Sadie Sink kept her lips sealed for over a year. We respect the commitment! Now Spider-Man: Brand New Day is finally here, and we’re so ready to talk.
Since the first set leak in 2025, which showed Sadie Sink with blonde hair holding an unrecognizable object, the fandom has been going crazy. Questions about her character, her involvement, and her screen time were flying all over the internet. Theories spread across social media and there was speculation that Sink would be playing Rogue, Spider-Queen, Jean Grey, and many other possibilities.
*Spoilers ahead. You have been warned. Come back after you’ve watched Brand New Day.*
Sadie Sink is an American actress best known for her role as Max Mayfield in Stranger Things. She’s conquered the hearts of many, including ours. But she’s not only a wonderful TV actress, she’s also an incredible performer who’s appeared on Broadway since a young girl. This girlie acts, dances, sings, and absolutely kills us with her red carpet looks. I mean, what can’t she do?
Her involvement in Spider-Man: Brand New Day was officially announced in March 2025 by Deadline. The internet collectively lost its mind at the thought of seeing their Stranger Things sweetheart on the big screen alongside Tom Holland and Zendaya. Even though her role was kept under wraps for over a year, we finally have our answer, Pop Tellers: Sink is our new Jean Grey (!!).
Who Is Jean Grey, Anyway?
Crash course on Jean Grey (if you’re not in on the whole X-Men lore). She first appeared in X-Men #1 back in 1963. Yes, she’s been around for over 60 years, and the MCU is only just getting to her, but better late than never.
According to Marvel Comics, Jean Grey is an original member of the X-Men and an Omega-level mutant, which is basically Marvel’s way of saying she’s in a league of her own. With telepathic and telekinetic abilities, this Marvel hero’s powers are incredible. In simple terms, she can read and manipulate minds and move objects with her thoughts. Kind of like Eleven from Stranger Things. Everything is connected.
Her powers first awakened at age 10 after a traumatic experience involving her best friend. She spent years unable to be around people without being overwhelmed by their thoughts. If that’s not the perfect origin story for someone struggling with overwhelming power, we don’t know what is.
In the comics, she’s also connected to the Phoenix Force, one of the most powerful entities in Marvel. Oh and Jean has died and come back to life multiple times. Yeah, nothing can stop her.
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What We Saw in ‘Brand New Day’
In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, almost every character seems depressed, overwhelmed, or confused. Jean Grey falls into that category as well. She first appears as a villain, but throughout the movie, we learn more about her story and slowly realize why she is the way she is. Her powers are unmatched, with Spider-Man being one of the few who can stand against her. But don’t worry — they work through their differences in the most emotionally devastating way possible, and we were left crying in the movie theater.
Sadie Sink did a phenomenal job portraying Jean Grey. Tom Holland said it best during his interview with Collider: “She handled the pressure of the character that she’s playing with such grace, and the third act, she steals the movie.”
We couldn’t agree more. The raw emotion and power she brings to the role are genuinely moving. We also can’t help but think her performance in Season 4 of Stranger Things helped secure her MCU role — the similarities between Jean and Max are hard to ignore.
What Comes Next?
None of this has been confirmed yet, but we believe this is only the beginning of Sadie’s journey in the MCU. Her character has only just been introduced, and she still has a lot of room to grow.
Might we speculate that Jean Grey will appear in Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars? Those powers of hers could come in very handy in a fight against Doom.
Sadie Sink, welcome to the MCU. We have a feeling you’re going to be here for a very long time.
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