With just a week to go until the launch of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Tom Holland has stunned fans by stating that X-Men hero Jean Grey is "not in this movie" — despite months of rumors that this is who Sadie Sink is playing.
Brand New Day's buildup has been dominated by speculation over who Sink has been cast as, with an array of possible names initially in the mix. But, over time, insider whispers and fan discussion have coalesced around Jean Grey — to the point that if it now is anyone but her, many moviegoers would be floored.
Still, nothing is official. Which is why it's even more surprising that Holland has now responded to a comment about Jean Grey during a recent interview. Rather than decline to say anything further, the Spider-Man star instead took the opportunity to bluntly deny that the X-Men member would appear.
"Jean Grey can help her," stated Brazilian TikToker Natalia Kreuser, suggesting that the superhero's psychic powers could help recover MJ's lost memories of Peter Parker. "She's not in this movie but it would be pretty cool," Holland responded.
‘Oh she’s not in this movie, but that would be pretty cool’ - Tom Holland when asked if Jean Grey would help Peter Parker.
He says this while trying to hide a smile, cheeky 😉 😂 pic.twitter.com/KSkeuDhxnc
Is Holland playing coy? There's seemingly no way to interpret his remark as anything other than a flat denial of Jean Grey being in the movie — which would, as we've said, be a big surprise at this point.
Or, is Holland now employing the Andrew Garfield trick of straight-up misdirecting fans? After months of being asked whether he was in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Garfield began flatly denying that — though, of course, he was indeed present.
Last year, it was reported that Sink will be back in 2027's climactic Multiverse Saga finale Avengers: Secret Wars, something that seemingly sets her up for a far bigger MCU role. Of course, Marvel is currently prepping its big X-Men reboot, which is being helmed by Thunderbolts/The New Avengers director Jake Schreier. Introducing Jean Grey now would allow Marvel to gently introduce audiences to the idea of a fresh generation of X-Men, before fans get to say farewell to various legacy characters who are returning for Avengers: Doomsday.
Speaking on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Sink discussed the huge amount of secrecy over her role and described not being able to say who she's playing as "torture." Subsequent trailers have kept Sink in the shadows, though she has now begun giving interviews on Spider-Man: Brand New Day's promotional tour, with rather amusingly tight-lipped results.
Beyond a marketing tactic to get fans speculating, director Destin Daniel Cretton has insisted that fans will ultimately appreciate being kept in suspense, and stated that Marvel was keeping the identity of Sadie Sink's character a secret until fans see the movie for a "very real reason" that he believes fans won't "get mad at."
Whatever the truth is, there's thankfully now just one week to go until we finally find out — as Spider-Man: Brand New Day opens in theaters on July 31.
Image credit: James McCauley/Variety via Getty Images
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
