known to be kind, caring, and nurturing. Romantically, she has had an on-and-off relationship with Scott Summers. Perhaps the most well-known and highly regarded part of her story is the Dark Phoenix Saga. Retconned several times over the years, it is still considered one of the most iconic and defining arcs in Marvel history, showcasing the full scale of her power and the devastating consequences of losing control.
Why Jean Grey Joining Spider-Man: Brand New Day and the MCU Is Worth Your Attention
It has already been confirmed that after 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars, the mutant team will be recast for a new X-Men movie. Until then though, we will get some of the cast members of Fox’s X-Men franchise showing up on screen for 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday.
Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Kelsey Grammer, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, and James Marsden are confirmed to be returning but what’s interesting is that Famke Janssen, who played Jean Grey, has insisted she is not returning, creating room for the possibility of a new Jean Grey. But from what we’ve seen with Marvel Studios’ and those pesky NDAs, it’s not uncommon for actors to deny their return until the movie hits theaters. Looking at you, Andrew Garfield. But if there’s one thing Andrew Garfield, Tobey Maguire, and Tom Holland proved in Spider-Man: No Way Home, it’s that there’s enough room in the MCU for different iterations of the same character. So Sadie Sink suiting up as Jean Grey does not interfere with the possibility of Janssen returning.
Regardless of which iteration of Jean Grey we get in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, having a character that iconic and that powerful opens up a world of stories for Spider-Man and the extended MCU. Though the MCU has repeatedly signalled that it’s closing the book on its multiversal saga, the casting of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom makes one thing crystal clear: the multiverse is evolving, not disappearing, meaning there’s absolutely room for Jean Grey and different iterations of the character. Who knows, there might even be room for Madelyne Pryor, Jean’s clone, too. The character, defined by cosmic power, fractured identities, and endless variants, is perfectly tailor-made for the current state of MCU.
Sadie Sink Is the Perfect Choice To Pick Up the Jean Grey Mantle
As a beloved character, whoever steps into the role of Jean Grey faces a titanic task. Not only is there an expectation to nail the iconic look, but they must also bring the dramatic weight the role demands. Jean Grey requires an actor who can balance warmth with authority, command the screen while convincingly portraying both vulnerability and unimaginable power. With this in mind, Sadie Sink feels undeniably right for the role.
Having stepped into a cultural juggernaut like Stranger Things, she earned a loyal fanbase while proving she can deliver emotionally devastating performances under global scrutiny. She has shown she possesses the dramatic depth the role demands, along with the composure to navigate a global franchise with an intensely dedicated audience. It’s a delicate balance that Sink has already demonstrated she can handle and excel at.