Sony and Marvel remained tight-lipped about Spider-Man 4 for a very long time, even as we got close to the one-year mark from its release date. The clock was ticking, and no information was unveiled about the highly anticipated Marvel Cinematic Universe movie — eventually sparking rumors that it could face a major delay. But just when we began to expect the worst, Sony took over the CinemaCon panel to announce that a brand new day is upon the wall-crawler.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day will mark a new chapter in Tom Holland's Spider-Man saga. Set after the events of Avengers: Doomsday, audiences will witness how Peter deals with his identity being erased from the world and starting a life without his former friends and family. However, nobody truly knows what else the story has to offer or who will be the big bad. Some suspected the Venom symbiote seen at the post-credits scene of Spider-Man: No Way Home could make a comeback, while others claimed that Wilson Fisk would be the one causing trouble this time around.
But amidst speculation, we have a new hint that might finally reveal once and for all who'll be the new antagonist. The best part? It seems we'll be in for the debut of a lifetime.
Mr. Negative could be the main villain of Spider-Man: Brand New Day
According to a scoop by renowned industry insider Daniel Richtman, Marvel is looking to cast "a 30-50-year-old Asian actor" for a prominent role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. This would all but confirm a previous report that indicated Martin Li—better known as Mr. Negative— would be the main antagonist in the web-slinger's upcoming adventure. Besides, it's worth remembering that while many villains appeared in the Brand New Day comic book arc, Mr. Negative made his comic book debut in the series' first issue. No matter which way we see it, all signs point towards Martin Li facing off against Peter.
Interestingly enough, audiences witnessed how Aunt May volunteered at the F.E.A.S.T. shelter during the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. During her time there, she came across Norman Osborn and offered to aid him when she discovered that he was from a different universe altogether. In comic book pages, F.E.A.S.T. is a charity created by Martin Li to use as a front for his more "dubious" business. So, there's a chance that Peter will attempt to perhaps get ahold of May's last belongings and uncover the secret behind the place she used to volunteer at while coming across his upcoming nemesis as well (a bit similar to how it all panned out during Marvel's Spider-Man for PS4).
Regardless of his status as a villain, Mr. Negative could be among the last people who came across May, which could have huge ramifications. After all, we all know Spider-Man movies love to connect their titular characters to the antagonists in a personal way. Peter usually gets to know them without the suit first, and only after that do they come to odds. So maybe there's a chance that Marvel will use May's death as the perfect plot point for the superpowered teenager to meet Martin Li before he's tragically forced to fight and stop Mr. Negative.
For a long time, audiences weren't sure if Spider-Man: Brand New Day would wind up being a multiversal epic or a street-level adventure. But against all odds, it seems like the latter will be the final choice. It's a bit surprising, especially considering that the movie will be released after Avengers: Doomsday, in which the multiverse could potentially fall apart. However, we can't deny that a character like Spidey is oftentimes at his best when dealing with "grounded" problems and villains, which makes us all the more excited about what Marvel could have in store for its upcoming movie.
Hopefully, it won't be long before the casting becomes official and we learn if Martin Li is indeed set to steal the spotlight sooner rather than later.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be released on July 31, 2026.