One of the Biggest MCU X-Men Reboot Theories Was Just Debunked (& It’s a Good Thing)

Many years after the X-Men helped superhero movies reach a new level of popularity in the mainstream, the iconic mutant team will be looking to usher the Marvel Cinematic Universe into a new era. Marvel Studios is busy developing an X-Men reboot, which will be directed by Thunderbolts* helmsman Jake Schreier. Official details about the project are being kept under wraps for the time being, but that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from churning. In particular, there’s been a lot of speculation about which actors will appear in the film. Earlier this year, there was a report purporting Harris Dickinson, Sadie Sink, and Julia Butters were in the running for key X-Men roles.

In the time since that report came out, Sink joined the MCU by signing on for a mysterious role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. There has been no shortage of fan theories about her character, with Jean Grey being one of the more prevalent ones. Given Sink’s red hair, it’s understandable why some viewers drew that conclusion, but recent photos of Sink on the Brand New Day set hint that she could be playing a very different figure from Marvel lore. And if that turns out to be true, it might be the best thing for Brand New Day.

Sadie Sink Spider-Man: Brand New Day Set Photos Explained

Months after Sink was cast in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, fans finally got their first look of the actress on set. The image wasn’t the most revealing, but it did contain some hints about Sink’s costume. She was seen wearing boots and camo pants (and possibly a military-issued sweatshirt), an outfit that would seemingly debunk she’s playing the next Jean Grey. Instead, it’s more likely that Sink is portraying a character with strong ties to one of the most prominent returning characters in Brand New Day: Jon Bernthal’s Punisher.

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Nothing is officially confirmed at this point in time, but Sink’s costume could be a match for Rachel Cole-Alves. In the comics, Rachel is a Marine veteran whose wedding takes a tragic turn when her husband is murdered. She becomes a vigilante in pursuit of justice, occasionally crossing paths with the Punisher. With Bernthal coming back for Brand New Day and the film sporting an organized crime presence (Marvin Jones III is playing mob boss Tombstone), it stands reason to believe Frank Castle will be fighting alongside a sidekick. One distinct possibility is that Spider-Man will team up with Frank and Rachel to help them stop a gang war brewing on New York City’s streets.

Jean Grey isn’t the only popular fan theory that could be debunked by the set photo. Another fun one that gained traction earlier this year suggested Sink would play Mayday Parker, who in Brand New Day would be the daughter of Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker and Kirsten Dunst’s Mary Jane Watson. Jean Grey and Mayday Parker are very exciting prospects, and they could very well still happen, but it would be for the best if they didn’t pan out.

Why It’s a Good Thing If Sadie Sink Isn’t Playing Jean Grey

One of the key selling points of Spider-Man: Brand New Day is that the film is aiming to tell a more street-level story. After Tom Holland’s Peter Parker traveled to Titan to fight Thanos and battled villains from other dimensions alongside his variants, the filmmakers want to take a step back and let Spider-Man be a friendly neighborhood hero again, doing everything he can to keep New York safe. Brand New Day will still feature fantastical elements and extravagant set pieces, of course (see: the Savage Hulk teases), but the goal is for it to be more grounded in terms of tone and narrative. So, Jean Grey, one of the most powerful mutants in Marvel lore, could be a difficult fit in this particular project.

Brand New Day also isn’t the ideal landing spot for Jean Grey from a timing perspective. Though the X-Men reboot is in active development, it’s still years away from being released. Based on how Marvel’s release schedule is rounding into shape, there’s a strong chance X-Men won’t hit theaters until 2028. It’s expected the mutants will be the primary focus of the MCU’s next saga following Avengers: Secret Wars, so it makes more sense to introduce the new versions of those characters after that — especially since veterans from Fox’s X-Men movies are set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. Introducing the MCU’s Jean Grey now will only create a set of expectations that Marvel can’t fully deliver on right now.

Not only that, Spider-Man: Brand New Day has a lot of moving parts it needs to balance. There are multiple villains rumored to appear, in addition to continuing arcs for established MCU heroes like Hulk, Punisher, and Spider-Man. There are already concerns Brand New Day will be overstuffed with characters, so there really isn’t a need to bring someone as substantial as Jean Grey into the fold as well. It makes a lot more sense to have Sink’s character be someone with strong ties to the Punisher, helping flesh out that aspect of the film instead of introducing an entirely different component. It would be very frustrating if Brand New Day struggled to properly develop a member of the X-Men, leaving a bad first impression on audiences.

It’s unknown if the MCU’s X-Men reboot will feature Jean Grey, but if it does, she should be properly introduced in that film, rather than making a guest appearance in another hero’s solo movie. Kevin Feige reportedly has a 10-year plan in mind for the X-Men, leading some fans to believe the MCU’s next saga will be the Mutant Saga. That would mean the X-Men are vital to the franchise’s future, so it will be important for audiences to be completely onboard with the new versions of these classic characters. The easiest way to accomplish that would be to give the X-Men the full spotlight in their own movie, allowing the filmmakers to do a deep dive and properly flesh out the new cast.

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