Stranger Things Star Sadie Sink All but Confirms She’s Not Mary Jane in Spider-Man 4
Red hair isn’t destiny: despite fan buzz, Sadie Sink isn’t playing Mary Jane Watson or Rachel Cole in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Sadie Sink knows the internet thinks she is Mary Jane in Spider-Man 4. She also knows how to poke that beehive without actually saying anything. Short version: do not lock in MJ just because she has red hair.
So... is Sadie Sink playing Mary Jane?
"A lot of people forget that hair color can change... But, yeah, I understand all of the theories. People will just have to wait and see. I'm excited for all of it to maybe be put to rest."
That's Sink, to Entertainment Weekly, doing the polite version of please calm down. Translation: the hair is not a clue. I wouldn't bet on Mary Jane Watson here.
What Spider-Man 4 is actually doing
The movie is officially titled Spider-Man: Brand New Day and it's directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi). Tom Holland is back, and this time Peter is dialing it down from universe-saving chaos to the Friendly Neighborhood routine. Thanks to the memory wipe, his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) and ex Michelle 'MJ' Jones (Zendaya) don't know who he is anymore. At first, that makes the whole superhero thing surprisingly simple. For a minute.
Also in the mix: Jon Bernthal is showing up as Frank Castle, aka the Punisher. That addition says a lot about the tone shift toward street-level trouble.
Who could Sink be playing?
Sony and Marvel are filming in Glasgow, Scotland, and Sink has been linked to a bunch of roles by fans and the rumor mill. Most of them do share that reddish hair vibe, which is probably not helping the speculation cooldown:
- Firestar
- Rachel Cole (a Punisher ally)
- Jean Grey (X-Men)
- Gwen Stacy
Sink even joked about the on-set experience: Tom can wave to fans because everyone recognizes him, but the second you glimpse her it's just a walking puffer coat. Her words: she looks like 'a penguin' under all those layers. So yeah, secrecy mode is very much on.
A quick MJ refresher
If you're wondering why MJ theories go nuclear so fast: Mary Jane Watson is one of the most famous love interests in comics. She first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #25 back in June 1965, she eventually marries Peter in the comics, and she's popped up in Iron Man and Venom storylines too. On screen, Kirsten Dunst played her in Sam Raimi's trilogy. That's a lot of history to project onto any redhead walking past a Spider-Man set.
When we see it
Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters on July 31, 2026. Until then, expect more theories, more puffer coats, and probably a few more hair-dye head fakes.