Sound the klaxon, as a new rumor has surfaced about Sadie Sink’s Spider-Man 4 casting: she’ll be playing an alternate universe Gwen Stacy. If this does turn out to be true, the movie might bring back one of the most painful deaths in Marvel history.
Let’s address the spider-shaped elephant in the room: there have been a lot of rumors about who the Stranger Things star will be playing in the upcoming MCU movie, so every new one that pops up should be taken with a pinch of salt.
Some have speculated she’ll play Mary-Jane Watson (even though Zendaya already plays “MJ”), others have suggested X-Men’s Jean Grey, and more recently the name put forward was Mayday Parker, which would pave the way for a multiverse adventure.
However, Hollywood insider Jeff Schneider has said he’s now hearing Sink will be playing an alternate Gwen Stacy, Peter Parker’s first love, in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. If true, that could mean revisiting one of the most heartbreaking chapters in Spider-Man’s history.
Spider-Man’s darkest moment may return with Sadie Sink’s rumored role
Gwen Stacy’s death is a cornerstone of Spider-Man lore – and one of the most devastating in all of Marvel history. It kicks off in The Amazing Spider-Man #121, when the Green Goblin throws Gwen off a bridge.
Peter shoots out his web to catch her, but the whiplash snaps her neck. The panel doesn’t show it outright, but the “snap” sound effect is infamous.
Her death marked the end of the so-called Silver Age of comics and the beginning of the Bronze Age, when darker elements and more adult themes were introduced.
It also permanently altered Peter Parker’s character. He wasn’t just a wisecracking hero anymore – he became haunted by guilt and revenge. Marvel had killed off the damsel, and no one saw it coming.
We’ve already seen this play out once on the big screen. In The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Emma Stone’s Gwen meets a similar fate at the hands of Harry Osborn’s Green Goblin, falling to her death in a clock tower.
Of course, if Sink is playing an alternate Gwen, there’s no guarantee the same tragic fate awaits her – but Marvel may still use the memory of that iconic death to raise the stakes, perhaps even referencing or reimagining it.
Whatever the case, we can’t know for sure until the MCU announces Sink’s role. But if it is, Brand New Day might just bring back Peter Parker’s darkest night.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into cinemas on July 31, 2026. Until then, here’s what we know about Avengers: Doomsday, Avengers: Secret Wars, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. You can also check out our ranking of all MCU movies.
