All living organisms, including arachnids, carry within them a strand of information that explains everything there is to know about the creature’s makeup in regards to areas like growth and existence. Scientists disciplined in genetics are capable of decoding the details in DNA to determine everything from the color of someone’s hair to when it will all fall out. In the case of a scholar like Professor Charles Xavier, these markers can also provide a preview that pertains to mankind’s next step: the evolution of a species. Due to lack of sentience, today’s cinematic trailer would most likely avoid detection from the founder of the X-Men’s mutant detection device Cebrebo, but that doesn’t mean the entertainment entity hasn’t evolved over the years. With each new mutation – consistent with something Professor X has said regarding humanity’s own – essential for survival in the world it inhabits.
Premiering to an audience at the Marcus Loew theater chain, the first movie trailer was quite different from the ones we experience today. For starters, true to the name, the first trailers came after the film finished. Also these clips didn’t contain the cinematic coming attraction compilation we have come to associate with modern movie trailers. Instead, the preview for ‘The Pleasure Seekers’ featured behind the scenes footage, rehearsals and scenes of the stars from the Broadway production. Thanks to some modifications, unlike musical accompaniment for films which went quiet following the emergence of voice and sound synchronization, the movie trailer survived the Silent Era that ended in the 1920’s.
As with every year since the start of the new millenium, 2026 contains no shortage of films from every genre of cinema from horror to kids. With few exceptions, before the release of each and every one, viewers get an early glimpse of the upcoming film via a promotional trailer. Even in those occasions where a trailer gets released exclusively to a specific segment of theater goers or just for press, eventually somehow some portion of the footage will find a way onto the internet. Whether done by an ad manager like the creator of the trailer Nils Granlund intentionally, or by acts of piracy illegally, the marketing material is meant to stir up interest without giving away too many surprises. Something made even more difficult since there are other promotional products for movies beyond trailers – from movie posters and logos to lego sets and even popcorn bowls – that all can potentially reveal too much.
Which makes it even more surprising that one kernel of knowledge has yet to be revealed about Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Exactly who in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Sadie Sink set to star as?
Tangled Web Weave
The first public trailer for Marvel Studios Spider-Man:Brand New Day released on March 18, 2026. From the moment the 2:32 minute composition hit the internet everyone from major entertainment site contributors down to casual comic book readers and cinephiles have gone over every second of footage with a fine tooth comb, looking to find some microscopic evidence everyone else has missed. From each character the trailer (re)introduces to even the most inconsequential shot, every detail presented has been analyzed by fans with the hope of uncovering a potentially unreleased plot detail. Which, with Marvel and other major studios, can often be few and far between.
Even without an appearance of J. K. Simmons as editor of The Daily Bugle, there is no denying that Brand New Day has a story to tell. One about the power of the word as the effects of Jameson’s paper and Strange’s spell that took place in No Way Home cast a thick wall of grey clouds in the sky as Peter hangs out high above the streets of New York. Watching a recent upload from Ned, the sight of MJ is enough to wash the spider out. Freefalling from the top of a skyscraper, you can almost hear a narrator asking a refrain straight out out of a classic comic strip: is this the end of our webslinging hero?
Obviously we all already know Spider-Man will return in…wait this is Brand New Day. And based on the trailer and what you may believe it establishes, it could turn into an even longer Marvel night. Featuring not only an intriguing assembly of adversaries previously unseen in Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, the Key of New York the mayor awards Peter in the trailer opens the door to the arrival of a former Fox property. Castle, as in Frank Castle, arrives in Parker’s life to possibly establish some order after the multiversal laws he broke. Although based on the trailer, even Spider-Man understands the rules of a Disney film, with a timely webbing of The Punisher’s mouth before he can drop an F bomb. Only Deadpool can get away with that kind of talk, although let’s be honest the two are in some ways a lot alike, both the byproduct of genetic alteration.
Among the alterations to the composition of trailers since the medium’s introduction, one attribute was the result of the very Silent Era films that originally preceded the promos. The injection of acoustic, orchestral scores that lay dormant after cinema’s earliest days, spliced with specific tracks from popular songs and familiar music artists, enables trailers to empathically express the film’s identity. Once combined with short bursts of sequences that quickly switch, voice over dialogue and specific character exchanges, the modern movie trailer can end up resembling a Pym particle shrunken version of the film. A made for television movie is one way to describe any commercial, especially one pertaining to a motion picture emerging post Blockbuster Era of cinema. The commonalities extend beyond the editing done to include only the most important or interesting parts and claims to the audience. Consider for a second the revelation that trailers originally came at the end of the film. Then recall the end of the episode of any show you recently watched. That little scene – the tag – is in a manner just like Granlund’s trailer back in 1913.
A behind the scenes glimpse or a potentially future storyline setup, all taking place on the other side of the wall encapsulating the production you just watched. And in an instance of life imitating art, science, etc. and vice versa, traces of this attribute are reemerging in blockbuster movies as well. In the case of some studios like Marvel, sometimes more than once. There is the mid-credit scene that manifests in the form of behind the scenes, cut from the show, blooper reel moments found on DVDs that soon may be ancient history. Akin to the trailer, since agencies hired to create trailers dealing with deadlines, they sometimes receive footage that unfortunately ends up snipped from the final draft. Meanwhile, the post credit scene behaves like a direct descendant of the sneak peak preview released by advertisement companies our modern trailers have become. A scene before the final curtain, instead of braiding together different curls, the end credit scene is single strand. A filament providing fans with enough to hold on to and tide them over until the next Marvel movie release. A perpetual cycle; the eternal trailer.
Like the great serpent Jornungandr represented in the Norse tale of Ragnarok, the endings and beginnings of things are connected. When you’re dealing with a massive, multi-million dollar, multiple “universe” spanning movie franchise – like Marvel – you might want to ensure audiences continue to find a reason to show up time after time. In these instances the trailer ends up becoming a bit of a deviant: recap and preview at the same time. Propelling the plot forward and giving us a reason to pause and reflect.
The use of intermittent juxtapositing photography in trailers creates a response in the nervous system of humans that leads to the release of emotion altering chemicals in our brains. While also subtly sending subliminal messages that to some suggestive minds can have an effect that rivals the techniques used by Hydra.
The aim is to leave you pulling your hair out pondering over what the trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day highlighted – and what was trimmed. Marvel true believers were left detangling decades of Marvel publication’s lore to discover patches of the movie’s plot. But, even before the trailer’s release there was speculation underway as to Sink’s role, with one thread suggesting she was set to introduce audiences to Rachel Cole Alves, aka The ‘Female’ Punisher.
Canon Fire
For Marvel moviegoers, even years before Secret Wars, the first shots were fired of what some eventually may refer to as a war between greater goods. In spite of Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina press release praising and proclaiming her creative team as The New Avengers, the Fantastic Four: First Steps’ mid-credit scene established that Sam Wilson owns those rights; this team still just The Thunderbolts*.
A team Frank Castle once served on as a member during a comic book iteration led by Thaddeus Ross’ Red Hulk. As both a scribe and prescriber to war, adding The Punisher to the MCU’s current lineup in and of itself seems a bit redundant as the T-Bolts already have plenty of firepower in the form of The Winter Soldier and Yelena Belova. As for Sink appearing as Alves, rather than engaging in the type of unproductive gender swapping conspiracy, woke-agenda shooting match that takes place between opinionated comic readers who question the very illustrators and authors responsible for the characters in the comic books, let’s focus on legitimate arguments and not judge things on looks alone. For instance, would Alves’ be the wisest use for the star actress or can you imagine Marvel replacing or otherwise usurping Castle’s role right at the moment the classic Marvel character received his official Marvel Cinematic Universe debut? There goes any possibility of Cosmic Ghost Rider then.
As you’ve already seen, the movie trailer occupies an unenviable position among the other parts of the cinematic universe. Designed to draw an audience’s attention to an upcoming production, it must build anticipation without divulging too many details. A contrast with the cinematic snippet known as the recap which accomplishes the same with opposing actions – invoking a sympathetic memory through recollection. Almost a spoiler, because once a studio with an established, pre-existing cinematic not to mention comic book universe like Marvel releases any footage, a new round of speculation begins. Director Destin Daniel Cretton didn’t split hairs, keeping her back to the camera the Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer even hides Sink’s fire engine trestles out of sight.
Not that for her part in Brand New Day she couldn’t have changed her hair color or any other attribute actors and actresses alter for roles. Or that the person she is set to portray comes from a corner of the multiverse fans are familiar with. After all, 2025’s Fantastic Four: First Steps had a redhead too, and Ntasha Lyonne’s character even caught the attention of the ever loving blued eyed Ben Grimm, but she wasn’t Alicia Masters – a Fantastic Four “member” brought to screen in the 2005 Fantastic Four movie by the dark haired Kerry Washington. This is one reason why, in an industry revolving around the discreet deployment of spoiler-ish or propaganda material to achieve success, every previous successful entry should lead to fans not only asking why, but also what if? As for another reason, while Sadie Sink’s role is yet unknown, the Stranger Things actress’s Brand New Day character isn’t the only one needing confirmation. Or at the very least a little bit of clarification from what can turn into a rabid fandom.
See, not to throw shade at some members of the science fiction community, but there are plenty of comments visible that have been made over the years when the tone – either in storytelling or based on stereotyping – that arrived wasn’t welcome by every Marvel production viewer. Some examples from recent films are Natalie Portman and Anthony Mackie assuming the roles of the heroes they initially appeared alongside in early Marvel studio productions.
