It goes without saying that Spider-Man: Brand New Day is one of the most heavily-anticipated movies of 2026. For starters, it's the last Marvel Cinematic Universe film ahead of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars - which will both bring about the end of the Multiverse Saga. Although Spidey isn't officially attached to the first of those movies, rumor has it that he might cameo. He's definitely expected to appear in the second.
Spider-Man 4 is also expected to continue on the webslinger's arc in the MCU, giving audiences some much-needed clarity after Spider-Man: No Way Home - the third film in Jon Watts' Spider-Man: Homecoming trilogy - left Peter Parker's story in a very unique place, with every single person in the MCU forgetting that he existed.
As we look ahead to Spider-Man 4, one major casting changed the game for the upcoming movie. And now, a new report claims that this major star might have joined the cast to play a new version of a beloved Spidey character.
Sadie Sink is reportedly playing a new version of Gwen Stacy in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, succeeding Emma Stone in the role
Earlier this year, it was revealed that Stranger Things star Sadie Sink had joined the cast of Spider-Man: Brand New Day in a mysterious role. Some speculated that she might be playing an alternate version of Mary Jane Watson (Peter Parker's love interest in the Marvel Comics) and others suggested that she might be portraying Jean Grey (the all-powerful member of the X-Men and vessel for the Phoenix). Another rumor claimed that she might play Mayday Parker, the daughter of Peter and MJ. However, it turns out that none of those theories might be correct, as a new report claims that she may be playing a completely different Spider-Man character.
On a recent episode of podcast The Hot Mic, insider Jeff Sneider revealed that he has heard Sink is actually set to play "an alternate universe Gwen Stacy". That would be a pretty big deal considering how important the character of Gwen Stacy is to the Marvel Comics - not-to-mention the fact that it would suggest that Spider-Man 4 is indeed following through on the rumors of being a multiversal movie.
Gwen Stacy is Peter Parker's first love in the comics. The daughter of NYPD Captain George Stacy, Gwen is killed after a fateful run-in with the Green Goblin on the Brooklyn Bridge. She is portrayed by Emma Stone in Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man movies, in which we actually see her suffer the same fate as her comic book counterpart (Bryce Dallas Howard plays an alternate version in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3).
Sink's casting as an alternate version of Gwen Stacy could be quite pivotal. Now that Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man (of The Amazing Spider-Man film series) is canon to the MCU's Multiverse, this is - in a way - the franchise's way of replacing Emma Stone's character. Fans were hoping that, at some point in time, Stone might reprise the role, particularly as the Spider-Gwen version of the character, but Sink's casting may have ruled that possibility out.
For context, Spider-Gwen is an alternate version of Gwen in the comics who doesn't suffer the same fate as her main timeline counterpart. Instead, she becomes a Spider-Being like Peter Parker and her fellow webslingers throughout the Spider-Verse. With that in mind, could she make her live-action debut in Spider-Man: Brand New Day?
It's entirely possible as there were plenty of rumors that Sink could be playing Spider-Gwen in those early days after her casting was announced. And considering that the film is expected to be an important part of the Multiverse Saga (as a multiversal movie), audiences are ready to be surprised. An appearance from Spider-Gwen would definitely be a welcome surprise.
We'll have to wait and see but, if the Multiverse Saga continues to lean on Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's Spider-Men as support for Tom Holland's MCU webslinger, here's hoping we do get to see Emma Stone's Gwen return one more time too. Give her and Peter the happy ending they deserve, Marvel!