Sadie Sink’s MCU Mystery Solved: Tom Holland Set to Face a Venom Villain

Sadie Sink is the internet's favorite mystery casting right now, and the latest rumor swings in a totally different direction: not Gwen, not an X-Men, but a symbiote. Here's where the chatter is at, what actually lines up with comics, and what feels like wishful thinking.

The new buzz: Sink as Scream

On December 17, 2025, X user @TheVenomSite claimed Sink is playing Donna Diego, better known as Scream, in Marvel/Sony's Spider-Man: Brand New Day. If that name pings your comic brain, it should. Scream is one of the five Life Foundation symbiotes spawned from Venom. The claim goes further: The Punisher will be trying to protect her, and her link to the symbiote hivemind is supposedly why she knows Peter is Spider-Man.

That last part connects to the allegedly leaked trailer for the fourth Spider-Man movie, where Sink's character drops a threat that implies she knows Peter's identity despite Multiverse/Memory wipe drama.

"You're a mess, Spider-Man. Don't get in my way. Otherwise, it won't just be your friends who don't remember who Peter Parker is."

To be crystal clear: none of this is confirmed. The trailer is not officially released, and the Scream angle is coming from a fan-run Venom account. But it does line up with symbiote lore that shared consciousness can carry secrets around like receipts.

Donna Diego 101 (why Scream makes sense)

In the comics, Donna Diego is one of Scream's earliest hosts. She used to work security for the Life Foundation, signed up for symbiote bonding, and hid that she was schizophrenic and hearing voices. Her look and fighting style are memorable: she whips people with living 'hair' tendrils. Donna eventually decides all symbiotes are evil and goes on a kill-them-all crusade. That ends with Eddie Brock's Venom killing Donna. After her death, the Scream symbiote moves on to other hosts, including Patricia Robertson and Andi Benton.

So what happened to the Shathra theory?

For months, a big chunk of the fandom had Sink pegged as Shathra, a wasp-goddess from Earth-001. The rumor mill even built out a whole plot: she shows up pretending to be Gwen Stacy, falls for Peter, reveals herself as Shathra, then uses mystical manipulation to control 'Salvage Hulk' (yes, that's the name that was being thrown around) to set up a Tom Holland vs. Mark Ruffalo showdown. That theory was pushed hard by some insiders, especially Daniel Richtman.

Now, Richtman is tapping the brakes. His latest word on X:

"She could still be Shathra - I'm just less sure now after hearing a few new things about the film. She's the only real mystery still remaining. I know a lot about her character except her name, which is why it's confusing."

When people accused him of backtracking, he pushed back, saying he never flat-out claimed she was Shathra, only explained why others thought that, and that the description he heard could match multiple Marvel characters. In other words: he knows the vibe of the role, not the name.

Other theories people keep pitching

• Rachel Cole (The Punisher's ally): Set photos showed Sink in military cargo pants and boots, which mirrors Rachel's military background in the comics.
• Gwen Stacy: The evergreen option, usually paired with a 'she'll date Peter' angle.
• Mayday Parker (Spider-Woman): Peter and MJ's daughter from another universe. Multiverse solves everything, apparently.
• Jean Grey: Some fans think Brand New Day could sneak in an X-Men tease. This one bubbled up again when that leaked trailer suggested she knows Peter's identity.
• Firestar: A few viewers swear they spotted a yellow costume under Sink's coat in new set pics, which lines up with the redheaded hero who flies and throws heat.

Where this actually leaves us

Even insiders are guessing. The production is keeping Sink's role locked down, and the only semi-consistent throughline is that her character knows more about Peter than she should. The Scream/Donna Diego rumor has some comic-book logic behind it, plus that Punisher wrinkle would dovetail with the Rachel Cole chatter. But until Marvel/Sony says it out loud, it's all pins on a board.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is scheduled to hit theaters worldwide on July 21, 2026. Place your bets now and prepare to pretend you always had it right later.