Can you imagine the outrage that those same people would display if they knew that Marvel comics had Thor and Captain America kiss? Not every initiative will receive the same response from the general mainstream audience, nor can we stay in the past and expect to know the fullness that comes from a Brand New Day. So, as controversial as some arcs are, we must also recognize that a new look can work in the long run so long as it doesn’t have to deal with constant negativity or neglect. Survival depends on adaptability, which requires a pause and some patience, dealing with powerful, sometimes painful change, patience, seeking out the prevailing answers.
This theme spins out of the Brand New Day’s trailer with Peter – as a hero and human – seeking to clarify some things when the next installment of Spider-Man hits screens. Even with any changes the film may introduce, at least the sight of Peter waking up suspended in a web or the extended shot of Peter wearing a webshooter echo the writer of The Wasps’ words. Just as when moving pictures replaced images and text overlay prevalent in trailers during the Golden and Silver Age of both Marvel and Hollywood, the aphorism plus c’est la meme chose equally holds true.
Considering how the cinematic trailer is a crossover featuring the idioms seeing is believing and you can’t believe everything you see, even the slightest bit of miscommunication can turn any trailer including the one for Spider-Man: Brand New Day into total carnage. Making matters worse, along with the flashy stylized and spliced together photography they display, the use of actual audio from the actual film trailers today, while not exactly identical to the over-enthusiastic exclamations of the earliest days of trailers, can be used to accomplish the timeless salesman tactic: hearing what you want to hear. But the web of lies can also hold the potential for a positive outcome from this symbiosis that can illustrate the trailer isn’t just another trickster. When you hear an overlay of Tom Holland hashing out how to introduce himself to his former friends, and seconds later the Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer shows Ned entering a deli, mere feet from where Peter sits, what is there left to say: there are no words.
That phrase could also apply to the sight of Mark Ruffalo once again starring in a Marvel Studios film. Like Holland, Ruffalo is notoriously known for NDA violations, but after seeing Mark appear in the Brand New Day Trailer now even fans can’t trust the actor behind Bruce Banner to keep his word. Or were the star’s statements that he was done with Marvel coming from a part of his psyche that was a bit jaded after the uphill battle of being part of the MCU. Maybe that is why absent from The Brand New Trailer is Dr. Banner’s alter ego is The Infernal, Immortal, Incredible Hulk. This type of separation is a situation some fans have seen a few times before. Even recently Hulk’s plots have pivoted between either Banner or The Strongest There Is being in total control; the other persona locked away in their “shared” subconscious.
Quite significant because as the Brand New Day trailer points out with an introductory greeting, Bruce has no recollection of Peter’s identity as Spider-Man, so wouldn’t this be where the memory resides? By eliciting scientific insight about his unusual condition from Banner, could Parker’s tampering of the tabula rasa inadvertently awaken the Hulk?
After Peter finishes his monologue and meeting with Bruce, does anyone know who the next voice heard belongs to? Delivering a species specific explanation with tremendous bass and authority, obviously it has to be someone in the MCU established enough to offer this knowledge to Peter regarding his predicament. Any fan of a certain multiversal family saga knows the voice acting is being done by Keith David, but no one knows his role either. Are we to assume David’s work in animation is a clue to his role in the same way as Sink’s looks. If you base your answer here, or for that matter if your everyday thought process in general operates on such close-minded, biased or even bigoted ideas, you might forget that by the time Brand New Day arrives, the MCU that stars like David, Sink will live in will be much different than the one we know now: a broken world. One possibly composed of a universe where someone has already experienced and thus possesses the knowledge to explain what can only be perceived as the loss of Peter’s organic webbing.
Modern science acknowledges that without experimentation we know nothing. With empiricism individuals like John Locke emphasized not just the benefits that arise from observing the world around us but also the importance of the hypothesis model to develop theories that challenge what we think we know; to create a Brave New World. Which is why most writers who cover entertainment news, especially those dealing with adapted science fiction franchises, have included some harmless speculative statements in at least one article. Even this article is an effort to explain perceived evidence, an easter egg, within the trailer for Spiderman: Brand New Day. Actually the only major difference between the writer and reader of a blog is that one group’s “fan fiction” gets more exposure. Personal expression is an essential element of the auteur theory, the creative shift that also led to the must-see movie, event trailer of the New Hollywood era of the 1960’s.
Meanwhile, perceptual completion describes the cognitive process our brains use to fill in the blanks when it encounters missing visual information in order to provide us each with a more complete, clear and concise depiction of what we are encountering. According to Dr. Reed Richards in 2025’s Fantastic Four Issue #4, our tendency to view random and chaotic information as meaningful is the result of misfires in the brain’s temporal lobe. Apophenia – a stretch of the imagination – is far from as dangerous as Alicia Masters initially assumes in the pages of the comic book, but Reed does confirm that in extreme instances it can lead to superstitions and conspiracy theories. Or it may draw focus to something important, offering clues or foreshadowing, like the reference Reed makes to how that the “disorder” has little effect on Alicia due to how differently she sees the world.
Looking beyond Sadie in the trailer, as she raises her hands in the air, the reason behind the motion – or that of the assortment of machinery on the desk in front of her – raises two of several still unanswered questions about the film. Adding to the thread of intrigue that includes the identities such as Sink, David or Kieman Shipka. Exactly what role do each of their characters fill in the chasm that has become Peter’s life since the loss of Aunt May and existing isolated from Ned and MJ. With the inclusion of Punisher and Dr. Banner there is no reason to believe any one of them portray someone whose Marvel appearances lean specific to the Spiderverse segment of the comics publisher. Take the comic book character actor Tramell Tillman is cast to play in Brand New Day. Bill Metzger doesn’t have a very good reputation, although to be fair he doesn’t actually have much of a reputation at all in print. Appearing in the 2000 comic titled X-Men: Children of the Atom, the series told a version of Professor Xavier’s search for his original students with Metzger among those on the other side of the mutant agenda.
Are these individuals among the “others” the Leader spoke to of Captain America during their end credit scene in Brave New World. All new and all different, like the team lead by the sister of the former and the current owner of the name Black Widow. Yelena may not change her hair color to match Nat’s but there are still other scarlets in the Marvel Universe. Among them are Mary Jane, Pepper Potts, the Inhuman queen Medusa not to mention Wanda Maximoff – The Scarlet Witch.
There are even plenty of redheads from the Marvel Comics Universe – otherwise known as Universe 616 – who have as yet not appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And if things weren’t bad enough for Peter already, there is which – if one set of rumors surrounding Sink’s casting is true – could set Spider-Man’s entire world ablaze when Spider-Man: Brand New Day arrives on July 31, 2026.
Little Ms…Can’t Be Wrong
Could anyone have guessed that even back when Spider-Man first swung into the MCU alongside Tony Stark’s Avengers in Civil War we were already in the Endgame? How the alignments of those events would lead directly to the citizens, heroes and even villains of the Marvel Cinematic Universe standing where they are now; on the precipice of both A Brand New Day and Doomsday. Just proves that all roads, even the winding way, lead to the same place. However paths, and the perspectives they provide, have a natural tendency to diverge. Ultimately taking each traveler on totally different routes.
Die hard fans of Marvel probably remember conversations full of anticipation, plot ideas and the overall excitement once word started to spread throughout the entertainment and comic books world that Spider-Man was set to finally show up in the MCU. On May 6, 2016 there came a day unlike any other. In the midst of Civil War, on the tarmac against Team Cap, there stood Peter Parker side by side with the other members of Team Stark. In our world this cinematic moment was the result of a team up between “rival” studios Sony and Disney. Yet Peter’s was not the first distribution deal to begin mending the broken pieces of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Sacred Timeline. Hulk had already joined the Avengers – ironically via Universal arrangements – and while Loki was in essence responsible for the team’s creations, some of the team’s makeup in the film aren’t identical to 1963’s Avengers #1.
As for the remainder of the team, some members from the first issue of Marvel’s Mightiest Heroes were missing from the 2012’s Avengers. Meanwhile, others present in the first film like Clint and even Captain America wouldn’t become members and work together until several years later. These alterations, however, weren’t caused by legal disputes between studios, but instead the experimental rearrangement of molecules. Just as the MCU has shown audiences in various ways about timelines from the Time Heist in Infinity War to the transitionary nature visible in the television series Wanda Vision, and multiversal travels shown in Quantumanium, Doctor Strange 2 and Now Way Home, life forms including creations we “breathe” life into like works of art from music to comic books all possess an innate ability to branch off over time; to adapt and create something not seen before.
For instance, while the term trailer tends to be associated with all preview footage distributed before a film’s release, there are some variations. The teaser is essentially a trailer, but as normally the first footage released to moviegoers it is shorter in length and more secretive about what the audience can expect from the film. At least that is the rationale behind segregating the two interpretations of marketing that owe their origins to the same movie ticket selling tradition and actually the same movie. Seems silly to make that distinction, but isn’t it just as silly to fear one segment of super heroes while celebrating others.
In the case of a hero’s journey, Brand New Day’s trailer indicates Tom Holland’s Parker is once again asking the same questions of himself that Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark challenged him with in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. While the cause of Parker’s identity crisis this time is due to Dr. Strange’s magic spell, with Quentin Beck’s holographic productions actually a revenge plot against Stark, Spider-Man’s current dilemma does echo one he had to deal with in his comic book series after the events of the publications 2006 crossover Civil War written by Mark Millar. So by mimicking one of the most tragic – and controversial – periods in the life of 616 Universe’s Peter Parker: One More Day.
