Every big release in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is always bound to be surrounded by some mystery that the studio tries to keep to itself. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, audiences weren't completely sure whether Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire's versions of Peter Parker would join Tom Holland's journey. Prior to the release of Deadpool & Wolverine, there were rumors that past legends such as Wesley Snipes' Blade and Jennifer Garner's Elektra would be back in action, although this was never officially confirmed. And, of course, someone always has to bite the dust in every Avengers movie, though audiences are never sure who that might be.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is in a very unique position because no one was quite sure who the main antagonist would be. This is a rare scenario for the MCU, and there could be multiple possible answers if fans were to follow the long trail of rumors that have surrounded the wall-crawler's upcoming adventure. At one point, even Sony itself hinted that Tom Hardy's Venom and Knull would be involved in the equation. But at long last, this big mystery has come to a definitive end.
But before we begin, be warned: there will be major, official spoilers for Spider-Man: Brand New Day ahead. If you don't want any surprises ruined, it's best to turn away now.
The main villain of Spider-Man: Brand New Day was spoiled at the movie's premiere
The premiere of Spider-Man: Brand New Day took place in Los Angeles on Monday, Jul 27, 2026. The cast and crew of the upcoming MCU film showed up, took pictures, answered some questions, and—in the case of singer and songwriter Steve Lacy—spoiled some surprises.
Lacy's song "Oh Yeah?" is part of the official Spider-Man: Brand New Day soundtrack. So when he attended the premiere, Streamer Valkyrae interviewed him and asked which character he is most excited to see on-screen, to which he replied: "You know what? Jean [Grey]. I like Jean. She's the villain, but there's a reason for her madness. I like her. I like her character; I don't know why."
Kevin Feige will definitely not be pleased.
It was theorized for months, reports indicated as much, and now it has finally been confirmed. Sadie Sink's "mystery character" will be none other than a new, live-action iteration of Jean Grey—one of the most powerful mutants in the Marvel Universe. Fans suspected this would be the case, as trailers for Spider-Man: Brand New Day have revealed that the main antagonist will be able to mind-control people, explaining why someone like Bruce Banner will stop acting like himself and transform into a savage version of the Hulk after years of keeping his other half under control.
Jean Grey's involvement will mark the beginning of a new generation of X-Men in the MCU. We've seen mutants slowly but steadily start to show up in more places, as Ms. Marvel herself was confirmed to be a mutant in her Disney+ show, while it was suggested that Wonder Man also belongs to the group. This all comes just before the release of a new X-Men movie helmed by Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier, which is rumored to come our way in 2028.
It will be interesting to see why Jean will act as the main antagonist of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. However, chances are that it all ties back to the Department of Damage Control and their mission to capture any mutant across New York, no matter the cost. This shady organization could even try to recruit the wall-crawler and have him do the dirty work for them, which would explain why the two iconic Marvel heroes will cross paths in the first place.
On the bright side, it won't be long until we watch Spider-Man: Brand New Day for ourselves. If only Steve Lacy had waited a few more days.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be released on Jul. 31, 2026.
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