Tom Holland’s Spider-Man 4 Casts A Stranger Things Star

Jeff Sneider reported in December 2024 that Sink was the frontrunner to play Jean in Marvel Studios’ “X-Men” reboot. Deadline also notes in its casting announcement that “the prevailing theory is [Sadie Sink] will be introduced as X-Men character Jean Grey.” At the same time, the article admits Sink could, in fact, be playing Mary Jane instead.

Holland’s previous “Spider-Man” films also prominently featured guest stars: Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury in “Far From Home,” and then Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parkers, plus all of their major villains, in “No Way Home.” (Not to mention Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange.)

Perhaps Marvel intends to use “Spider-Man 4,” a guaranteed hit, to springboard its “X-Men” reboot for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Like Spider-Man, the X-Men are typically teenage outcast heroes, so there’s commonality to explore. Peter and Jean, however, don’t have much of a comics history to build off of. This exchange from Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley’s “Ultimate Spider-Man” is the most memorable conversation they’ve had:

Marvel Comics

Then again, in “Ultimate Spider-Man,” Peter dated the X-Men’s Kitty Pryde for a bit — perhaps the new “Spider-Man” movie will do that storyline, but with Jean (the no. 1 X-Woman) rather than Kitty? Jean would also definitely be a temporary love interest for Peter, which would leave the door open to bring back Zendaya’s MJ. 

Admittedly, bringing back MJ and Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) would undermine the ending of “No Way Home” and its themes of responsibility; Batalon, in particular, has said he wouldn’t mind sitting future “Spider-Man” movies out. But since Holland and Zendaya are a real-life power couple now, the temptation to bring MJ back must be strong.

“Spider-Man 4,” directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, is tentatively scheduled to open in theaters on July 31, 2026.