In the pages of The Amazing, Friendly Neighborhood and The Sensational Spider-Man, 2007’s four part saga, written by J. Michael Straczynski and Joe Queesada, presented the same question Brand New Day is preparing to provide to audiences when it releases later this year – what is the price of heroism?
Ironically it was Captain America: Civil War to initially ask this while introducing audiences to the arachnid who until then had been absent from the MCU. Now some suggest that Sink is set to show us the cost of living in a world that fears and hates you.
The first time comic book readers encountered Jean Grey was in the pages of The X-Men #1. It is here that Charles Xavier introduces her to the audience, and the four male students of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, upon her arrival at the school to gain control of her mutant abilities. Little did he, she or us as the reader know that the gentle natured, unassuming Jean Grey would eventually become host for the primordial Phoenix force, not to mention one of Marvel comics most prominent, Omega-level powered mutants. Jean’s almost godlike ‘potential’, however, doesn’t make her immune to the suffering of those around her, particularly since her telepathic powers basically creates a psychic connection with most humans and other sentient lifeforms.
Arriving in the Marvel Cinematic Universe practically in sequence with their appearance in Marvel Comics, the mutant race is an evolutionary offshoot of the human race. Rather than the result of direct experimentations – such as the ones performed by the Kree that created the Inhumans – the genetic jumpstart that leads to the birth of a mutant is as natural as it is random. Maybe that is why the team’s name consists of an algebraic variable symbol. A symbol indeed.
Inspired by the ideologies of Professor Charles Francis Xavier, whose peaceful coexistence philosophy puts him at odds with the totalitarian, megalomaniacal mentality that in any reality eventually leads society and humanity to Doomsday. Or at the very least the Battleworld, which according to early entertainment reports exists on the other side for anyone who survives. The struggle for survival is something the majority of mutants endure daily once they reach puberty and their X-gene is activated. In comparison to the publicly visible Avengers or The Fantastic Four, the X-Men until the mid 90’s were a more clandestine team. Frequently faced with preventing evil mutants who would distort the image that Xavier, who to the public “assumed” was human, was presenting to the press worldwide the team often operated in a cloak and dagger manner to avoid detection by those same news organizations.
Meanwhile, the majority of Spider-Man stories deal with what can be classified as street-level (see: civilian) situations. This isn’t meant as an insult to Spider-Man or to imply Parker wouldn’t be welcome at the X-Mansion. The wallcrawler has visited Westchester several times through the years, even serving as a member of the Jean Grey School for Gifted Youngster’s faculty. Probably because next to mutants like Nightcrawler the only other hero who knows a thing or two about being feared and hated by those they attempt to protect is Spider-Man.
As metaphors, the spider represents the individual making a difference while the x represents what a global movement can accomplish. Like a good neighbor, Spidey is out there not only stopping escaping inmates but also stopping to chase down a fleeing balloon. Yet even with a dangerously deadly rogues gallery that includes assassins like Boomerang and organized crime enforcers such as Tombstone and Rhino – all of which are set to show up in Brand New Day based on the suggestions made by snippets seen in the trailer – they aren’t about to destroy existence like Cassandra Nova.
In comparison to his friend/foe Magneto – or even the siblings Pietro and Wanda – Cassandra is the textbook definition of a polar opposite of her “twin” Xavier. First introduced in Grant Morrison’s 2001 New X-Men #114, Cassandra’s plan to eliminate mutant bloodlines through genocide is a bit more selective than her timeline erasing agenda in Deadpool and Wolverine. Not only did the 2024 film from director Shawn Levy tie together storylines from the many Fox X-Men and Deadpool films, it did so against the backdrop of shows like Loki and Deadpool’s knowledge of the Avengers as a team.
Unlike Wade whose wise cracking commentary in the midst of combat, considered by some a clone of Spider-Man’s witty banter, tends to quickly wear out his welcome with everyone. Actually, despite being the longest running solo story/series in Marvel Comics history, Peter Parker has a pretty strong connection with practically every corner of the Marvel Comics Universe – even Latveria. With Peter’s most famous romance being a redhead could Spider-Man turn to Marvel Girl’s telepathy as he comes to grips with being labeled a mutant?
The film even reconnected fans with characters that the film describes as lost in the void, all missing from Marvel Cinematic Universe until then because of contractual stipulations between the studios. Featuring Wesley Snipes daywalker Blade, Jennifer Garner returning as the assassin Elektra and Channing Tatum’s take on Gambit, Deadpool and Wolverine gave fan service to franchises past and those as yet passed on. One hero even passed on as Johnny Storm met his maker after Deadpool convinced Cassandra of the Human Torch’s wasn’t teammate material. Which is odd since after a competitive first encounter in 1963’s Stan Lee and Steve Dikto penned Amazing Spider-Man #1, Johnny Storm and Spidey have maintained one of Marvel comics longest lasting friendships.
Now just as before when the question centered on Alves as Sadie’s unknown role’s identity, Jean’s status in respect to both her species and powerset aren’t the main mental breakdown that make the idea of The Phoenix rising in Brand New Day mind boggling. That block is centered around the fact that another Marvel Studio film is set to also hit theaters later this year. It is impossible to expect the events of Avengers: Doomsday to not tie into the events of Doomsday, or vice versa. Thanks to one of the film’s teaser trailers, filmgoers now know that Avengers: Doomsday contains cameos from Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, better known as X-Men…First Class? What do you mean, didn’t you see the 2011 film depicting a young Xavier, Magneto and the other government recruited mutants becoming The X-Men to prevent the missile crisis in Cuba depicted. Wait a minute, that’s right, these stars played the characters later on in their lives in the Fox-centric mutant universe – at least one of them. That first X-Men film – featuring the clash between these former allies – hit theaters in July, 2000. Years later another alumni of Xavier’s from the First Class – Dr. Hank P McCoy – took over for Charles in helping the next generation of mutants as they faced Magneto’s Brotherhood in X-Men: The Last Stand. Doomsday seems like another class reunion with a casting release including Grammar and Rebecca Romijn among the MCU stars returning for Doomsday, However, what this implies is that forget Generation Z, at least initially the mutants we meet in the MCU won’t even be Generation X.
This is supported by the presence of a few more (old) friends of Spider-Man. Adding to the list of new mutants showing up is the Amazing Nightcrawler, one who isn’t as young as the Kurt Wagner some fans may recall from 2019’s X-Men: Phoenix. Also, even with the loss of a The Human Torch in Deadpool and Wolverine, the impact is lessened for audiences, and not simply because the Avengers: Doomsday teaser reassured viewers they will get to see the actor’s face behind that version of Johnny again, but we also know that the stars of Fantastic Four: First Steps, including Joseph Quinn’s Johnny Storm, will be around for Doomsday as well. Again, like Alan Cummings who is returning to the role he played 2003’s X2: X-Men United, these two characters each represent the Marvel hero older than Peter will be in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Sadly that means that unless Ms. Marvel asks this Spider-Man to join her Young Avengers squad, there aren’t many other superheroes for Spider-Man to team with. There is Riri Williams, whose comic book and television series show Ironheart shares some striking similarities with Spider-Man in terms of decision making skills.
But Spider-Man and Brand New Day villain Scorpion share some too. At least in the Marvel Comic Universe. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Mac Gargan is back and armed with information that eluded him in Spider-Man: Homecoming’s mid-credit scene. What does that mean for the storyline about Gargan’s employment with Jameson? And does Michael Mando’s Scorpion gain his abilities from an arachnid bite like Spider-Man, or does this variant have a completely different backstory. Well, ask yourself did it matter the reason Thor ended up M.I.A. during Civil War in the MCU wasn’t the same as in comics. Or was it that neither the Odison or Hulk were the right fit for the narrative behind the comic story? Civil War, a conversation disguised as a conflict about superheroes and their secret identities isn’t a scenario relatable to either character.
While Spider-Man and Peter Parker are synonymous and yet operate separately, neither Bruce or Thor have that luxury. Thor is gazed upon as an Asgardian god, and Hulk, even in Banner form, will only be seen as The Hulk. One revered the other hounded; for each their existence and identity are intimately teethered. How does Jean’s internal battle depicted in comics relate to Peter’s external struggle in the MCU in the aftermath of No Way Home or actually ever since Avengers: Endgame? More importantly, in a (first) meeting between these two distinct superheroes, who is saving who? Do we accept a less powerful Jean or does she take Peter Parker to school.
Should Peter cross paths with Jean Grey in Brand New Day it will be one of few instances where the MCU from the source material(s). In the first comic encounter between the web-head and the mutants, Marvel Girl was relegated to the mansion to monitor the situation. Interestingly enough the issue contains a not so subtle message about deceptive messages and not judging things solely on their apperance considering it also includes the debut of The Changelling, or X-Men ’97’s Morph.
Mostly, what on the surface appears to be a deviation ends up as actually another method for the writers and producers responsible for the movies and shows to recreate notable Marvel moments and introduce the many monumental characters of the Marvel Universe that honors the publisher’s past while presenting new stories. A geek’s Aesop’s, the tales of Marvel contain everything from parables sometimes mistaken as propaganda dealing with issues like justice and vengeance in features like Born Again and One Last Kill all the way to literary and folk lore archetypes, which is how Kang himself describes the roles of each Avenger in Jed McKay’s recent multi-year run. As someone who has seen a play or two through the “years”, Nathaniel Richards knew that even with Thor’s departure in the wake of his Asgardian duties, the presence of the X-Men Ororo Monroe meant a god(dess) remained on the roster. The use of relatable symbolism ensures that regardless of the level of knowledge about the details of each Marvel Universes that exist, you can tell the who’s who without the latest edition of Marvel A to Z.
