‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Director Praises Keeping Sadie Sink Secret

Marvel is leaning hard into Sadie Sink’s role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day being a secret. Could she be the hooded villain we see in the trailers? Will she be the MCU’s version of Jean Grey, ushering in their take on the X-Men? Is it possible that she will be a more “comic-accurate” version of Mary Jane Watson? Okay, I’m just going to stop for a second and say that there’s no way that last one is happening. That hasn’t stopped the internet from musing about it, though.

Rumors about who the popular Stranger Things actor will be playing have been swirling non-stop, and it’s not like that has happened in an MCU movie, or even a Spider-Man movie for that matter. No Way Home was a massive success, and they played that movie’s reveal incredibly close to the chest. It’s now on Disney+, and the cover art doesn’t even lead with that (nor should it). Now, it seems like they’re hoping for some similar magic, but the director, Destin Daniel Cretton, isn’t trying to recreate that film.

“I don’t think there’s any way of trying to emulate the last movie. In terms of stakes, you can’t really go bigger than that last movie,” Cretton explained to THR. “So rather than trying to go bigger, we were hoping to go deeper in a different way.” That’s smart thinking! It’s very funny to say about a movie that includes the Hulk isn’t trying to go bigger, but I get what he’s saying. Hopefully the stakes at least get raised enough to include a certain Latverian leader in the end credits (I’m still convinced that’s happening).

Cretton went on to also explain how much he thinks Sadie Sink’s role being hidden helps the film. “Keeping what Sadie’s doing under wraps, you’ll honestly understand when you see the movie. The movie is a better movie if you don’t know certain things,” he noted. “I wish people didn’t know anything when they go in to watch this movie, but we’re not doing it for any other reason but to protect the experience of the fans. And whoever goes on opening weekend, you are going to have a much cooler experience if you go in not knowing certain things.” He ain’t wrong, but it could definitely be a double-edged sword.

The reveal could be monumental and make the movie even better, just like Cretton says. There’s also the possibility that expectations are built up so high that it doesn’t please anybody. This isn’t the MCU bringing back two former Spider-Man actors; this is a new (to the franchise) actor playing a new or returning character in a movie which has been kept mostly under wraps. It could work really well! Maybe.

Regardless, it’s clearly already working on moviegoers. The film is tracking for an enormous opening weekend, and when I just went to look for seats, I couldn’t even find good ones for an 8:30 AM showing. People are amped. And it makes sense. Tom Holland’s Spider-Man has been one of the most consistently enjoyable aspects of the MCU. If Sadie Sink’s role reveal gives him a little boost, I’m all for it.

As long as he ends the movie being swayed by a certain villain who looks very similar to a former mentor and - wait, where are you going?!