A first leaked image from Spider-Man: Brand New Day appears to offer the clearest look yet at Sadie Sink’s character, and it’s only adding more fuel to the rumors that she is playing Jean Grey in the movie.
The image also seems to line up with earlier chatter that Sink could be tied to a Punisher-style sidekick angle before a bigger reveal connected to Bruce Banner and Savage Hulk.
Leaked image may back up the Jean Grey talk
The leaked image shows Sink alongside Jon Bernthal’s Punisher, which is interesting on its own, but it also fits with the recent speculation surrounding her role.
That speculation has centered on Jean Grey for a while, and the latest footage and now this leaked still keep pushing fans in that direction. Nothing has been officially confirmed, but the signs keep stacking up.
Reportedly, while the image features an AI Gemini watermark, it’s legit.
How it connects to the earlier trailer
The recent trailer already hinted that Sink’s character could be much more important than Marvel and Sony are letting on.
As previously noted, the footage appeared to include at least three scenes tied to her character: a young woman restrained in a chair with metal bindings, an apparent escape or power surge as the room changes around her, and a hooded figure surrounded by computer and camera equipment.
Those scenes led to more speculation that Sink is playing someone with major powers being contained or studied.
Punisher sidekick rumor now looks more interesting
What makes this new leaked image stand out is that it also seems to fit the separate rumor that Sink was playing some kind of Punisher sidekick.
If that was the surface-level role being seen on set, it may have been a way to hide the bigger mutant reveal.
Pairing her with Punisher in leaked footage gives that rumor more weight, but it also does not rule out Jean Grey.
In fact, Marvel could easily be using the street-level setup as misdirection before pulling back the curtain on who she really is. We can also guess that it’s Bernthal’s Punisher who might break-out and save Sink’s Jean Grey from whoever is apparently keeping her captive and experimenting upon her.
Savage Hulk rumor adds even more to the mystery
Another rumor tied to the movie claims Sink’s character unleashes Savage Hulk out of Bruce Banner for some reason.
That theory gained traction because the trailer also offered a look at Mark Ruffalo’s Banner, while the footage surrounding Sink suggested something much bigger was happening than a simple supporting role. Official promo art also features the Savage Hulk.
If Sink really is Jean Grey, and if her powers trigger Savage Hulk, that would make Brand New Day a lot bigger than just another Spider-Man sequel.
The X-Men are supposed to usher in a new age of mutants following Secret Wars, which would make Spider-Man: Brand New Day all the more significant, and it comes just months prior to the release of both the Avengers: Endgame re-release featuring new footage and Doomsday in December.
Sony also debuted new footage and posters recently at CinemaCon.
Release info
Spider-Man: Brand New Day gets released in theaters on July 31, 2026.
The movie is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and stars Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man, with Zendaya as MJ, and Jacob Batalon as Ned. Jon Bernthal is back as The Punisher. Sadie Sink has an unknown role.
(note: featured image of Sadie Sink is from Stranger Things 5)