However, with a history of (re)introducing the rarely seen in comics like Shang Chi or those characters relegated to the background like member of The Defenders and Sorcerer Supreme of the Dark Dimension Clea Strange or the original Captain Marvel Monica Rambeau, there are unlimited ways to reassemble any part of the Marvel anthology.
Akin to Atlas, Marvel Studios has a whole lot of worlds in their hands.
Time After Time
To those of you reading this who still feel that regardless of anything described here or elsewhere that as one of the last remaining “major” Marvel female characters yet to appear in the MCU that Jean Grey’s arrival is long overdue, you may want to talk to Patsy Walker. Not only is she another card carrying Avenger, a Defender and the spouse to the Son of Satan Dameon Hellstron, Hellcat has even been to hell and back during her time with Marvel Comics. But in reality Patsy’s time in comics extends back before the publisher even existed by that name.
First appearing in 1944’s Miss America Magazine # 2, rather than spending years in suspended animation, whether frozen in ice like Captain America or hyponitized like The Winter Soldier, readers witnessed first hand Patsy’s transition from teenage hijinks to modern day superheroine. The star of several Timely Comics series based upon her adolescence, Patsy’s attendance at the wedding of Reed Richards to Sue Storm in 1965 established Ms. Walker was one of the few characters to escape that void intact. Her comics, accounts of Patsy’s youth written by her mother Dorothy, actually exist in the Marvel Comics, making Patsy a Golden Age celebrity in two universes. Another resurrected redhead, Patsy is just as much a possible casting choice for Sadie as Jean.
Like Jean, Patsy’s relationship with Spider-Man is at best peripheral; based upon Spidey’s other relationships. For Jean it is an icicle that looks oddly identical to Timely Comics’ Jack Frost. As for Patsy, it is her ex from her Girls Life days, a man named Robert “Buzz” Baxter, better known as the Marvel supervillain Mad Dog. Baxter’s debut in Marvel Comics didn’t come until Amazing Adventures # 13, a comic that also saw the first appearance of Marvel’s favorite dark-furred mutant Hank McCoy after the already mutant Beast further mutates due to self administered genetic experimentation. Buzz himself would become a mutate – a description for a character like Deadpool or Spider-Man whose abilities were caused by external factors as opposed to evolution – named Mad-Dog. A Vietnam vet turned supervillain, Baxter has one thing in common with Peter other than genetics and getting hunted by Kraven. Primarily because from the way his reality looks in the Brand New Day trailer, you could compare Peter’s current existence to life in a mad dog ward.
A three issue arc written by Ann Nocenti, 1987’s MDW doesn’t rank among most fans as one of the milestone Spider-Man storylines. However, many of those same fans to this day are still complaining and campaigning to change the outcome of One More Day and don’t even get started on how that same group feels about Spider-universe films like Sony’s 2024 Madame Web.
Whatever your opinion of these or any graphic novels or movies, there are a few things worth considering. This simplest suggests that if something strives to sustain the overarching narrative of Spider-Man’s mythos, the struggle for identity, then it also sustains the life of the “original” image of the character someone envisions. Alterations or extreme shifts in our “stories” can upset us at times, but stringently sticking to time honored traditions or retelling the same story only ensures the eventuality of entropy through the enforcement of inertia. The integral law of action is also integrated into our notion of time, or the universal process of motion: if nothing changes, nothing changes. It is true that like any other company or business, some decisions made by Marvel studios and Disney are made on a monetary and even long term basis. Meaning incidental discomfort to fans caused by actions deemed as disingenuously disloyal to the legacy or that disregard what we helped build aren’t urgent concerns. Externally this appears as an out of touch franchise making unpopular, impulsive, profit motivated decisions; a scene seen in comic shops and sports coliseums alike.
Yet, without Cassandra’s gift of clairvoyance, or the Time Stone, we must patiently await the next season or series to see how the choices they made play out. Until then, say what you may but at least Madame Web made efforts to stay consistent with Peter’s personal timeline. By placing the story of Dakota Johnson’s thirty something Cassie Webb perpendicular to that of Peter’s parents – Mary and Richard Parker – at the time of his birth, this would place Madame Webb’s chronological age close to her Marvel comic counterpart. Madame Web’s age is never specifically stated in any comic book or Spider-Man ‘98, and sunken face is a symptom of her genetic inheritance that gives the impression an individual is older than their age. Plus, since Sydney Sweeney’s Julia Carpenter is still a teenager at the time of Madame Web’s story there are several years before the adult Spider-Woman participates in Secret Wars, becomes an Avenger or assumes the mantle of Madame Web herself.
Without a direct antonym, the multiverse may be the closest opposite for the term retcon. Writing an all new, all different history, all of which according to the very legends and fables that comics ultimately emulate all end in the same way: Doom.
This is why any discussion about the multiverse and timelines should first address two seemingly separate concepts that have more in common than most people think: reality and illusion. You can’t disagree that reality is the most essential element of existence given its present tense, sense established, properties. The culmination of civilization’s canon events, isn’t it ironic that in order to destroy a reality you merely must break the thing it insists it is not: an illusion. What is worse is when you cannot separate the two, trauma shown in the aftermath of Marvel Comics 2011’s Ages of X crossover event. Realistically, even after all this time, those on both sides of the Snap-Blip equation or the citizens of Westview are still struggling with how to get back to reality. A new normal, something audiences can assume Parker has accepted since the Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer shows his suit in the washing machine.
Meanwhile, the vacuum left in Peter’s life as a result of No Way Home’s memory cleaning doesn’t suit Parker.
Peter’s expression doesn’t look too far away from the look on Scott Summers face in the Avengers: Doomsday teaser. Like Parker, Scott also lost both parents early in life with Summers’ formative years spent training for an inevitable war. Scott is consistently recognized as the first – and to some foremost – member of the X-Men, making the announcement of James Mardsen as another returning Fox X-Men understandable.
The team’s de facto leader, few things cause the normally composed Cyclops to unleash the type of crimson outcry contained in the teaser trailer. It is quite similar to Mardsen’s scene from the finale of the X-Men trilogy in 2006’s The Last Stand in reaction to the death of Famke Janssen’s Jean in X2. Given the history between the two mutants, does the grief in Cyclops’ eyes as he emits an optic blast radiate from Doom’s destruction of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, the loss of the only place he has called home for almost his entire life, or better yet someone else? Does Jensen’s absence open the door for Sadie Sink to assume the role of Ms. Grey? Or should we look somewhere else for answers?
Along with the list of awards it earned for animation, Into the Spiderverse deserves credit for illustrating the ways history can be made without upsetting the Grandfather Clause.
Despite other films and works about the mechanics of existence, it was also likely the first time some people started to understand the space and time continuum components that operate within the Marvel Universe – or any universe for that matter. Considering Doomsday is on the horizon, now might be a good time for a refresher on interrelated terms like canon and nexus to those words like multiverse or timeline that encompass those very events. Commonly confused with a canon event since both deal with destiny, a nexus event is an incident that creates a variant, otherwise referred to as a broken timeline. Canon events, however, have the explicit purpose of keeping the story of a hero – or possibly even a villain – on a predetermined trajectory.
Canon events, however, have the explicit purpose of keeping the story of a hero – or possibly even a villain – on a predetermined trajectory. Canon events tell us what did take place; nexus, what if. And thanks to the comic and television series What If, fans saw that outside the “sacred timeline” that canon and nexus events were often one and the same. An example is Angourie Rice’s Brand New Day character Betty Brant who in What If # 7 receives the radioactive spider bite instead of Peter. One of several Spider-Man variants featured in the issue, Betty’s stint as Spider-Woman saw her abandon the suit after killing a criminal. This mental struggle was one the 616 Spider-Man would face following a deadly punch delivered to a spy named Charlemagne in Spider-Man versus Wolverine # 1.
Though falling out of favor with audiences in the final season, the Disney+ series What If?, and the comic book predecessor, are the closest entertainment industry equivalent to fan fiction. Imitating a moment every enjoyer of literature has experienced, What If? even showed that the publisher’s own bull pen wasn’t immune to the occasional flight of fancy. Not only did the July 1978 issue alter the origin of Marvel’s first family, some might say it predicted with impressive accuracy Marvel comic book plots, and therefore obviously some MCU project details, that were years away from development. Stan Lee’s mustached version of Mr. Fantastic on the cover, a rare look for Reed resembles the one Pedro Pascal brought to the MCU. Meanwhile, the issue’s plot involving the S-Men’s attempt to invade Earth set the stage for secret invasion. Current comic readers should notice a parallel between the delivery to the Marvel bullpen that turned Lee along with Sol Brodsky, Jack Kirby and Flo Steinberg into the Fantastic Four and the ‘Origin Boxes’ that Spider-Man Miles Morales brought back to the 616 Universe following his unexpected return to his original universe.
What If’s narrator was named Uatu, a member of an alien race known as the Watchers, Uata like all Watchers have an ability and oath that both require complete adherence due to their interdependency: observe but not interfere. However, if you ask a scientist or a Marvel fan, they each can explain from their own perspective the futility in that statement. Known scientifically as the observer effect, the phenomenon explains that the simple act of watching something causes a change. In comics this change occurs when Uata is compelled to break his oath and inform the Fantastic Four of the imminent arrival of the Devourer of Worlds during the Galactus Trilogy. This change is observable even in the Cinematic Universe itself, and not merely for the season 1 finale to the series entitled “What if the Watcher Broke His Oath?” The What If from 2007 when Kevin Feige became President of Productions that led to the May 2008 release of Iron Man has become the What Is the entire MCU of today. With the anticipation and the next round of speculations about an X-Men film increasing each day, Feige’s own journey will in some ways come full circle after producing the first X-Men upon arriving at Marvel in 2000.
