The mystery around Sadie Sink‘s character in Spider-Man: Brand New Day show Marvel still has a problem confusing secrets with hype.
Since her casting, there have been rampant rumors about who Sink will play in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Sink has remained coy in interviews during this press run. Marvel has also withheld Sink’s face from any trailers or posters. The studio wants to keep Sink’s character a secret until the movie comes out.
Unfortunately for Marvel, who Sink is playing has been one of Hollywood’s worst-kept secrets. There has been speculation that Sink would be playing Jean Grey for nearly a year. With Marvel bringing the X-Men into the MCU, it makes sense that Kevin Feige would want a young star to play Jean Grey, one of the most important members of the X-Men.
Marvel almost reached the finish line without any major leaks. However, musician Steve Lacy accidentally spoiled the big surprise. During the livestream at the Los Angeles premiere, Lacy was asked about the character he’s most excited to see.
“Jean,” Lacy said. “I like Jean. She’s the villain, but there’s a reason to her madness. I like her. I like her character.”
Did Lacy specifically say, “Sadie Sink is Jean Grey?” He did not. However, saying “Jean” is as close to a confirmation that Sink will play the X-Men character we can expect for now.
Marvel’s secrecy around Sadie Sink shows that surprise has become the studio’s crutch
Marvel has been known to keep details close to the chest when it comes to the MCU. Less is more has been their approach under Feige. However, there is now an overreliance on secrets to hype their movies and create must-see moments.
In Spider-Man: No Way Home, the biggest secret involved the returns of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. Though heavily rumored, Marvel remained silent about Maguire and Garfield until after it was released in theaters. Inserting legacy characters from different comic book universes certainly qualifies as a surprise reveal.
The same can’t be said for Sink as Jean Grey. Marvel has already announced that the MCU will enter the Mutant Era in Phase Seven. The X-Men will be one of the MCU’s pillars going forward — the audience knows these characters are coming. Therefore, the surprise is gone. I’d rather know the actors playing the X-Men right now than wait for a potentially anti-climactic reveal in a movie. I’m already excited for the X-Men. I don’t need a generic surprise reveal to add to the hype.
Marvel probably believes that Jean acting as a villain in Spider-Man: Brand New Day will shock audiences. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Announcing the villain of a Spider-Man movie does not diminish the overall viewing experience. Knowing the villain beforehand creates more hype around their impending battle with Spider-Man.
Marvel can continue to keep secrets. However, it must redefine the difference between secrets and hype if they want surprise reveals to work.
