Spider-Man: Brand New Day Set Photos Reveal Stranger Things Star Sadie Sink, Sparking Fresh Speculation Around Who She's Playing

Sadie Sink has been seen filming her first scenes for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, offering fans new hints about the mysterious character she’s portraying.

A first glimpse of the actress on set in London, standing beside director Destin Daniel Cretton, shows her bundled in a bulky coat. Still, fans quickly noticed her camouflage pants and combat boots—raising strong suggestions about her role.

Given that Frank Castle will also star in Brand New Day, some fans believe Sink is playing Rachel Cole-Alves, a redheaded comic book ally of The Punisher who has aided Spider-Man in the past.

First look at Sadie Sink on set for Spider-Man: Brand New Day with Tom Holland

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— Spider-Man News (@SpiderMan_Newz) October 19, 2025

Yet newer set photos reveal Sink in a different outfit—wearing a black and yellow jacket and blue jeans—leaving other fans doubtful about the Rachel Cole-Alves theory. The only clear clue now is that Sink is keeping her natural red hair for the role, a detail many believe has largely ruled out speculation that she’s portraying a new version of Gwen Stacy.

Sadie Sink. #SpiderManBrandNewDay

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— Spider-Man: Brand New Day Updates (@spideyupdated) October 19, 2025

Of course, the most iconic redheaded character in Spider-Man’s world is Mary-Jane Watson, Peter Parker’s longtime love interest—and later, his wife. But with Zendaya already playing MJ, fans are speculating that Sink might be portraying an alternate-universe version of the character—or that the red hair is simply an intentional red herring.

Other Marvel redheads have been proposed as possibilities, including Firestar, a former Spidey ally; a fresh take on X-Men’s Jean Grey; or Carlie Cooper—who serves as Spider-Man’s romantic lead in the Brand New Day comics, following the erasure of Peter’s marriage to Mary Jane and the world’s loss of his true identity.

Marvel seems to be intentionally withholding details about Sink’s character to fuel speculation, and they’re certainly aware of her parallels to Mary-Jane, Carlie Cooper, and others. One particularly intriguing theory suggests Sink is portraying the shapeshifter Shastra, with her multiple disguises playing a key role in the story.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day has resumed filming after Tom Holland’s head injury paused production for a week. Since filming began, multiple set leaks have surfaced, including photos of Jacob Batalon returning as Ned Leeds and Zendaya reprising her role as MJ. Behind-the-scenes footage also hints at a return to practical web-swinging stunts after years of CGI reliance.

Holland recently took a break from filming to speak with IGN about a new LEGO short film he starred in. As for Sadie Sink, fans are hoping Marvel will reveal her character before Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters on July 31, 2026.