Is it serendipitous coincidence or structured destiny that the events of Doomsday intersect with the X-Men joining the other heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Crossroads, a word Charles Xavier has used many times as he championed for what many others throughout even our own history have: A Brand New Day. When speaking, Charles Xavier often uses crossroads not only to comment on the genetic coupling that makes a man, woman, etc. – a mutant, but to convey the historical, global cultural and personal moments that alter lives and even existence itself. The choices made; paradoxes created.
While the odds of Miles appearing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe anytime in the foreseeable future, say the next 22 years or so, are pretty low the same uncertainty doesn’t exist when discussing Jean. However, a potential problem exists with the timing of Jean’s arrival. See, in almost every take on the team’s formation, from the Fox films to Marvel comics and even the Fox animated series that is now returned to viewers on Disney+, Jean’s initial introduction to Professor Xavier takes place earlier than the one between Chuck and Cyclops. This meeting, printed in comics several years after X-Men #1, shows the future Marvel Girl’s meeting with Professor X taking place at her parents request to aid Jean who suffered trauma after witnessing her friend struck by a car and killed. Telepathically bonding with Annie at the moment of her passing, the seeds of death sown in her mind were temporarily blocked by Charles superior mastery of the mind. Until the student became the teacher. Make that the Phoenix, with Jean becoming the host for the cosmic embodiment of the cycle of rebirth and as shown in X-Men: Dark Phoenix: Doom.
Though Dark Phoenix did make Charles’ intervention less humane, and in alignment with the societal genetic struggle the comic depicts through the human-mutant metaphor. Still a car crash this time killing her mother, with her father claiming Jean’s emerging mutant power as the cause and eagerly signing away custody of the child to Charles Xavier. A trauma two-fer, Sophie Turner’s Jean might have the saddest backstories, but with Avengers: Doomsday seeing at least one timeline’s X-Men meet the end, does Brand New Day intend to completely rewrite history?
Even your childhood memories aren’t safe.
Star Spangled
The opening lines of The United States National Anthem pose a question both corneal and contemplative. Looking at it one way it deals with the need to seek out an optometrist. But view it in a different light, and it becomes a conversation about optimism and optics. A message of hope, something Doomsday will likely extinguish from the minds of Spider-Man and the rest of the MCU. In keeping in alignment with Deadpool and Wolverine it may end up eliminating all the variant timelines created by studios other than Disney and Marvel. Forget counting stars and stripes, do you know what that number is when it comes to Spider-Man?
This brings up the last two continuum terms: incursion and convergence. The hot button word with the impending arrival of Doomsday, incursion is the elimination of one branching timeline – and the associated universe – by the sudden and destructive cataclysmic breach into its space by the arrival of another timeline. An experience relatable to anyone who ever used a VCR to record something from television onto a videotape which already contained footage. You may recall that In some rare instances not everything was replaced and footage remained from the original recording. This hodgepodge of visuals is both an apt description of what according to insiders the MCU will resemble in Avengers: Doomsday and in attempting to comprehend the thought process of Doom, the very notion of which the Emperor would find laudable, provides the framework behind configuring a movie trailer.
By providing scenes from virtually every portion of a given film, by design a trailer induces information overload. The subsequent obfuscation is meant to entrance, confuse and keep us on the edge of our seats: discomfortantly familiar. For example, when the trailer zooms in on the faucet as a drop of water lands in a bucket full of water before shifting to a scene of Peter grabbing his head in agony, it stands to reason that the two scenes look connected. But what if they aren’t? Likewise, based upon reports from some attendees at this year’s CinemaCon, an Avengers: Doomsday trailer premiered featuring a fight scene between Gambit of the X-Men and Shang Chi. Since the wielder of the Ten Rings isn’t an Avenger yet in the MCU, doesn’t it feel a little premature to label this battle as indicative that Doomsday will present a portion of AvX? What if in the broken world of Battleworld this is a skirmish between criminal enterprises as the Thieves Guild faces off against The Five Weapons Society.
This is the real trick that comes along with trailers and specifically those from a franchise as extensive as Marvel. Misdirection, done visually trailer with the assistance of the trailer-esque tidbits provided when producer/writers talk to the press, aided by how our own attention spans and preconceived notions end with a great big “Ta-Da’ as the trailer ends. The magic works way better than Strange’s did for Spider-Man, until you look beyond the illusion. Magic acts, like movies and the stage from which both emerged, consist of three segmented parts. According to Keith David’s voice over as the trailer enters the reveal, spiders have three cycles as well. And if Spider-Man: Brand New Day presents a fresh start, however unfortunate for Peter Parker, then maybe some of the film’s secrets, like Sadie Sink’s character, may await there as well.
Since so many Marvel characters have lived “other” lives, Doomsday can utilize them in unseen ways with only a few exceptions. Into the Spider-verse has made abundantly clear, the Spider(s) are one, eventually all proving you can’t escape fate’s web. Can you guess who is the other? That’s right, look across multiple media, you won’t find much variation on the origin of Jean Gray or her eventual union with the Phoenix. Given the nature of this construct, theoretically it creates a cycle of life, but in a world ruled by Doom the point where Victor is crowned Ruler signifies cessation. If the directors or writers feel the likes of Thor and Hulk would unfavorably tip the scales in a conflict, wouldn’t Doom? So what if the rumors of Jean Gray appearing in Brand New Day are true, only not as many assume?
The sheer volume of movies that feature Peter Parker’s alter ego alone towers over the total productions to feature Marvel’s First Family. Actually, until you add up all the solo member entries, teams like the Avengers and X-Men don’t even stand a chance against Spidey’s numbers. Then there are the video games, and the musical Turn Off the Dark, none of which are really Battleworld worthy or contain concepts audiences haven’t already seen as is case with 2010’s multi-console release Shattered Dimensions. However, before any of those Spider-Man was, as some “adults” like to describe comic books, series and movies, child’s play. The first live television show on which Spider-Man appeared was The Electric Company on The Children’s Television Workshop in 1974.
A mix of newspaper print type cartoon illustrated pages interposed with a Spider-Man played by Big Bird performer Danny Segren, the production aesthetic of Spidey’s Super Stories would show up in the world of the Muppets years later – or would that be earlier. The short featurettes spawned a comic series that offered young audiences eager for more of Spidey’s adventures a connection between the Spider-Man they saw on the Electric Company and the 616 Marvel Universe version. Along with showcasing Spider-Man friends and foes like Homecoming’s Vulture or Carol Danver’s Ms. Marvel in conjunction with The Children Television Workshops emphasis on education the comic maintained a canonical connection with The Electric Company by including characters from the show. Take issue # 6 from 1975 as a prime example with a story spun straight out of an episode from The Electric Company’s fourth season about a book eating worm. While the Bookworm Bully may not be a memorable Marvel character, the issue also includes two Marvel heroes. One of which you may know, and one of which very little evidence remains, almost as if the world was lost in an incursion.
Young readers got an early preview of stories with Peter and Bobby Drake in tales titled Introducing – Ice Man and Webbing in a Winter Wonderland. As for the Bookworm Bully, a crossover character from The Electric Company helps to completely clarify reality, illusion or any other time topics for any you still a bit confused on the matter. The inclusion of Valerie the Librarian, along with Morgan Freeman’s EZ Reader, establishes proof of residency for the character in the Marvel Comic Universe. So even though the X-Men’s Storm would debut in May 1975, as an official Marvel character as of 1974’s Spidey’s Super Stories # 2 when Valerie puts on the heroes’ discarded suit in issue # 11, she makes history: twice. So long before Hallie Berry, Hattie Winston’s character became the first Black female superheroine. Not to mention the first ever Spider-Woman, with Valerie beating Jessica Drew’s Arachne premiere in Marvel Spotlight # 32. Valerie hasn’t appeared in a Marvel comic since the final issue of Spidey’s Super Stories that encouraged those brave enough to Meet the Beast. Yet you have to wonder, was the black Jessica Drew from Into the Spiderverse the result of an incursion or a nexus?
Now, you may not believe either is the case, and even if you agree, you still are probably wondering what any of that has to do with Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Well, if Marvel pulled from projects past and yet to come for Deadpool and Wolverine, is anywhere – or anywhen – in the publisher/studios almost 100 year timeline safe from being enveloped into Breakworld? Meanwhile, by continuing to break down the trailer for Spider-Man’s next theatrical release, you might notice a reference or two to another occasion when Spider-Man and Beast crossed paths.
This visit would take place as part of Fox’s 1994 Spider-Man: The Animated Series, or Spider-Man ‘98 for short. The synopsis for the series second season involves Peter’s powers “mutating” in ways vaguely similar to what scenes shown in The Brand New Day trailer suggest. The season-long arc known as The Neogenic Nightmare brought with it a string of transformations in Peter’s abilities and even how he looked. Along with Professor X, Peter’s power fluctuations became the interest of other Marvel Universe scientists like Michael Morbius and Dr. Curt Conners. Throughout the 14 episode season Spider-Man is challenged to answer the question he has asked himself since his start. However, now posed another way, instead of identifying “who am I?”. to paraphrase his own words from the Brand New Day trailer, Peter was faced with figuring out “what have I become?” The sight of some uniforms that resemble those in the two-part X-Men episodes – The Mutants Agenda and Mutants Revenge – from this season of Spider-Man: TAS gives the impression the Skrulls are no longer the only species being hunted in the MCU. After Professor X fails to find a “mutant” explanation for Spider-Man’s condition, Parker leaves the X-Mansion followed by Beast. Following a brief discussion about humanity, Spider-Man leaves, allowing for Beast’s capture by agents working for Herbert Landon of the Brand Corporation.
