Earlier today, it was reported that Black Widow and Thunderbolts* star Florence Pugh is the latest addition to the cast of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The trades have yet to weigh in, but we've done some digging, and yes, it appears the actress will indeed appear in the movie.
It's a smart move on Marvel Studios' part, as it gives Yelena Belova the chance to shine in a much bigger movie than Thunderbolts* before she takes centre stage in Avengers: Doomsday.
The writing may have been on the wall for Pugh's Spider-Man franchise debut quite some time, as two resurfaced interviews are receiving a lot of attention on social media this afternoon. The first comes from way back in 2021, when Holland shared his interest in a Spider-Man/Black Widow team-up, specifically with Pugh.
Two years later, Pugh revealed that she was eager for Yelena to meet Peter Parker, confirming that she was "desperate" to meet her fellow Brit.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day now features The Hulk, The Punisher, and Black Widow, along with The Scorpion and several other rumoured villains. However, as we don't know the extent of any of their roles, it's arguably too soon to describe the movie as "crowded."
What brings Spidey into contact with one of the leaders of the New Avengers? We'll have to wait and see, but this might be how Spider-Man: Brand New Day connects to Avengers: Doomsday.
Adding further fuel to the fire when it comes to Pugh's reported Spider-Man: Brand New Day casting is the fact that she liked Holland's post announcing that the 2026 movie had started shooting.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day shares a title with a controversial era of storytelling, which, thanks to a deal with Mephisto, saw the wall-crawler get a fresh start when his marriage to Mary Jane Watson ended and his identity became secret again. He faced many new sinister foes during that time and was surrounded by an overhauled supporting cast, including a resurrected Harry Osborn.
Mister Negative, Jackpot, Menace, and Carlie Cooper were some of the standout additions to his world, though they don't currently look set to appear in the movie. Instead, all signs point to Spidey teaming up with (and at some point fighting) The Punisher to take on a Savage Hulk, with The Scorpion thrown in for good measure.
We recently published a feature about how the "Brand New Day" comics could influence the next Spider-Man movie, along with a breakdown of every villain rumoured to appear (there are lots of sinister possibilities).
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings helmer Destin Daniel Cretton directs Spider-Man: Brand New Day from a script by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. Tom Holland leads a cast that also includes Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Michael Mando, and Liza Colón-Zayas.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be released in theaters on July 31, 2026.