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Waiting for Brand New Day: why these five characters matter
The anticipation for Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a familiar itch for Marvel fans — the kind you can’t scratch until tickets go on sale. After the emotional and multiversal upheaval of No Way Home, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker stands at a crossroads: publicly erased, privately scarred, and primed for bold new directions. Below are five characters whose appearances would not only electrify audiences but could also shift the tone and trajectory of Spider-Man 4 within the MCU.
1. Kingpin (Wilson Fisk): a villain who connects New York’s street-level universe
Why he should appear
Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin already looms large in MCU-adjacent properties. As Daredevil’s arch-nemesis and a canonical Spider-Man foe in the comics, Fisk is the kind of adversary whose threats are personal and infrastructural — he doesn’t just challenge Spidey physically, he threatens the city’s social fabric. Bringing Kingpin into Brand New Day creates a natural bridge between Marvel’s Netflix-era street-level storytelling and the spectacle of the MCU.
Comparison and context
Kingpin’s menacing presence recalls the grounded criminal underworld explored in shows like Daredevil and films such as Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2, where villains were as much about moral corruption as they were about tentacles or goblins. Casting Kingpin as a primary or supporting antagonist would allow the film to balance blockbuster action with gritty crime drama, echoing the tonal blend that made Into the Spider-Verse so resonant.
2. Doctor Strange: the magician of consequences
Why he should return
Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange played a crucial role in No Way Home — his spell erased everyone’s memory of Peter Parker, and that act still reverberates. He’s the logical magical anchor for any follow-up that explores the lingering fallout of altered realities. Even a small role from Strange could enable poignant character reunions or drive a plot where chosen memories are restored selectively.
Industry insight
Marvel has used major supporting appearances (Tony Stark in Homecoming, Nick Fury in Far From Home) to tether Spider-Man films to the wider MCU. Bringing Strange back would be consistent with that strategy while giving the franchise a mystical counterpoint to the film’s more street-level stakes.
3. Deadpool: tonal risk, huge reward
Why fans want him
Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool is the franchise wildcard — his irreverence and fourth-wall antics could either clash with Holland’s youthful Parker or create one of the funniest mismatches in MCU history. With Deadpool & Wolverine ushering Wade Wilson into the MCU, a crossover is now feasible from a rights and continuity perspective.
Critical perspective
However, mixing Deadpool’s R-rated chaos with Spider-Man’s PG-13 family tone would be a delicate balancing act. A brief, well-placed cameo that respects both characters’ tonal boundaries could provide comic relief without undermining Peter’s emotional arc.
4. Gwen Stacy: a canonical love interest with dramatic potential
Why she matters now
Gwen Stacy is one of Spider-Man’s most enduring romantic figures, historically anchoring Peter to a tragic emotional center. Introducing Gwen in Brand New Day would offer a fresh romantic dynamic for a Peter still grieving Aunt May and reeling from M.J.’s erasure. A modern MCU Gwen could honor earlier portrayals (Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard) while carving a new, contemporary path.
Fan reception and storytelling opportunities
Gwen’s arrival could double as a character study: how does Peter move forward? Bringing her in now—rather than repeating past love triangles—allows the film to explore themes of grief, growth, and second chances.
5. The Symbiote (Venom tease): temptation and transformation
Why the Symbiote is a major tease
The post-credits thread from No Way Home left a strand of the Symbiote behind, a classic Marvel setup that hints at a black-suited Spider-Man or a Venom crossover. Given Peter’s fragile mental state, the Symbiote’s arrival would offer a psychological thriller angle: power at a cost, charisma with a corrosive influence.
Comparisons to earlier films
Think of how Tobey Maguire’s black-suit arc in Spider-Man 3 amplified his darker impulses — an MCU version could modernize that transformation with tighter emotional stakes and a sharper integration into the ongoing multiverse story.
Behind the scenes and trivia
Some useful trivia for fans: Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin have already blurred lines between Netflix and MCU shows, making Kingpin a low-resistance cameo. Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock left a piece of the Symbiote in Earth-616, so the narrative seed is canonically planted. And Deadpool’s official entry into the MCU with Deadpool & Wolverine removed one of the biggest legal and tonal obstacles for a crossover.
Film critic Anna Kovacs says, "Spider-Man: Brand New Day has the opportunity to be both intimate and expansive — to marry street-level drama with multiverse spectacle. Smart cameos will enrich Peter’s journey rather than distract from it."
Concluding thoughts: what a smart Spider-Man 4 could do
Each suggested character offers different storytelling payoffs: Kingpin brings grit and long-term stakes; Doctor Strange offers magical consequences; Deadpool provides comic anarchy; Gwen Stacy lends emotional gravity; and the Symbiote threatens a darker transformation. The smartest route for Brand New Day is to pick two or three of these threads and weave them tightly into Peter’s psychological arc rather than attempting every fan wish-list cameo. Done right, Spider-Man 4 could redefine Tom Holland’s Spider-Man for the next era of the MCU — balancing blockbuster spectacle with character-driven drama in a way that honors past films while charting bold new territory.
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