Hired by Wilson Fisk to genetically engineer an army loyal to his command, Landon plans instead to cure mutations The formula to accomplish this ends up being the very same one that Dr. McCoy created in order to remove his powers while working for The Brand Corporation. Spider-Man and Wolverine move past their grievances and piece together what transpired in time for the X-Men and Spidey to arrive at The Brand Corporation in time to rescue Hank and stop Landon, who was accidentally mutated by his “cure” in the same way it did Hank and which Spider-Man also experienced in The Six Arm Saga. Meanwhile Lewald, the lead agent hired by Landon who shares a name with the Spider-Man: TAS writer Eric who specially created the character for the show hasn’t been seen in any Marvel Universe since these two episodes. Unless that is him in the Brand New Day trailer?
What may be of more importance than the identity of the soldier(s) who surround Spidey as The Brand New Day trailer hits the height of the third act, not to mention help close the case on the Sadie Sink mystery, is the identity of the mystery woman who Spider-Man attempts to rescue in this scene. And the mystery of what happens in the moments that follow. As the assassins approach Spider-Man, weapons raised, the elderly woman slowly regains her bearings before careening her neck. Immediately Lewald’s expression changes and the agent lowers his weapon. In a flash, the camera pans back to the old woman in time to capture her grabbing her temple, a motion causes Lewald to look up toward the scaffolding whether another assassin who was preparing to engage Spider-Man is also suddenly overtaken by an invisible force. By providing promotional material of Sadie Sink’s casting, and circulating statements about certain mutants, did the Brand New Day trailer replicate the X-Men’s classic image inducer?
Was Sink’s red hair meant to keep everyone from noticing the trailer had included a major reveal that no one noticed because Ms. Grey had gone grey?
With Spider-Man ‘98’s Neogenic Nightmare as an example of the limited interaction over the years between Peter and Jean, this could turn out to be the most likely scenario for the two to meet in the MCU. Especially if the presence and activity of mutants in MCU’s has been accurately displayed to date. Meaning that with the exception of Kamala Harris, the word mutant was part of Disney’s do not say list until Wade. Without proper training through the years from Professor X, even Wolverine wouldn’t be the best there is at what he does. So mutants with powers that require fine motor control and force of will would be a ticking time bomb. If Beast didn’t stand a chance when he was caught unaware, unprepared and off-guard, how well would Ms. Grey? Probably about as well as the person in the green coat, strapped to a seat in the Brand New Day trailer. Could both women’s captivity be a consequence of the mutant agenda? Because if so, like in Spider-Man: Homecoming, it may be someone’s idea of Damage Control.
The MCU’s Civil War’s Sokovia Accords were drafted for the identical reasons as the Superhuman Registration Act following the Stamford Incident that kicked off Marvel Comics Civil War in 2006. Each law signed with the intent of regulating the activity of individuals wishing to perform heroics either in the United States or the entire World. Actually, Marvel Comics has drafted several variants of these legislations from Kamala’s Law aimed at keeping children from playing with grown up things to the one Mayor Fisk signed to keep power in the New York City limits in the hands of the Kingpin. While each of these decrees are not only dishearteningly disrespectful to the men and women (not to mention robots, aliens, etc.) who keep the civilians, planet and at times even existence safe in the Marvel Universe, with the exception of the one aimed at keeping kids out of harm’s way, the others didn’t differentiate between classifications of heroes.
Even after the Dark Reign event ended and Fisk’s time as mayor ended, newly appointed Mayor Power Man Luke Cage had to tiptoe around the Powers Act. But, there was one law proposed by the United States government, trumpeted by an egotistical, self-centered and cold hearted, clueless politician named Senator Robert Kelly, that targeted one group of heroes – and even some “average” citizens – that lived in the 616 Universe. Identification through genetic testing of individuals, and even in utero in the most extreme drafts of the bill, The Mutant Registration Act was presented as a safety measure that in every timeline results in tracking and monitoring of mutant activity plus the capture and confinement of mutants who fail to register, are caught using their powers or those like Jean Grey who are seen as too powerful to live around normal people.
Kelly, aided in his efforts to push the legislature through the House by people like Sentinel producing scientist/businessman Bolivar Trask and hate spewing proselytizers like Reverend William Striker, has been a thorn in the X-Men’s side for years and frequently finds himself in the crosshairs of mutants like Mystique, Cable and Magneto. The elephant in the MCU writer’s room, Erik’s life and timeline are one of several in Marvel comics that at moments mirrors our own. Audiences may not be ready for Old Man Erik, but the inclusion of an older Jean Grey allows Marvel to further signal a passing of the torch, phasing out the older X-Men to make room for the new mutants. Plus, compared to the scattered mutants born in the 70’s or 80’s, with increased birth rate and mortality plus cross-cultural copulating the number of mutants on the verge of the biggest existential moment in their young lives is way higher. In pockets of the country that until now hadn’t seen a single mutant. Sure there was that red flash in Alaska and you might have even heard about that fireball in Kentucky, but have you heard about Middleton?
There are actually two Middleton’s that are worth mentioning when it comes to Marvel Comics. Intriguingly enough they both deal with Marvel entries you’ve read about here, making it seem highly possible there is a connection with Brand New Day. The first Middleton is in Arizona, featured in The Incredible Hulk # 345. In an homage to Avengers # 1, The Leader also uses society’s fear of Hulk to effectively turn him into an even bigger monster. Unable to convince the town’s officials of the reality of the bomb planted by Dr. Samuel Stern, the explosion of gamma radiation killed most of the townspeople. After years of blaming Hulk the survivors, now mutates living in what others refer to as Gammatown, the Arizona legislature discovered The Leader’s involvement, preparing a trial with She-Hulk serving on as the prosecution’s team following the villain’s arrest in Phoenix.
The “arrest” of Rusty Collins was a defining moment for the original five X-Men as it signified the start of a new era. While on ship leave Rusty, a young mutant with fire manipulating powers, serving in the Navy accidentally burns a woman in a bar following her overly flirtatious advances. No longer teenagers, the former X-Men naively envisioned X-Factor as meshing Xavier’s dream with Damage Control’s mission statement, tracking down and training dangerous mutants. However, presenting themselves as mutant hunters eventually created the very world they were taught by Professor Xavier to fight against. How this all relates to Middleton or Brand New Day you ask, well do you remember that part about Tramell Tillman’s William Metzger being the director of the U.S. Department of Damage Control? What about the X-Men: Children of the Atom series? Guess what, there’s a connection. Childhood Ends, as the first issue is so appropriately titled, starts off with tragedy in Middleton…Missouri. The manifestation of a young mutant named Michael Thompson’s fire power resulted in multiple deaths, including Michael’s own, and the destruction of most of the town. This leads to media scrutiny of the “mutant menace” and meetings between the F.B.I., Trask and the leader of the Anti-mutant Militia: William Metzger. So does Metzger’s presence in Brand New Day confirm that Professor X is about to recruit his first class?
Just because there’s smoke doesn’t mean there’s a Phoenix.
Seeing; Read Again
The original location of the United States capital, the New York streets that Spider-Man protects are the same that bore witness to the inauguration of the country’s first president. If the explosive display of power that takes out half a building in the Brand New Day trailer is mutant related, then why is Metzger seen meeting with Spider-Man, a potential suspect in the terroristic act only moments later in the trailer?
Captain America, take your pick, may get the accolades and acclaim that accompany the role of Sentinel of Liberty, but upon seeing Steve Ditko’s initial design for the Manhattan hero, co-creator Stan Lee noticed the patriotic symbolism with the color palette of Spidey’s costume: blue and red.
So what about the green jacket then?
Kermit might claim it isn’t easy but Ms. Grey has made green look good when she abandoned the standard blue and yellow team uniform for one of her own design. True, though acceptable at the time today the minidress and yellow go-go boots are a tone-deaf and chauvinistic, but the team was called the X-Men so what do you expect? Call it a sign of the times and speaking of signs and times, after transitioning to this outfit in X-Men # 39, and with the exception of her initial X-Factor uniform, Jean’s primary colors consist of blue, yellow and of course red.
Jean is certainly a fine choice and among many Marvel readers favorite heroines/mutants, but hopefully by now you see a pattern within the Marvel Universe that dissuades from arbitrary partnerships in favor of checking off certain boxes when it comes to creating a team. Based at times upon absolutes that include phrases like “every team needs a Wolverine” or that suggest every X-team should consider investing in a telepath, what initially by all appearances seems random or accidental coalesces and condenses into capable conglomeration. A grand design that makes the Marvel alliance of Jean and Peter unlikely in Brand New Day.
It is often stated that a hero’s existence is a lonely one. However, with the rosters of teams like the Avengers to X-Men and even the random hookups like Deadpool and Cable prove everybody needs somebody. Whether it be for motivation and morality purposes or because the combination of skills can overcome any problem, within the Marvel Comics and Cinematic Universes, characters are often known more for their associations than for their individual actions. Spider-Man, regardless of the years of collaboration with practically every Marvel superhero (and villain), is a solo act. In the MCU, however, Parker has had the benefit of a strong support system consisting of Aunt May, MJ, Ned and even Happy. In the wake of No Way Home, that is no longer the case. Faced with a Brand New Day full of the fear he is losing himself to his powers combined with losing his city to crime and the woman he loves, Peter definitely could use a friend.
Wouldn’t that be amazing?
