Actress Sadie Sink is playfully dodging intense fan speculation regarding her highly anticipated, undisclosed role in Sony and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day, scheduled for release on July 31, 2026. During promotional appearances in New York, the Stranger Things star addressed the secrecy, joking on social media and reacting to rumors that she is playing the X-Men icon Jean Grey.
As reported by Deadline, Sink shared a video on Instagram addressing the mounting fan theories. “To match your incredible energy, I’ve decided to give you three exclusive, confirmed answers right now,” she teased. Sink joked that she is not playing Spider-Man, nor is she playing Aunt May—who died in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. “And third, I can definitely confirm that I am in this movie,” she added, telling fans they would have to go to theaters to discover her actual identity. Speaking on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Sink admitted that keeping the secret has been “torture.”
Speculation has centered heavily on the legendary X-Men psychic Jean Grey, fueled by trailers showing Sink’s character using telepathic and mind-control powers. During an interview on The Backstage Experience podcast, an interviewer playfully attempted to trick her by bringing up buying “jeans, grey.” Sink laughed off the wordplay, nervously asking, “And what about them?!”
Director Destin Daniel Cretton addressed the marketing strategy in an interview with Rolling Stone, dismissing concerns about potential fan disappointment if the secret role does not meet expectations. “If people are gonna get mad, I can’t control that!” Cretton said, praising Sink’s “unbelievable” performance. Cretton, who first worked with Sink when she was 14 on The Glass Castle, added that he has watched her career blossom ever since.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day picks up after the events of No Way Home, with Peter Parker (Tom Holland) navigating life in isolation after the world’s memory of his identity was erased. The film’s ensemble cast also includes Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, and Mark Ruffalo.