‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Almost Featured a Surprising Villain

‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ has been a box office sensation in recent weeks, and now that the film has been out for a while, the creative team is sharing intriguing behind-the-scenes insights. Director Destin Daniel Cretton’s fourth collaboration with Tom Holland centers around Sadie Sink’s Jean Grey, a psychic threat that remains largely unseen throughout the film, creating a mysterious atmosphere in New York.

The development of this character was not straightforward. Screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers have described a complex journey in crafting the film’s antagonist, heavily influenced by rights issues between Marvel Studios and Sony regarding character usage.

Recently, McKenna disclosed that Jean Grey was not the initial choice for the villain role. In an interview on The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood, he revealed that the team considered Shadow King, an X-Men villain known for his telepathic abilities and mind manipulation.

McKenna noted that the Shadow King concept was appealing on paper. He described the character as “a telepath that first gets discovered by Charles Xavier,” with origins linked to an encounter in Egypt. The initial pitch involved the villain being a voice throughout the film, searching for his lost physical body hidden somewhere in New York City.

The narrative would have kept audiences in suspense, as they would not see the true form of the threat until later in the story, focusing on his quest to reclaim what was taken from him.

Despite its intriguing premise, the Shadow King version ultimately faced challenges. McKenna candidly explained that the concept fell short because a disembodied voice lacked the depth needed for a compelling villain. He emphasized that Spider-Man’s stories thrive on Peter’s direct interactions with his adversaries, something a faceless antagonist could not provide. This realization led the writers to pivot towards Sadie Sink’s Jean Grey, allowing for a tangible confrontation by the film’s climax.

It’s about to be a Brand New Day. Get tickets now. #SpiderManBrandNewDay is in theatres July 31. pic.twitter.com/rJeJHEfdYV

— Spider-Man Movie (@SpiderManMovie) July 21, 2026

Shadow King was not the only character considered. McKenna also mentioned earlier ideas involving Kraven the Hunter and Chameleon, both of which were ultimately discarded due to various issues, including film rights conflicts. Each concept faced its own set of challenges, whether it was overlapping rights with Sony’s projects or structural problems that made them unfeasible.

The surprising aspect of the Shadow King idea is that he has little to no connection to Spider-Man in the comics, primarily existing within X-Men narratives as a foe for Charles Xavier. Incorporating him into an MCU Spider-Man film would have represented a bold choice, even for a franchise known for its multiverse connections.

This approach would have pushed the film further into psychological horror territory, given Shadow King’s history of mind manipulation and possession. Interestingly, some elements of this concept may have influenced the final film, as Jean Grey’s powers in ‘Brand New Day’ involve body possession, hinting that the Shadow King idea left a lasting impact on the script.

Currently, ‘Brand New Day’ continues to perform impressively at the box office, while Shadow King remains one of the many villains, alongside Kraven and Chameleon, who never made it to the big screen.

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