Which is, based on reports, what Sadie Sink’s role is for…so who is she?
If we were to sit down and weave a list of qualities a Spider friend should possess or display, what should it include. Someone who has been on the side of villains, before making a turn like Hawkeye. Who wears a star emblazoned outfit right along with co-Captain’s America and Marvel. A solo adventurer and teen hero before earning a spot on the varsity squad just like Spider-Man.
Obviously there is no replacing Peter’s loved ones as proven by Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s painful imagery. Still, if someone could provide anywhere near the level of optimism, intellect and loyalty that Parker is currently missing, perhaps that will help Spider-Man focus on other things, like his mutation or the fact that this movie Spider-Man is set to square off against more foes than he can count on a single hand; even lending one of their own to help.
Of course this necessitates they also be a New Yorker or New York adjacent. Since Metzger doesn’t consider Spider-Man a threat, based on comic book and television tropes their “random” conversation sets up a collision between Damage Control’s new mandate and the individual. As someone used to being viewed as an immature kid or menace to society, Peter isn’t above second chances and giving the benefit of the doubt. Trusting his own moral compass, Spidey has never shied away from teaming with some of Marvel’s more questionable superheroes like Punisher and Wolverine. Meanwhile, If history in this instance does once again repeat itself, then Metzger’s previous appearance predicts the nature of the individual’s abilities. Fortunately, Spidey has a friend that likes to play with fire. Unfortunately, that person isn’t a mutant. Luckily, this isn’t the first time Marvel has needed to use fire to fight fire when it comes legal issues tying up a production.
In the industry there are comic book battles and comic book wars and in the 80’s Marvel’s top competitors had found success by taking a group of supes from illustrated to animated format. To combat this, Marvel executives decided to turn the solo Spider-Man series airing on NBC at the time into a superhero team. Since the story would crossover and emerge from the 1981 show, all members of this team were to be the same age as Peter; still a student at Empire State University. To further create a harmonious balance between the members of this burgeoning group, Spider-Man’s teammates were to have powers that were elementally compatible with each other: one having control over ice, the fire. As Marvel’s main popsicle, there was no competition when it came down to casting Bobby Drake as one of Peter’s teammates. When it came to the other hero, well it was supposed to be Johnny, but what at first seemed like a no-brainer quickly became a big brain problem. Guess confessing to sleeping with Johnny before her marriage to Doom had larger multiversal ramifications and reverberations than Zora could have anticipated. A Universal deal prevented Marvel from legally using The Human Torch not only in this instance but it had also earlier with 1978’s Fantastic Four cartoon. Hulk having the same type of contract but still managing to star in his own cartoon with Marvel in 1982 proves it pays to have a lawyer in the family. Instead, Stan Lee added the first new member to the family when H.E.R.B.I.E, the Humanoid Experimental Robot B-Type Integrated Electronics, stepped in for Johnny. Now that H.E.R.B.I.E. has made a MCU debut in First Steps, the question turns to whether Johnny’s replacement on Spidey’s show will make it to the silver screen.
The answer to that question, which also answers the one about Sadie Sink’s role, is right there in the Brand New Day trailer and few have noticed. Due to misdirection, our tendency to look at things through Occam’s razor or take everything at face value – essentially everything a movie trailer is meant to do – your focus stays tuned in to everything else, all the adrenaline pumping excitement and emotionally poignant moments that make up a Peter Parker story, so that you miss the key movement in the magic trick. Right as Keith David’s voiceover remarks on a spider’s three life cycles, a blink before Spidey’s rescue of the elderly woman, the reveal takes place. The green jacket isn’t just a prop, instead the inclusion of it in the trailer shows that it has significance.
Living at Aunt May’s along with Peter and Bobby, like most animated shows of this era Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends didn’t have any actual arcs, evolving storylines or even an endgame. Instead like the Electric Company and even before that with 1966’s The Marvel Super Heroes this series was an attempt by Marvel to claim victory in the comic book super hero arms race. With that contest currently at a stalemate Marvel’s focus now is on a successful campaign on the screen. By adding Firestar now Marvel can infuse some additional firepower into the MCU roster and benefit from a character whose complex history could be the match that ignites Avengers versus X-Men. Because Angel’s arrival into the 616 wasn’t a simple sidestep from one universe to the next as was the case when Patsy Walker saw The Invisible Woman say “I do.”
It looks a lot like one once worn by a young female mutant who can control microwave energy to generate heat, create flames and fly. The same individual Johnny Storm on Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. If that is the case, then it is a pleasure to welcome Ms. Angelica ‘Angel’ Jones to the MCU. Known among the superhero community as Firestar, this new mutant began her comic book career as quite the Hellion. However, like Hellcat, Angel’s career didn’t start in Marvel Comics. Actually, just like H.E.R.B.I.E., Firestar was made to be in moving pictures, not print. The result creates a broken timeline or more accurately two simultaneous nexus for Angel, and distinct canon events as well. Her first origin is seen by viewers on Spidey and His Amazing Friends in a flashback episode titled A Firestar is Born. Here, Angel is shown to have enjoyed a normal childhood and upbringing like Patsy Walker until her mutant powers start to emerge. Then, just like Jean in Dark Phoenix, the differences between Angelica and her peers start to show with her powers causing small incidents and accidents. After using her powers to solve a situation with her nemesis Bonnie, founding X-Men Angel, Ice-Man and Cyclops approach Firestar before she succumbs to any darker impulses. Accepting the offer to attend Xavier’s school, Angel learns to control her power before leaving to pursue her studies at Empire State.
Following Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends final season, Firestar’s next appearance took place at a mutant Milestone. In 1970 after years of slumping sales Marvel’s merry mutant comic known as The X-Men ended after 66 issues, however, reprints of the team’s adventures continued under the name creating a scenario where issue # 93 is the finale. Then, renewed interest thanks not only to the reprints but also the team altering, relaunch that happened in Giant Size X-Men # 1 resulted in the arrival of an all new, all different X-Men comic: you could call it uncanny. This explains why the May 1985’s Uncanny X-Men # 193 received a double size issue treatment. Not only was the issue the de facto 100th issue of this revamp, it was also the start of Angelica Jones’ rise to stardom in the Marvel Comic Universe. As for the breakout star of the actual 100th issue of Uncanny X-Men, well that would be Jean at the start of a storyline that would define her character until this very day.
If you didn’t know otherwise, just reading Uncanny X-Men # 193 and the Spider-Friends episodes where the X-Men are guest stars might give you the impression that Angel and Jean are the same person. The encounter between the X-Men and Firestar, orchestrated by the younger brother of X-Men John Proudstar, takes place after Jean as Phoenix (or is that Phoenix as Jean) sacrificed herself rather than succumb to the darker destructive impulses of this persona. Jean’s death would be the second chronological death of an X-Men, Proudstar was the first. Warpath, along with Storm, Wolverine, Angel, Nightcrawler Colossus, Kitty Pryde and obviously Cyclops are among the X-Men that Firestar engages with during these moments at Xavier’s, and witness an overlooked seminal moment among the X-Men.
Their tendency to never appear at the same place at the same time, could not only imply they are one in the same – leaving us to answer who is the super and who is the alter ego – but also create a scenario where two things are true in terms of Sadie Sink’s casting. Yet, two things couldn’t be more different than the way that Angel’s heroic journey began in comics when compared to Jean’s own in The X-Men # 1. Except for maybe Spidey-Friend Firestar and X-Men: Dark Phoenix’s Jean.
Since Uncanny X-Men # 193 didn’t have time for character exposition of new mutant Firestar, Angel’s backstory leading up to the issue is documented in a 4-part miniseries. The major difference between the two Firestar’s boils down to where they went to school, and shows how a small difference can make all the difference in the world. Before Cerebro can detect the flareup of Firestar’s first few uses of her power, Multivac – a comparable mutant detecting device – alerts the White Queen of the Hellfire Club. At the graveside of her grandmother, whose cause of death remains unsolved, Angel’s powers frighten her grieving father. Faced with the same choice as John Grey, Bartholomew Jones signs his parental rights away to Emma Frost.
For those who question Xavier’s true motivations for recruiting traumatized teens under the guise of tutelage, at least Xavier didn’t play mind games. From isolating Angel from the Hellions, the other students training at the Massachusetts Academy, to the fake images and memories telepathically implanted by Emma, Firestar was recruited for one purpose: kill the Black Queen. Fate intervened and Firestar was finally able to see through the White Queen and her fellow mutant Sebastian Shaw’s manipulations. Refusing to kill her target or the woman who tried to turn her into an assassin, Firestar destroys Emma’s underground complex before leaving mutantkind behind.
At least until 2022. Between then Angel has chosen to play it safe by staying as far away from other mutants as possible. Considering the fate of the majority of the other Hellions and the Morlocks during the 90’s, that was wise. Avoiding the years of loss and public loathing the X-Men and all mutants dealt with during those decades, Firestar kept a low profile until she was approached with an offer she couldn’t refuse: keeping Angel’s secret a secret. A young businessman with an armored suit and genius level intellect was in the process of putting together a team of teenage superheroes and Angel’s name was on the list.
