Sadie Sink’s Spider-Man 4 role might not be an A-list character like Jean Grey, Black Cat, or Gwen Stacy, but probably a lesser-known Marvel mutant with a special connection to Spider-Man and the X-Men. Sadie Sink’s reported MCU casting in Spider-Man 4 has set off fan speculation about her character’s idenтιтy. Following the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker will likely meet new friends, acquaintances, and enemies, some of whom could be famous characters from the comics.

Fan theories around Sadie Sink’s MCU character include Gwen Stacy, who could be Peter Parker’s next love interest, replacing Zendaya’s MJ. An alternative to Gwen Stacy could be Felicia Hardy a.k.a. Black Cat, who could be a New York vigilante or criminal on top of Spider-Man’s romantic interest. A wilder theory suggests that Sadie Sink is playing a multiversal variant of Mayday Parker or Mary Jane Watson. Otherwise, Sadie Sink’s MCU character could be a different top-tier MCU character like Jean Grey, who could be the first member of the MCU’s X-Men to debut ahead of Marvel Studios’ new X-Men projects. However, there’s another option.

I’m Convinced Sadie Sink Is Playing Firestar In Spider-Man 4

Firestar Was Specifically Created To Be Spider-Man’s Mutant Friend In The 1980s

In 1981, NBC and Marvel responded to Hanna-Barbera and DC’s popular Super Friends with the series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. Spider-Man’s 1980s animated show originally partnered Spider-Man with the Human Torch, but Johnny Storm’s adaptation rights weren’t available at the time, as Universal had acquired them for a potential Human Torch movie or show that never got made. To replace him, the red-headed Firestar was created from scratch to be Spider-Man’s best friend in Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, alongside her fellow mutant Iceman.

Sadie Sink would be a perfect casting choice for a young Angelica Jones a.k.a. Firestar, not only due to her physical appearance and age, but also because her popular performance as Max Mayfield in Stranger Things shares some qualities with Firestar. Sink’s Max and Firestar struggle with the side effects of their abilities, and they brave through their superhuman / supernatural experiences at a young age to become selfless heroes. After her debut in Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, Marvel integrated Firestar into official comic book lore, and she has been both an Avenger and an X-Men hero since then.

Why Firestar Makes More Sense For Spider-Man 4 Than Jean Grey

Firestar Has A Much Stronger Connection To Spider-Man Than Jean Grey

While Sadie Sink could be a great casting choice for the MCU’s Jean Grey, it would make more sense for Sink to be playing a lesser-known mutant. Jean Grey is one of the most famous and important members of the X-Men. Casting Jean Grey for a supporting role in a Spider-Man movie long before the MCU’s first X-Men movie arrives — and long before her fellow X-Men are cast — would be an odd decision for Marvel Studios. The MCU still needs to wrap up the Multiverse Saga, which will probably bring back multiple mutants from Fox’s X-Men franchise before Marvel Studios introduces the next generation of live-action mutants.

As an original creation for Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, Firestar is naturally a strong candidate for Spider-Man’s next best friend after Ned Leeds and MJ. Similarly to her 1980s animated counterpart, the MCU’s Firestar would also be a good replacement for Johnny Storm, whose friendship with Spider-Man likely won’t be able to be explored in Spider-Man 4 because Joseph Quinn’s Human Torch currently inhabits a different universe.

How Spider-Man 4 Introducing Firestar Sets Up The MCU’s X-Men

Firestar’s MCU Introduction Would Be A Nice Warm-Up For The X-Men

While Spider-Man 4‘s release date might be close to the MCU’s first X-Men reboot, it’s still too early to introduce a major member of the X-Men. Nevertheless, introducing a minor mutant character as Spider-Man’s new friend could lay the foundations for the MCU’s X-Men with a fresh face. Spider-Man 4 could take further inspiration from Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends and feature a second mutant character. Now that Peter Parker is focusing more on his Spider-Man persona, it would be natural for him to replace MJ and Ned Leeds with superhero friends like Firestar and another mutant.

Firestar seems like a much more likely mutant to debut in a Spider-Man movie ahead of the MCU’s X-Men reboot. The MCU’s Firestar could have a similar introduction to Ms. Marvel, whose mutant gene was teased almost as soon as she first appeared. Once the Multiverse Saga ends and the Mutant Saga begins, Ms. Marvel and Firestar’s mutant nature could be officially confirmed, and they could be recruited by Charles Xavier into the X-Men.

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