- Stranger Things‘ Sadie Sink is reportedly set to appear in Spider-Man 4
- Deadline suggests Sink will play one of two big characters in the MCU
- I’d like to see Sink play a lesser-known superhero in the Marvel movie
Sadie Sink has signed on to appear in Spider-Man 4, according to Deadline.
The Stranger Things star, who plays Max Mayfield in the hugely successful Netflix show, is reportedly due to star opposite Tom Holland in the highly-anticipated Marvel movie. Filming is set to begin in mid-2025, so it makes sense that cast announcements would start to leak out via Hollywood’s biggest trade publications.
If Deadline’s report is accurate, Sink, whose star has grown since she first appeared in season 2 of one of the best Netflix shows ever made, will be the first new cast addition for Spider-Man’s fourth solo film. Holland, who’ll reprise his role as Peter Parker and his superhero alias, is the only actor confirmed to appear so far. Zendaya, who portrayed MJ in the webslinger’s first three standalone MCU flicks, is also expected to return, but that hasn’t been officially announced by Marvel.
I’ve reached out to Disney and Marvel for comment on Sink’s supposed hiring. I’ll update this article if I hear back.
Will Sadie Sink play Mary Jane or Jean Grey in Spider-Man 4?
Per Deadline’s sources, Sink, who’ll return as Max in Stranger Things season 5, will play one of two important individuals in the Marvel Phase 6 film. Indeed, the outlet suggests she’ll portray Jean Grey or, in Deadline’s words, “another beloved redheaded Spider-Man character”, which is code for Mary Jane Watson.
The latter wouldn’t be a huge surprise and Sink seems tailor-made for Peter’s fiery, perennial love interest. However, the MCU already has one MJ – i.e., Zendaya’s Michelle Jones. Adding another one in the form of Mary Jane would only confuse viewers, especially if Zendaya’s MJ plays any kind of supporting role in Spidey’s next big-screen project.
Iconic X-Men member Jean Grey is another great fit for Sink. Again, though, it would be odd if one of the most popular mutants of all-time was first seen in a Spider-Man film. I think a lot of people would prefer Grey to be introduced as part of the legendary super-team instead.
That said, I could see a situation where Grey pops up in the wallcrawler’s next movie, which was originally going to be released in theaters on July 24 but recently saw its release date pushed back by one week to July 31. Spider-Man 4 is sandwiched between the next two Avengers movies, so it’s likely that it’ll be another multiverse-centric movie. If it is, it wouldn’t be as big of a shock to see Sink’s Grey, who may potentially hail from another dimension, enlist Spidey’s help to try and fix whatever happens in Avengers: Doomsday, aka the first of the two aforementioned Avengers movies. Don’t forget, Parker is a genius is his own right, so he could have a solution to whatever Grey needs a hand with.
There is another character who Sink might play, though, and it’s such a left-field option that, while it’s unlikely to happen, would be an incredibly crowd-pleasing one.
What if – and it’s a big if – Sink plays Firestar? Not only is she a redheaded superhero, but Firestar, whose real name is Angelica ‘Angel’ Jones, actually has a history with Spider-Man that initially began on the small screen. Indeed, she made her debut in an animated series called Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, which originally aired on US network NBC in the early 1980s. She’s since gone on to feature in various Marvel comic book series, video games, and TV shows. Firestar has also fought alongside the X-Men before, too, so one of Deadline’s sources could have got their wires crossed. Hey, I live in hope!
If Marvel and Sony (remember, the latter owns the live-action rights to Spider-Man and the characters within his orbit) really want to set tongues wagging, hiring Sink to play Firestar would be an absolutely brilliant move. It would prevent viewers’ confusion about the existence of two MJs in the MCU, allow someone else to play Jean Grey post-Multiverse Saga, and introduce audiences to a brand-new character in a live-action format. Make it so, Marvel and Sony.
For more news and rumors on Spidey’s forthcoming MCU flick, check out my dedicated guide on Spider-Man 4. Alternatively, see how Daredevil: Born Again has given me hope that the titular hero will eventually team up with Spider-Man, or why Born Again episode 3 might have given us our another clue about Miles Morales’ existence in the MCU.
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