Image via Nikola Predovic / Searchlight Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the next Marvel Cinematic Universe film set to shake up the Multiverse Saga. The upcoming Sony and Marvel Studios joint will continue after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home in a world where nobody knows Peter Parker’s secret identity once more. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige promised Spider-Man: Brand New Day would return the character to his street-level roots, but as with the previous films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it will also include some major ties to the greater universe.
So far, it’s been confirmed that Jon Bernthal will reprise his role as the Punisher for the first time on the big screen, while Mark Ruffalo will return as Bruce Banner. Spider-Man: Brand New Day will also add several newcomers to the sprawling MCU, with Sadie Sink of Stranger Things the most notable addition. Sink’s role has been shrouded in secrecy by endless rumors suggesting numerous characters from the Marvel lexicon. Some of the rumors and theories point to Sink playing everyone from Jean Grey, Gwen Stacy and Mayday Parker to Anabelle Adams, Black Cat and various others. However, there’s one Spider-Man character that makes far more sense for Sink than the rumors and theories out there.
The Spider-Man Franchise Should Introduce a New Peter Parker Love Interest
Image by Surya Punjabi
The Spider-Man film franchise has been going strong since 2002. When the film series first launched over 20 years ago, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man began with Peter Parker’s most well-known love interest, Mary Jane Watson. However, in the comic books, Gwen Stacy was always Peter Parker’s first love.
The Raimi trilogy eventually introduced Gwen Stacy and blended comic book elements typically associated with Mary Jane Watson, such as her modeling career, into the Bryce Dallas Howard portrayal of the character. Meanwhile, The Amazing Spider-Man film series revisited Gwen Stacy, this time with Emma Stone in the role, and delivered a far more faithful take on the source material. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 ended with Gwen Stacy’s iconic death from the comics and planned to introduce Mary Jane Watson, but before the film cut her from the final edit.
When Marvel Studios got its hands on Spider-Man in a deal with Sony, the initial film focused far less on the romance than the previous installments. However, Spider-Man: Homecoming still introduced Zendaya as a character named Michelle Jones. Later on, the first film revealed that Michelle also went by M.J., thus becoming the Mary Jane Watson of the MCU.
While Zendaya will return as M.J. for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, No Way Home made it clear she no longer knows who Peter Parker is after Doctor Strange cast a spell to make people forget about him. Therefore, it’s likely M.J. will only play a minor role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which paves the way for a new Peter Parker love interest. Since the Spider-Man films have already covered Mary Jane Watson and Gwen Stacy, it’s time for another one of Peter Parker’s relationships to receive the spotlight.
Carlie Cooper Played a Role in the Brand New Day Comic Book Run
Sony announced earlier this year that the next Spider-Man film will feature the Brand New Day subtitle, which is significant since it shares the name with a notable run in the comics. The «Brand New Day» comic book run spans over 100 issues, with writers Dan Slott, Marc Gugenehim, Bob Gale and Zeb Wells contributing to a new era of Spider-Man lore.
The comic book storyline followed the events of «One More Day,» which shares many similarities with Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s plot, such as reversing Peter Parker’s secret identity and ending his relationship with Mary Jane Watson. Therefore, the continuation of Spider-Man’s MCU story, borrowing from «Brand New Day,» next makes perfect sense, as does who Sink could portray.
The «Brand New Day» comic book issues introduced many characters to the modern Spider-Man canon, such as Mister Negative, Jackpot, and Anti-Venom, part of an initiative to deliver new villains for the character. «Brand New Day» also featured Carlie Cooper, a new love interest for Peter Parker.
Carlie Cooper first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #545 in 2007 as a forensic scientist of the NYPD. At first, she became a friend of Peter Parker before becoming a serious love interest. Carlie Cooper would differ from past Spider-Man love interests on the big screen, but also align with Sink’s natural red hair color, if the MCU maintains that element.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Will Be More Street-Level
Image via Sony Pictures
Sony allowing Spider-Man to participate in the MCU has led to unprecedented success and new territory for the film franchise. Spider-Man: Far From Home sent Peter Parker outside of New York City for the first time, while No Way Home tapped into the multiverse.
Not to mention the Avengers films took Peter Parker to space and teamed him up with other notable MCU heroes. The MCU Spider-Man films have gone away from the friendly neighborhood angle so many fans resonate with. Spider-Man: Brand New Day will feature a story focused on bringing that element back to the forefront, which means a more grounded and small-scale story could be on the horizon.
«I think there’s a promise at the end of No Way Home that, for as sad as it is, that Peter is forgotten by everyone in his life. We are seeing for the first time in the Tom Holland Spider-Man stories, him being a proper Spider-Man. Him being, by himself, dedicated to saving the city, and dealing with—for lack of a better term—street level crime as opposed to world-ending events that he faced when working with the other characters.
So when you do that, you say, ‘OK, who are the other street level characters that we’ve never seen him interact with?’ And of course, I love that the Punisher started in a Spider-Man comic, and that great cover… I don’t wanna say too much, but I will say too much. Destin is doing an amazing job right now on that movie. It starts shooting very soon, and he’s got 8 or 9 comic covers up on his wall in his art department that he is bringing to life in this movie. It’s super cool.» — Kevin Feige on Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s street-level setting.
With the potential inclusion of Carlie Cooper in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, her role as a forensic scientist could easily fit within the realm of it, unlike other characters like Jean Grey, who would require far more explanation. As a frenetic scientist, Carlie Cooper could easily help Spider-Man track down a villain he’s after, or befriend Peter Parker as he works outside the suit.
It would also mark the first time audiences would see Spider-Man working closely with law enforcement within the MCU, something he may have to do without the same access to other Avengers as he once did. More importantly, it would also keep Carlie Cooper away from the damsel-in-distress trope that has hurt love interests in past Spider-Man films. The villain of Spider-Man: Brand New Day remains a mystery, and Carlie Cooper could play a key role in uncovering who that is within the narrative.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day will look to change the status quo of the MCU’s version of the character, similarly to how the comic book run did in the early 2000s. Many of Spider-Man’s most famous villains and supporting characters have appeared in the films released, and now is the time for Marvel Studios and Sony to introduce some new ones. The MCU rebooted Spider-Man and focused on new villains to refresh the series, before No Way Home. Spider-Man: Brand New Day will seemingly return to that vision, and that makes Carlie Cooper an ideal candidate for the story.
Marvel Studios doesn’t directly adapt the source material it names its projects after, but it still takes heavy inspiration from it, and the inclusion of Carlie Cooper is one the film could easily incorporate. Some may see Sink taking on a bigger role in the MCU, but Carlie Cooper could continue to play a part in the MCU, and not just as a love interest. In the comics, Cooper also tragically becomes a monster; therefore, another potential storyline the MCU could pursue.
As exciting as it would be to see Black Cat, Firestorm, Jean Grey, or other popular Marvel characters appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, there has to be a natural place for them in the story. Based on the details revealed so far, Carlie Cooper’s inclusion is more logical than the rumors, especially with a young actress already cast who’s destined to play her.
