It's safe to say that Spider-Man: Brand New Day is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. One of the few films that will rival it for that title is fellow Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, Avengers: Doomsday. Honestly, if that film wasn't releasing this year, Spidey would probably take it - the record-breaking success of Brand New Day's first trailer would surely suggest as much.
The truth is that there are a lot of reasons to be excited about Spider-Man's upcoming adventure. From Tom Holland's return as the webslinger (along with the comebacks of Zendaya and Jacob Batalon, too) to the spectacular return of the Scorpion and the apparent arrival of Savage Hulk, there is a lot to be excited for. And yet, one of the most intriguing possibilities that fans have been hoping to see from the film reportedly won't be happening, which will undoubtedly leave fans rather disappointed.
Charlie Cox won't appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, according to insiders
According to industry insider The Beyond Reporter, Charlie Cox will not appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day as Daredevil. While a number of insiders have already claimed this as well, this particular report claims that the reason for his apparent absence will be that Matt Murdock will be incarcerated during the events of the movie. And, well, that has received quite the strong response online.
Fans had been hoping that Matt might appear in Spider-Man for a number of reasons. For starters, Daredevil and Spidey have a known friendship in the Marvel Comics, crossing paths on multiple occasions over the years. Moreover, Cox actually made his MCU movie debut in 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home, making a cameo appearance as Peter's lawyer and effectively bridging the gap between the Marvel Netflix shows (which Cox previously starred in) and the mainstream MCU, allowing Daredevil to be welcomed into the franchise as canon. And so, it was understandable that there was hope it might happen again in this film.
The thing that really made it seem like a possibility, however, was the first trailer for Brand New Day. Not only did it confirm that Jon Bernthal would be reprising his Daredevil: Born Again role as Frank Castle, a.k.a. The Punisher, it featured the webslinger battling what appeared to be The Hand - who were the major villains of the Marvel Netflix shows, specifically on the original Daredevil series, Iron Fist, and crossover series The Defenders. And there is one scene, in particular, in which Spider-Man battles The Hand in a battle that appears to have scrubbed other heroes from his side of the screen - leading to speculation that Daredevil might be one of them.
The interesting thing about all of this is that reports do suggest that Matt Murdock will end up in prison at the end of Daredevil: Born Again season 2. A leaked photograph posted confirmed that Matt will be wearing an orange jumpsuit in the third season, so it sounds like he will be ending up incarcerated. And that suggests that a prison showdown / run-in with Spider-Man and The Hand is even more possible. Or at least it did until this report suggested otherwise.
Cox has denied any involvement in Spider-Man: Brand New Day on multiple occasions. In a recent interview at the 2026 BAFTA Games Awards, he outright ruled it out, promising that he isn't it and saying:
“Unless they put me in after the fact using computer-generated images, I’m not there. I promise. I’m sorry.”
Given the close ties to Daredevil: Born Again - and the original Daredevil series - that Spider-Man: Brand New Day appears to have, it's understandable that audiences are eager to know if The Devil of Hell's Kitchen himself might make an appearance. Heck, the trailer for the movie also spoiled the fact that Born Again's Sheila Rivera will become New York City's new mayor, seemingly confirming that Wilson Fisk's term will end prematurely. Given how things are currently going for the Kingpin in the second season, that's not too surprising.
Brand New Day's New York City setting has already given it multiple Daredevil connections out of the gate. We've got the Punisher, we've got Sheila as mayor, and we might even have The Hand. But, for now at least, it sounds like we won't be getting the man himself.
Hey at least we'll have him back in Daredevil: Born Again season 3 next year!
Spider-Man: Brand New Day arrives in movie theaters on July 31, 2026.
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