The Marvel rumor mill just dropped another big one. A recent scoop suggests that Spider-Man: Brand New Day will feature yet another major MCU hero alongside Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle, and Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner.
Ever since Sony and Marvel announced the fourth solo Spidey film, fans have been speculating about which heroes and villains could show up. The confirmations of Bernthal’s return as The Punisher and Ruffalo as Bruce Banner already made this movie sound stacked, but it looks like the roster isn’t done growing.
A recent report claimed that “at least one more hero” would appear in the movie, and now we know who that might be, and I wasn’t expecting it.
Possible SPOILERS ahead:
According to industry insider Daniel Richtman, Florence Pugh has joined the cast, reprising her role as Yelena Belova. Richtman claims Pugh will shoot her scenes back-to-back with Zendaya’s while filming Dune: Part III, which may mean their screen time in Brand New Day will be about the same.
If true, this is a very surprising addition since Yelena has had no direct ties to Spider-Man in the MCU so far. Richtman tends to be reliable with these early casting reports, and with Yelena expected to play a huge part in Avengers: Doomsday, her appearance here could serve as setup for what’s to come.
While some pieces of the puzzle are coming together, plenty of mysteries remain. Sadie Sink’s role hasn’t been revealed, the film’s main villain is still under wraps, and there are rumblings of multiple antagonists. Liza Colón-Zayas is also on board in an undisclosed role, while Zendaya and Jacob Batalon will return as MJ and Ned, though they’re not expected to play major parts this time.
Director Destin Daniel Cretton teased what fans can expect during CinemaCon: “I’m spending my time exploring the next stage of this amazing character with a team of the most incredible artists in the world. We’re all, just daily, nerding out over the suit, how to swing, how to create an event, an emotional story, and a ride that we haven’t really seen before.”
Spider-Man: Brand New Daywill hit theaters on July 31, 2026.
If this Yelena Belova rumor proves true, the movie’s lineup just got a lot more interesting. What do you think about Black Widow crossing paths with Spider-Man for the first time?