"Spider-Man 4: Sadie Sink Joins Cast with Tom Holland, Possibly as Jean Grey or Mary Jane"

Sadie Sink, best known for her role as Max Mayfield in Stranger Things, is reportedly set to join Tom Holland in Spider-Man 4, according to Deadline. The film is scheduled to begin production later this year and is slated for a July 31, 2026 release.

Sink, who made her cinematic debut in the 2016 biographical sports drama Chuck, is said to be in line for a notable role in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) installment. While neither Marvel nor Sony has officially commented on the casting, speculation is already building around which character she may portray.

Deadline suggests that Sink could take on the role of X-Men fan-favorite Jean Grey or another iconic red-haired figure from Spider-Man lore—possibly Mary Jane Watson. This raises questions about how such a character would fit into Peter Parker’s current storyline, especially given his established relationship with Michelle “MJ” Jones-Watson, played by Zendaya in previous films. According to the outlet, this version of Spider-Man may serve as something of a soft reboot following the memory-erasing events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, where Peter was forced to reintroduce himself to MJ after Doctor Strange’s spell altered public knowledge of his identity.

Meanwhile, Tom Holland is currently immersed in the filming of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, but sources indicate he will transition directly into production on Spider-Man 4 once completed.

This potential casting aligns with earlier hints from Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, who last year teased the arrival of recognizable X-Men characters in the MCU's near future. Speaking at the Disney APAC Content Showcase in Singapore, Feige confirmed fans would see “some X-Men players that you might recognize” in the coming slate of films. He stopped short of naming specific titles or characters, but emphasized that mutants are central to the MCU’s long-term vision.

He added: “I think you will see that continues in our next few movies with some X-Men players that you might recognize. Right after that, the whole story of Secret Wars really leads us into a new age of mutants and of the X-Men. Again, it’s one of those dreams come true—we finally have the X-Men back.”

Every Confirmed Mutant in the MCU (So Far)

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If “next few” means three films, then the immediate window for mutant introductions includes Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 2025). However, it’s equally plausible that mutants will continue to emerge throughout Phase 6, including in Avengers: Doomsday (2026), Spider-Man 4 (2026), and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).

One intriguing question remains: Will Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine return after their box office success with Deadpool & Wolverine? And could Channing Tatum reprise his previously announced role as Gambit?

Feige has also made it clear that the X-Men will play a pivotal role beyond Secret Wars. He explained, “When we were preparing for Avengers: Endgame years ago, it was a question of getting to the grand finale of our narrative, and then we had to start all over again after that. This time, on the road to Secret Wars, we already know very well what the story is going to be until then and afterwards. The X-Men are an important part of that future.”

This signals that Phase 7 of the MCU will likely be defined by the rise of the X-Men. In the meantime, Storm made her MCU debut in What If...? Season 3, marking the first official live-action or animated appearance of the character within the shared universe.

Looking further ahead, Marvel has now added three untitled projects to its 2028 theatrical calendar: February 18, May 5, and November 10. With the mutant era officially underway, one of these slots appears increasingly likely to be reserved for a full-fledged X-Men movie.