If Dwane Taylor’s description and his efforts to recruit the rest of the New Warriors seems like a redux of the Avengers day, well that was all part of the design. From the clown Robbie Baldwin whose mom knows MJ to telekinetic mutant Marvel Boy who not only idolized Captain America as a kid but was also once visited by a variant who had been stuck in suspended animation, Night Thrasher’s plan was simple: show the grown-ups their time was up. It was the supervillain Nitro that would show the New Warriors and the world that the team wasn’t ready to play with the big boys. Their live action show has yet to see the light of day in our reality, however, the Marvel Comics’ counterparts of those New Warriors were filming an episode of their own reality show when tragedy struck. Sixty school children and the New Warriors themselves were killed that day, turning Dwayne Taylor into the Crispus Attucks of the Civil War that revolutionized the Marvel Comics Universe. Firestar wasn’t present during that iteration of the team, having left years earlier after a chance encounter with the Avengers. Finding herself and Marvel Boy transported from Earth along with every Avenger to ever carry a card, Angel was on hand for the selection process that took place once Wanda broke the hold sorceress Morgan La Fey’s medieval illusion had over them all.
While experiencing the nostalgia of what the first four issues of Vol 3 of Avengers represent don’t allow the enjoyment to overshadow how well they collectively demonstrate the reality that the Avengers aren’t as exclusionary as The Hellfire Club. Able to assemble enough members to represent each state of the union with plenty to spare, over 40 Avengers with their own origins and arcs were present for this alternate universe Avengers adventure.
This arc arrived following the conclusion of the Heroes Reborn roster of comics Marvel published that as chance would have it also revolved around Earth’s Mightiest, along with the First Family, getting a fresh start in an alternate reality known as Counter Earth that had been created by Franklin Richards. The young mutant took such dramatic and cosmos-altering actions to preserve the memories of the heroes that sacrificed themselves to save the world from an astral amalgam of Professor X and Magneto named Onslaught. For nearly a year characters like Thor and The Thing lived in a world where Namor was the only mutant, while back home the media blamed mutants for creating a power vacuum. Eventually the Celestials would intervene and rectify Franklin’s tampering with the timeline, which led to the celebration that Morgan La Fey so kindly interrupted.
But even the positive publicity of Beast present among the Avengers on that day to stop the sorceress can erase the memory of what had transpired during his teammates absence. The production of more mutant hunting Sentinels and zero tolerance for mutant activity authorized by the government that would set mutant-human relations back decades. Or to phrase it like they did back in X-Men ‘97, tolerance is extinction. With no mutants in the MCU, were the arrival of one in Spider-Man: Brand New Day coincide with any catastrophe, how easy would it be for a media mogul to manipulate the facts to make a case for the next Sokovia Accords?
As with Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, during most of her superhero career in comics Angel chose to operate on teams without a strictly mutant agenda. That didn’t prevent her from gaining a glimpse into the difficulties being different can cause. Though rare, in some instances the manifestation or use of their gifts can prove injurious or even fatal for some mutants. The suffocation of Unus the Untouchable caused by his own forcefield in Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man # 91 is one such example. As is the discovery of first infertility and then cancer, both caused by the very microwaves that had made her a superhero, which unfortunately ended Angel’s tenure with The Avengers. Ironically, this diagnosis probably kept Angelica from death’s door since her health ensured she was not a member, nor available for a guest spot, on The New Warriors Show.
The tragedy involving the team she co-founded and ensuing infighting that erupted during Civil War were enough to make Angel hang up her tights and head into early superhero retirement. This, however, would not be the end of Firestar’s work as not only did Angel’s cancer go into remission but she eventually found herself again solving the problems of the world that the grownups are too busy to solve. A series of random events led to Angel joining other young heroes to stop an evil mastermind’s plot. Aiming to show humanity “it’s true potential”, Superior’s choice of children as soldiers fighting for a better future sounds awfully familiar. Using a bunch of runaways to commit acts of vengeance, Superior’s Bastards of Evil attempts to cash in on the legacy of the team that took over Avengers Mansion show they weren’t as concerned about copyright infringement as Thunderbolt’s Red Guardian Even if no one had heard of Nomad, Toro, Arana or Gravity before they took down the BOE, like Angel, each member of The Young Allies – and even the team’s name – has a tremendous level of significance that extends well beyond the edges of the Marvel Comic Universe.
Still, the most significant moment in Firestar’s “young” life was yet to come. In 2019 when writer Jonathan Hickman proposed a new age for mutants to Marvel’s editors, comic fans were one step closer to finally seeing the union – and some resolution – between Firestar and the homo superior community. Angel’s life as a mutant may have begun with Hellfire, but in House of X # 1 Magneto advised the world’s ambassadors that his species’ salvation was finally secured: they had new gods. What Angelica discovered in the midst of this shift in the dynamics of the relationship between humans and mutants was a reality check. Shunned by most of the mutants on Krakoa due to her “dual citizenship”, the general consensus among inhabitants of the island was that Angel was not one of them. Unforgiving as this reality was, Firestar had no choice but to accept it. Always acting out the part of hero when the world was watching, Angel rarely was there for her own people or had to endure the emotional pains of being a mutant.
From avoiding detection during Operation: Zero Tolerance to simply being a stat on a government sheet as X-Men closed in ranks after the world’s mutant population was reduced to 198, as spiteful as some might say the Hellion team members acted towards Firestar upon first encountering each other on Krakoa others would argue that Angel just couldn’t handle the heat. Unselfishly, Firestar would eventually prove anyone who ever doubted her wrong thanks to the telepathic prompting of a certain female mutant. Proving superior to Emma yet again, it was Jean Grey’s faith in her fellow redhead that paved the way for Firestar to play a pivotal role in saving her species from annihilation by the mutant hunting/hating organization Orchis. That this evolution of previous mutant hating organizations like The Right and The Friends of Humanity was secretly run by androids intent on eradicating all humanity regardless of genetics was simply more fuel for the fire.
Burned out after the experience, Firestar found herself confronting an issue apparently Marvel’s parent company Disney finds too unheroic to address. Entering rehab for alcohol addiction after helping Iron Man and others including Spider-Woman end another one of Ultron’s quests to assimilate humanity in 2025’s West Coast Avengers, currently Angel, like Carol Danvers and even Tony long ago, faces the battle to avoid the bottle every day.
While you slept the world changed would have been a terrific tagline to end the trailer for the upcoming release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. If only Professor X hadn’t used these words in Marvel Comics House of X # 6 to telepathically inform all other lifeforms on Earth that the evolutionary war was over – and that their side had lost. In contrast, with the loss of his personal hero Mr. Stark in Avengers: Endgame and the relationships Parker lost in No Way Home, Spider-Man’s pyrrhic victory speech at the start of the trailer could be used by the wallcrawler’s mentor as well.
A lot of bad things were about to happen, people were going to die; a choice had to be made. This testimony approaches the crossroads that brings everyone – man, woman, Marvel – to the timeless thesis put forth in the New Testament: what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? Timeless times throughout time Marvel fans have witnessed the heartbreak and hoorahs that happens when the heroes – and yes, sometimes the villains even help a little too – harken to the call that so often goes unheard. Who will carry the cross, a symbol that represents a standard and yet even when one stumbles only requires the individual to stand up and start over. Whether the emblem appears as a flaming number 4 or any letter A through X, in their unique way they all symbolize that someone has arrived to save the day. With a clean suit to match the clean slate on his secret, the Spider looks ready to save his city in Brand New Day.
A new reality composed of specific parts of parallel timelines pressed together possibly including where people no longer act like we remember nor do the stories have happy endings. The brief multiversal saga of He Who Remains, which incidentally runs congruently concurrent with Thanos’ Infinity War, will one day be known as but a bookend to the actions being taken across the infinite worlds and universes presently outside of our purview. Evidenced by the announcement and anticipation of a theatrical rerelease of Avengers: Endgame with alleged additional footage. If Sadie Sink is in fact acting as the liaison for the mutant race’s arrival into the MCU, then between this new Endgame and Doomsday wouldn’t Marvel be acknowledging that Magneto has been right ever since Fox’s first mutant film. With this level of reconfiguration of the individuals, institutions and locations now available in the MCU it is impossible to determine which and what the universes will converge with the creation of the Doomed: Timeline.
A day that already shows signs that Peter’s as the “Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman” could be numbered. With the arrival of a symbol of justice that operates on levels that until this point were too lethal for Spider-Man could cast a dark cloud over the hero’s reputation simply by associating with the Punisher. Imagine how bad it would look if he was spotted with two, so maybe having Sadie Sink as a variant isn’t such a good idea. With intelligence, possibly artificial, presenting an image of an armed Sink alongside Jon Bernthal’s former Marine turned vigilante who knows she could be Nomad. Adding an alternate timeline character who has connections to Barnes and even Captain America would keep Spider-Man’s story from drifting too far from where the rest of this Phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going. Unfortunately, the use of such an obscure character, plus the complications of her origin, don’t really make Nomad a highly likely candidate.
Yet with Avengers: Doomsday heading into Secret Wars, both of which will introduce audiences to Battleworld otherwise known as how to make a Marvel Universe quilt.
A time that will show not only the benefits but the price of gaining worlds. From the man in the iron mask, someone from somewhere else that upon their first encounter without the faceplace Peter may believe he recognizes. But, the MCU Peter Parker doesn’t know the look in the eyes of someone who has made a deal with the devil, yet. Whatever bargain was struck, somehow Doom is no longer just the ruler of Latveria but Emperor of the Multiverse.
As for Sadie Sink, as of this writing a reported test viewing took place with audiences raving about her role. Yet, no leak or official confirmation has come out as to who she will play. Erik Lehnsherr’s query to Storm in the original X-Men film certainly has more significance to the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe than it first appeared. A question asked by fans as they investigate every detail from the Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer or any movie trailer for that matter.
Are you sure you saw what you think you saw?
Are the rays of Brand New Day the rise of a phoenix…or the start of a fire?
Off The Top Of My Head And Out Of My Mind 
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