As the Multiverse Saga begins to wind down, fans are expecting big things from the Marvel Cinematic Universe's upcoming slate of movies and Disney Plus TV shows. It's understandable, too, as there are some major titles on the horizon, which also allow for some major MCU and Marvel comebacks.
The big ones are, of course, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, which will both be led by Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom. Designed as a two-part finale to the Multiverse Saga, they will see the Avengers unite to stop the new villain from either destroying the multiverse or reshaping it in his image. And yes, there are some major MCU stars set to appear in that one.
However, another Marvel movie that will serve as one of the heaviest-hitters of Phase Six is none other than Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Tom Holland leads a brand new ensemble cast comprised of some MCU veterans, as well as returning Spider-Man stars Zendaya and Jacob Batalon. Now, a new report claims we'll see another unlikely addition to the movie.
Tony Revolori's Flash Thompson will reportedly return in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
According to veteran industry insider Daniel Richtman, Tony Revolori will appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, reprising his role as Flash Thompson. The actor has previously appeared in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming, 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home, and 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home and while it's not completely out-of-the-ordinary to imagine him in the fourth installment too, nobody was expecting him to appear since the Homecoming trilogy has concluded.
The character's arc also concluded somewhat. The school bully that he is known for being in the comics, he constantly made fun of Peter Parker throughout the first two installments while also being a big fan of Spider-Man. However, in the third installment, he became un unlikely supporter of Peter's when his secret identity as the webslinger was revealed to the world. Of course he was doing it for selfish reasons (i.e. to promote himself) but it was still a surprise for viewers to see the unlikely change in the character's story.
All that being said, Flash's mind would be altered going forward after Doctor Strange's spell in No Way Home erased everyone's memory of Peter Parker's existence. And, as the next film will seemingly have all of the characters from Peter's school year in college, audiences simply weren't expecting to see Flash. He doesn't have any personal ties to the characters in the film and given that he doesn't even know who Peter is this time around, it's understandable that fans are surprised to hear that he could return for the sequel.
However, we also have to remember that Flash got accepted into MIT - the same university that Ned and MJ got into. Ned is Peter's best friend and MJ was his girlfriend. Even though those connections no longer exist due to Strange's spell, Flash could very easily still be in their orbit. He wasn't close to them and he didn't particularly like them, but perhaps univerisity brought them all closer. Or - and this is the more likely option - perhaps he hasn't matured at all, and is still every bit as annoying as he was.
Flash's involvement might help Brand New Day feel a bit more like the Homecoming trilogy
Flash Thompson is an important character in the Spider-Man story of the Marvel Comics and with Spider-Man: Brand New Day set to tell a more comic-accurate Spidey tale, it's possible that the creative team have found a place for him. It probably won't be a substantial role by any means (especially as Jacob Batalon's Ned and Zendaya's MJ are expected to have reduced roles in this particular film), but just seeing Flash might help recreate the light-hearted, beloved tone of the previous movies. And that might be necessary after the film's potentially more serious storyline.
The upcoming movie will see Peter fully commit to his life as Spider-Man (yes, even more than before!) as he forms new connections with other heroes. The film also stars Jon Bernthal's Punisher and Mark Ruffalo's Hulk as the trio of Marvel heroes will seemingly team up (or maybe even fight each other) as other threats in New York City begin to rear their heads. Fans are still holding out hope for a Daredevil cameo, but there has yet to be any confirmation as to whether that could happen.
However, it's clear that this new Spider-Man trilogy is designed to tell a brand new story. Peter will obviously reconnect with his loved ones at some point (and that will likely be the overall story of this trilogy), but for the time being, he will be focusing on rescuing the people of New York and crossing paths with more MCU heavyweights.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day arrives in movie theaters on July 31, 2026.