The Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for constantly releasing new projects, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. The next highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movie heading to theaters is Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and there are tons of questions about what director Destin Daniel Cretton has up his sleeve. There are a ton of rumors about Sadie Sink’s mysterious role, and a new rumor offers a possible connection to Jon Bernthal’s Punisher. Let’s break it all down.
What we know about Spider-Man: Brand New Day is very limited, so moviegoers are filling in the blanks with theories and rumors. Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order are thrilled about Hulk and Punisher having roles, and a new rumor from ScreenRant about Sink offers another character she might be playing: Punisher sidekick Rachel Cole-Alves.
In the comics, Rachel is a former Marine and a vigilante who is an ally of The Punisher. She wears his signature logo, and uses his same methods of firearms to take down villains. She’s also a redhead, which is partly why folks think that’s who Sadie Sink is playing in Brand New Day… especially if the new Spider-Man movie is focused on street-level crime in NYC.
This is just one fan theory about Sink’s role in the next Spider-Man movie, so we should probably take it with a grain of salt. Still, it would be awesome to see the breakout star of Stranger Things (which is streaming with a Netflix subscription) fighting alongside Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle. Hopefully, we get information about who she is actually playing sooner rather than later.
This theory about Sink playing Rachel may offer more validity to another Brand New Day rumor about Punisher getting a sidekick. While I originally thought this was an opportunity to bring back Giorgia Whigham’s Amy from the Punisher TV series, pairing Sink with Bernthal is also a thrilling concept.
Of course, this isn’t the only rumor about who Sadie Sink might be playing in the next Spider-Man movie. News of her casting started a number of theories, including that she might play Mary Jane Watson. Another popular choice was X-Man Jean Grey, especially with the mutants becoming a bigger presence in the MCU. Hopefully, the studio offers some concrete information about her role soon.
While we wait for the studio to confirm the actress’s role, all eyes are on what will happen with Sadie Sink’s signature character Max in Stranger Things Season 5. The story of Hawkins is coming to an end, and the last time we saw Max, she was in a coma as a result of Vecna’s attack.
Stranger Things will return for Season 5 on November 26th. As for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, that’ll arrive in theaters on July 31st as part of the 2026 movie release list. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait too long before finding out exactly who Sadie Sink is playing.