One of Stranger Things’ breakout stars was just cast in Spider-Man 4, but her MCU role may not be what fans expect. The anticipated sequel to Spider-Man: No Way Home has been in the works for some time now. With filming set to start later this year, details about the Spider-Man 4 production have been kept under wraps. Besides the return of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton has been the only other confirmed hire so far. However, based on recent reports, Spider-Man 4 has finally progressed in the casting department.

According to a report from ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, actress Sadie Sink is set to join the cast of Spider-Man 4 in an undisclosed role. Sink was one of the major breakout stars to come from Stranger Things after her excellent portrayal of Max Mayfield. The last season of the popular show will be released this year, so it makes sense that Sink is trying to find her next big project. She is no stranger to huge franchises, and her experience in the action genre makes her a great fit for the MCU.

Sadie Sink Has Been Cast In Marvel’s Spider-Man 4 But Her Role Is Unknown

Sink’s Red Hair Could Be A Hint At Her Character

Previous rumors speculated that Sink was up for the role of Jean Grey in the MCU’s upcoming X-Men reboot, and it wouldn’t be unlike Marvel to try and introduce that character in Spider-Man 4. The studio has often employed the strategy of sprinkling new characters in with established ones to slowly integrate them into the franchise. Of course, having Peter and Jean team up in some way doesn’t seem like the obvious direction to go in, but it wouldn’t be entirely impossible with the help of the multiverse.

There is also another famous redheaded Marvel character that has much closer ties to Peter, and that is Mary Jane Watson. Zendaya played the MCU’s iteration of the character, Michelle “MJ” Jones. She was Peter’s primary love interest until the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home made her forget about his existence. Now that Peter is starting from zero and Zendaya has yet to be confirmed for a major Spider-Man 4 role, Sink could be stepping in to play a new version or variant of Mary Jane. However, there’s another Peter Parker love interest that feels even more fitting for the actress.

I’m Convinced She’s Playing This Peter Parker Love Interest

This Spider-Man Love Interest Has Yet To Make Their MCU Debut

Sink could very well be playing Peter’s new love interest, but not the one that most fans will think of first. Gwen Stacy made live-action appearances in both Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy and The Amazing Spider-Man films, and she’s bound to make her MCU debut at some point. A crucial character in Peter’s story, Sink playing Gwen in Spider-Man 4 would be an interesting direction for the film to take. Considering that he currently has no existing ties anyway, introducing Gwen as a brand-new MCU character in his life wouldn’t be a stretch.

Sink playing Mary Jane may seem inevitable because of the actress’ red hair, but a minor cosmetic detail like this probably isn’t a concern for Marvel. Hair is easily dyed, and previous live-action Spider-Man love interests have done it before. Emma Stone and Bryce Dallas Howard were known for their red hair before playing the blonde Gwen Stacy in their respective films. On the other hand, Zendaya’s iteration of MJ forwent the red hair. Sink being a redhead doesn’t mean that she’s locked into the role of Mary Jane, and she could continue the trend of redheaded actresses playing Gwen.

Why Spider-Man 4 Is The Perfect Time To Introduce The MCU’s Gwen Stacy

In the comics, Gwen is someone who is there for Peter in his early days of Spider-Man. The MCU’s Peter is currently struggling to find his way again, and Gwen would be the perfect character to be by his side. She was speculated to be joining the MCU in the near future anyway, so Spider-Man 4 would be the most logical place to do so. Gwen has especially risen in popularity in recent years due to the success of the Spider-Verse films, and introducing Spider-Gwen into the MCU would make the most sense during the Multiverse Saga.

Sink’s age would also line up well opposite Holland’s Peter, with the actors turning 23 and 29 this year, respectively. Comic Gwen died when she was 20, and Peter is anywhere from his late 20s to his early 30s. Holland’s Peter is obviously on the younger side considering that he was just applying to universities, so introducing a 20-year-old Gwen wouldn’t feel like too huge of a gap. There are plenty of reasons why Sink would make a good Gwen and excitement for Spider-Man 4 is only going to build as they get closer to confirming her actual role.

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