Spider-Man: Brand New Day: What We Know So Far

Courtesy of Marvel Studios

2026 has only two MCU movies scheduled for release this year. Before Avengers: Doomsday is released on December 18, 2026, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is scheduled to be released on July 31. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and once again starring Tom Holland, Spider-Man: Brand New Day will take place four years after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home and show Peter Parker fully embracing the role of Spider-Man after the world no longer remembers Peter Parker. According to ScreenRant, Peter will be trying to uncover a mystery tied to a trail of crimes as well as face the repercussions of his past. What else do we know about Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and what is rumored?

Confirmed Cast

Besides Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Michael Mando, and Mark Ruffalo are returning to reprise their roles as MJ, Ned Leeds, Frank Castle/Punisher, Mac Gargan/Scorpion, and Bruce Banner/Hulk from the MCU. It will be the first time Punisher and Hulk appear in a Spider-Man movie. Ruffalo was previously in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame with Holland. It’s unknown how significant MJ and Ned’s roles will be in Brand New Day, as they have forgotten Peter, and the last time audiences saw them in No Way Home, they were accepted into MIT, and Peter decided not to tell them who he is, thinking they would be safer. Considering one of the plot points will be Peter facing the consequences of his past, there’s a good chance MJ and Ned have wrapped up their MIT education and are back for good in New York. Perhaps MJ has moved on and found a new boyfriend, and Peter begins regretting his decision.

The significance of Punisher and Hulk’s roles is unknown, but rumors suggest Punisher will play a bigger role. When Hulk was confirmed last summer, The Hollywood Reporter revealed a possible fight sequence between Spider-Man, Punisher, and Hulk. It’s been heavily rumored that, along with Hulk going back to his more berserk ways pre-Endgame, Hulk will also become Grey Hulk. Fans have wanted to see Berserk Hulk return for a while. In the comics, Spider-Man and Hulk had many stories together. Fans theorize the Hulk, not Bruce Banner, will still remember Peter Parker and not be affected by Strange’s spell if Banner wasn’t in his Hulk form when Strange cast the spell, like in the comics when everyone forgot Spider-Man’s identity, but Hulk still remembered. As for Punisher, it’s likely the character will be toned down a bit to fit Brand New Day’s PG-13 rating.

Besides Mando finally becoming Scorpion, the other main villain confirmed for Brand New Day is Lonnie Lincoln/Tombstone, played by Marvin Jones III. Jones voiced Tombstone in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. This will be Tombstone’s first live-action appearance in a Spider-Man movie. It’s unknown what Tombstone’s role will be in the movie, but it looks like he will be the main crime lord of the movie. It is likely his role could be similar to that of his role in The Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon and be behind the creation of many villains. While not official, rumors suggest Brand New Day will have multiple smaller-scaled Spider-Man villains appear for an opening montage showing Spider-Man face villains in the years since Doctor Strange’s spell. Some of the villains rumored include Boomerang, Tarantula, The Hand, and 8-Ball. No actors have been attached to these rumored villains as of now.

Other confirmed actors appearing in Brand New Day are Sadie Sink, Tramell Tillman, and Liza Colon-Zayas. Many rumors have swirled around about who Sadie Sink is playing. The biggest rumor is that she is playing Jean Grey, who is being hunted down by Damage Control. Fans have fancast Sink as Jean Grey for a few years. It would be quite the Spider-Man movie if an X-Men character appeared in it alongside Hulk and Punisher. Other rumors suggest Jean Grey will be protected by Punisher, or Grey will be messing with and manipulating Damage Control. Sink was also confirmed to be returning in Avengers: Secret Wars as well. Another character Sink has been attached to is Shathra, a shapeshifting villain from the comics. If she is playing Shathra, Sink would be the first main female villain in a Spider-Man movie. Tramell Tillman has been heavily rumored to be playing the new head of Damage Control. Tillman could be playing William Metzger, an X-Men villain from the comics who would be leading an anti-mutant agenda. Spider-Man: Brand New Day would officially be the first film introducing the MCU Earth-616 versions of the X-Men characters if Jean Grey and William Metzger appear and start the transition into Marvel’s next rumored saga after the Multiverse Saga, which is rumored to be the Mutant Saga. One of Marvel’s upcoming films in the next few years is an X-Men movie, so it’s possible.

T

Themes and Elements of Brand New Day

Spider-Man: Brand New Day will provide a much more grounded Spider-Man movie that fans have wanted for quite some time. Rumors suggest the movie will touch upon Peter’s mental state and the consequences of his decisions. With characters like Punisher and Hulk appearing, themes of anger and loneliness are likely to be incorporated. The action is expected to improve from the previous MCU Spider-Man movies as well. Based on the filming footage released to the public, there will be a big action and chase sequence involving a military tank. Spider-Man is shown to be chasing it. Many theories surrounding the tank have been thrown out there, including the tank containing Sadie Sink’s mystery character. Pictures showing Peter visiting Aunt May’s grave and bumping into MJ have also been released. It’s unknown if this means MJ remembers Peter at some point, or she still forgot who Peter is, but is visiting May’s grave or someone else. It’s unknown if anyone will remember who Peter Parker is by the end of the movie.

A lot of fans wonder if Spider-Man: Brand New Day will introduce or hint at characters who have yet to appear in the MCU, like Harry Osborn, Gwen Stacy, and Miles Morales. According to Variety back in 2025, Kevin Feige has said they are waiting until after the 2027 animated movie Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse to introduce Miles into the MCU. Rumors suggest Harry Osborn could appear as MJ’s new boyfriend, but no actor has been attached to play him as of now.

Will Brand New Day Connect to Avengers: Doomsday?

As mentioned earlier, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the last MCU movie before Avengers: Doomsday. Last year, Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps each had mid/post-credit scenes hinting and tying into Avengers: Doomsday. It is also confirmed that characters from these films are returning in Avengers: Doomsday. As of now, Tom Holland as Spider-Man is not confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday. Not even Mark Ruffalo, who has been in all four Avengers movies, is confirmed for Doomsday. In fact, the only Spider-Man that has been heavily rumored for the upcoming Avengers movie, despite not being officially confirmed, has been Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man. Rumors have suggested the events of Brand New Day are happening around the same time as the events of Doomsday, which will explain both Holland’s Spider-Man and Hulk’s absence. Considering Spider-Man is currently on his own and no one remembers his identity, it’s not a surprise he will unlikely be in Avengers: Doomsday. Like most MCU movies, Spider-Man: Brand New Day will likely feature a couple of mid/post-credit scenes. Whether they tie into Avengers: Doomsday or focus on setting up Spider-Man’s next movie, no one knows yet. Tom Holland has been heavily rumored for Avengers: Secret Wars, as well as being one of the main characters of Secret Wars.

Overall, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is one of 2026’s most anticipated movies and looks to be a different kind of Spider-Man movie. Are you excited for Spider-Man: Brand New Day? Let us know in the comments below.