So, you might’ve heard this little tidbit of news lately: Stranger Things star Sadie Sink is officially joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the next Spider-Man. But now comes the speculation: who, exactly, will she play in Spider-Man 4?
You’ve got theories, I’ve got theories, and we’re not alone — the whole internet’s got theories. Needless to say, fans’ minds are racing. So what do they think? Well, let’s go over the most distinct possibilities (and, for that matter, impossibilities).
It seems as though most folks find the idea of Sink ending up being the, quote unquote, real Mary Jane Watson due to her red hair to be a bit silly. “Michelle Jones is the MCU’s real MJ,” one fan wrote on Reddit — and most fans in the thread agreed. Though another Redditor noted the studio might cast Sink in the role as a “bold attempt to win back those who prefer classic Spider-Man.” The obvious choice is not always the best one, folks.
Zendaya has played the MCU’s new MJ since 2017’s Spider-Man Homecoming, and despite not being the standard red-haired Mary Jane fans know from the comics and Sam Raimi’s previous trilogy, modern day Spidey lovers have generally accepted her as their MJ. So it seems as though they’ll keep her around, especially considering she is said to be, at minimum, coming back for a cameo for this yet untitled sequel to No Way Home.
Some fans think Sink may end up playing one of Peter Parker’s other love interests, Gwen Stacey. After all, wigs do exist. “Much to the surprise (and potentially dismay) of everyone,” one user said about Sink in the role previously played by Emma Stone in Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man duo. “I absolutely would not want to see [that] since we’ve already gotten a Gwen Stacy/Peter Parker love story and I definitely have no interest in seeing Spider-Gwen right now,” another Redditor added.
Spider-Gwen is a distinct part of the animated Spider-Verse, where she is voiced by Hailee Steinfeld, so it seems like fans prefer to follow her story there for the time being. Considering how major the Peter and Gwen love story was in Webb’s Spider-Man films — it did give way to a lengthy real-life relationship between Stone and Andrew Garfield, who played Parker/Spider-Man — it makes sense that fans wouldn’t really want to see that rehashed. There’s a ton of Spidey territory to cover between his many comic adventures and appearances, so giving Sink something different to do is most likely the key to making her inclusion a success.
Another theory folks have been throwing around is the idea that Sink might end up playing another famous MCU redhead: X-Men’s Jean Grey, also known as the Phoenix. She was played as an adult by Famke Janssen in five films in Fox’s X-Men franchise. Later, she was portrayed as a teenager by Sophie Turner in 2019’s Dark Phoenix.
One user on Reddit considered that idea “too obvious,” while another agreed and added: “Weird to intro [her] in SM4.” That said, a third fan noted that there could always be more castings in the future that could lead to more mutants joining the fold for Spider-Man 4. Others have doubts about a mutant showing up with true relevance in a Spider-Man focused film. “I just don’t see one of the core X-Men getting introduced in a Spider-Man movie,” a fan wrote.
But it seems as though the most popular guess — and potentially the best guess as well — is a lesser known character called Firestar, a redhead mutant named Angelica Jones who is a mainstay in the X-Men, as well as the 1981 animated series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends where she debuted. She could definitely be that “something different” I was talking about — and lots of fans seem excited about the prospect of bringing her into the story as it stands within the MCU.
Indeed, fans seem particularly excited at the idea of bringing those Amazing Friends back together. “She’ll be a college student alongside Peter and their friend/partner Bobby Drake. They’ll all live in the same apartment too,” one user commented. “This will be the adaptation of Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends we’ve all been waiting for, lol.” Another agreed, “I would love a Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends team-up!” while a third added: “If they did the Amazing Friends lineup, people would lose their minds.”
Firestar started as a Spider-Man character, but eventually broke off and expanded into her own story that included alliances with the New Mutants, Hellions, and the Avengers themselves. So considering her origins, it might just be the perfect character to introduce. However, one fan did mention, “If Firestar, why not Jean?” and to be fair, they have a point. But right now, it’s anyone’s guess who Sink will end up making her MCU debut as. Only time will tell.
Photo by Arturo Holmes/WireImage.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
