While there’s no shortage of speculation and intrigue surrounding Marvel’s 2026 film Spider-Man: Brand New Day, one specific name has been at the center of fan theories and rumors. It was confirmed that Stranger Things star Sadie Sink will be in the film alongside the likes of Tom Holland, returning as Spider-Man, Jon Bernthal as The Punisher/Frank Castle and Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk/Bruce Banner, among others. However, the million-dollar question remains unanswered—who will Sink play in Spider-Man: Brand New Day?
The initial speculation led to the belief that Sink could be set to play Mayday Parker, the daughter of Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man. However, that was followed up by rumors pointing to her playing Jean Grey, Gwen Stacy and several other well-known characters. The most recent buzz surrounding Sink’s role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day flips the script a bit, with the belief that she’d portray Rachel Cole-Alves, a “sidekick” or protege of The Punisher.
Conflicting Rumors About Sadie Sink Playing Rachel Cole in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’
It’s widely known that Marvel likes to keep fans on their toes in the build-up to movies, and it’s safe to say they’ve done just that with Sink’s role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. However, for a brief period, it seemed that some rumors may have been heading in the right direction, predicting that Sink could be poised to play the aforementioned Rachel Cole-Alves, after a photo of the actress on set was revealed on X by UnBoxPHD.
This was followed by Josh Wilding of ComicBookMovie.com making the understandable connection to Sink’s on-set photo and The Punisher’s protege.
Camo pants and what looks like a bullet wound on her leg. That’s Rachel Cole-Alves, alright (via @UnBoxPHD) #SpiderManBrandNewDay pic.twitter.com/izHAWtiHZD
— Josh Wilding – ComicBookMovie.com (@Josh_Wilding) October 19, 2025
Unfortunately, as Wilding went on to point out shortly after, the widely followed entertainment site Murphy’s Multiverse, which frequently reports on Marvel, threw a bit of cold water on the likelihood of Sink playing Cole-Alves.
The site reported that while Bernthal’s character is expected to have someone “by his side” in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, multiple insiders said it’s not Sink playing that role.
“The single shot of Sink seen above has led to theories that she will be playing Rachel Cole, a former Marine sergeant and ally of The Punisher,” Murphy’s Multiverse detailed. “However, while it is accurate that Frank Castle will have someone by his side in the film, descriptions of Castle’s sidekick shared by multiple insiders have indicated the character is played by an unknown Black actress.”
The report also cites two sources that say Sink’s character is “not who she appears to be,” which ultimately swings the door back open for a broad range of possibilities.
Below is a brief rundown of a few Marvel characters Sink has been linked to playing in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, although there have been several other names beyond this as well.
- Jean Grey
- Gwen Stacy
- Mayday Parker
- Rachel Cole-Alves
- Lily Hollister (Menace)
- Jackpot
Marvel has made sure to keep Sink’s character under wraps to this point, and even when searching various websites, such as IMDb, for the Spider-Man: Brand New Day cast, Sink’s name doesn’t include the role she’ll play.
While it’s back to the drawing board for those attempting to solve one of Marvel’s many mysteries surrounding 2026 movies, it remains anyone’s guess as to the role Sink will play alongside Tom Holland when the franchise’s next film hits theaters.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is set to be released on July 31, 2026.
Related: ‘Reacher’ Star Alan Ritchson Reveals Baffling Aspect of Workout Routine
