Sony delivered a double dose of Spider-Man goodness at CinemaCon, finally revealing the release date for Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse and revealing that Tom Holland’s fourth upcoming Spider-Man movie will be titled Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The film picks up after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, where Holland’s Peter Parker asked Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to wipe the world’s memories of his secret identity. While Peter was able to stop an invasion of villains thanks to Strange’s spell, the cost was bittersweet: he lost his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), while his best friend Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) and girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) don’t know who he is anymore. It effectively gives Spider-Man: Brand New Day a fresh start, much like the comic book arc that seems to be its major inspiration.
The “Brand New Day” storyline began in Amazing Spider-Man #546 by Dan Slott and Steve McNiven, following the fallout of the highly controversial “One More Day” storyline. After the demonic Mephisto alters reality, removing people’s knowledge of Spider-Man’s secret identity and Peter Parker’s marriage to Mary Jane Watson, Peter now finds himself with a fresh slate — but no job and no apartment. On his way to get more pictures, he winds up encountering a new enemy and a new potential love interest, and the stage is set for both of these characters to play a role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Spider-Man’s “Brand New Day” Storyline Introduced the Menace of Mister Negative

Image via Marvel Comics 

“Brand New Day” would introduce a new foe for Spider-Man to fight: the crime lord known as Mister Negative. True to his name, Negative is cast in black and white colors that resemble a photonegative, which hints at the source of his powers. He can manipulate the Lightforce and Darkforce dimensions, allowing him to infect others with negative thoughts or heal their ailments. Negative seeks to control the criminal underworld, utilizing a mysterious bioweapon that will infect his competition. Spidey eventually gets involved, stopping the weapon and incurring Negative’s wrath in the process. In a twist, it’s revealed that Negative is actually Martin Li, the benevolent philatrophist who runs the F.E.A.S.T. (Food, Emergency Aid, Shelter, and Training) project that Peter’s Aunt May volunteers at.

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Fans have already seen Mister Negative in Marvel’s Spider-Man for the PlayStation 4, but he could provide a compelling foe for the webslinger in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Negative’s sword skills also provide director Destin Daniel Cretton with the chance to deliver more of the high-octane action that was in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and a potential chance for Simu Liu’s Master of Kung Fu to appear. It would also be true to the comics; during Amazing Spider-Man #666 by Slott and Stefano Caselli, Shang-Chi teaches Spidey martial arts to compensate for the loss of his Spider-Sense. Since the previous Spider-Man movies have teamed Spidey up with another Marvel hero, this is a chance for Cretton, Sony, and Marvel Studios to continue the tradition in an entirely new way.
Who Will Sadie Sink Play in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’?

Spider-Man: Brand New Day has yet again thrown fans for a loop when it comes to Sadie Sink’s role in the film. Speculation has ranged from an alternate universe version of Mary Jane Watson to X-Men characters Jean Grey and Firestar, but “Brand New Day” introduced two different characters that she’d be a perfect fit for. The first is forensic scientist Carlie Cooper, who is best friends with socialite Lily Hollister. Carlie enters Peter Parker’s orbit when his best friend, Harry Osborn, starts dating Lily. She eventually stumbles across a string of bodies that have been planted with Spider-Man’s spider-tracers, and learns that it’s a conspiracy to frame the web-slinger for murder. She also learned that her father, who she thought was deceased, was secretly working with Mysterio to pull off a scam on the Maggia, the biggest criminal organization in New York. Carlie and Peter do eventually start dating, which means that Spider-Man: Brand New Day could introduce new romantic tension to Holland’s Spider-Man movies (and provide the perfect way to bring back Mysterio).

Sink could also be playing the superheroine known as Jackpot, who appeared in the Amazing Spider-Man: Swing Shift one-shot by Dan Slott and Phil Jimenez that sets the stage for “Brand New Day.” Jackpot immediately drew attention due to her physical resemblance to Mary Jane Watson, and that her superhero moniker calls back to MJ’s most famous line: “Face it Tiger, you just hit the jackpot!” Jackpot was actually two women: Sara Erhert, who gained her powers via a rogue virus, and Alana Jobson, who took the Jackpot mantle from Erhert following the implementation of the Superhuman Registration Act. Following Jobson’s death, Erhert decided to actually take up superheroics. However, back in 2020, Jackpot was announced to headline her own solo film, with Marc Guggenheim (who penned a Jackpot series chronicling Sara Erhert’s adventures) writing the screenplay.
How Will ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Impact ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’?

Image via Marvel Comics

Spider-Man: Brand New Day takes place in between Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, which could explain why Tom Holland isn’t part of Doomsday’s immense cast list. But it’s very possible that he could appear in Avengers: Secret Wars, which could give Spider-Man: Brand New Day a chance to pay off another plot point from Spider-Man: No Way Home. In that film’s mid-credits scene, Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) is drunkenly attempting to make heads or tails of the world he’s found himself in when Doctor Strange’s spell slings him back to his reality… leaving behind a piece of the Venom symbiote. The original Secret Wars maxiseries by Jim Shooter and Mike Zeck is where Spidey first encounters the symbiote, so it’s possible that Spider-Man: Brand New Day could pull a reverse and have a symbiote-clad Spidey join the Avengers in their battle against Doctor Doom. Further backing this up is the fact that Cretton said Spider-Man: Brand New Day would feature a new costume, so it’s possible this costume could be the classic Symbiote Spider-Man suit. Tom Holland referred to Spider-Man: Brand New Day as “a fresh new start” for Peter Parker, and the comic it shares its name could lay the groundwork for that fresh start.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Release Date

July 31, 2026

Director

Destin Daniel Cretton

Writers

Steve Ditko, Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers

Franchise(s)

Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man