MarvelBlog News for January 18th, 2026
This week, we take a modest break from Avengers: Doomsday to cover the other big story.
Presuming that its release date holds, another Marvel movie will debut in 2026.
Photo: Marvel
I’ve been sleeping on it a bit due to all the Avengers: Doomsday drama.
So, today is when I’ll catch up on Spider-Man in MarvelBlog News.
Brand New Day
Photo: BBC
I’ll confess that this wasn’t the original plan for the week, but Marvel threw me a curveball.
We know at least a few other Avengers: Doomsday trailers have been made.
However, Disney didn’t air a new one with Avatar: Fire & Ash this week.
Instead, we got the week four teaser on YouTube instead. You can watch it here:
Since I already told you about that one, we’ll focus on Spider-Man: Brand New Day for a change.
Photo: Marvel
I should be doing that anyway since that film (theoretically) debuts on July 31st.
Sony sure wants that date to hold, whether the latest Spidey flick is ready or not.
Photo: Marvel
Brand New Day ostensibly finished principal photography just before Christmas.
Generally, movies like this take a year between the end of filming and the release date.
Photo: Marvel
To wit, Avengers: Doomsday wrapped in September and will debut in theaters this December.
So, you’d think that the film that finished later would have a release date further from now.
Photo: Twitter/MoviesMatrix
Sony…is going a different way with it, which scares the bejesus out of me.
Since principal photography has ended, we have learned more about Brand New Day, though.
Photo: ComicBook
For example, Jon Bernthal is happily talking about his role in the movie.
Bernthal’s MCU character, The Punisher, will appear and apparently beat the stuffing out of some people.
Photo: Marvel
You can watch the actor comment about his role in this interview:
The important quote is, “It was really important to Destin and Tom, and I do believe we achieved that.”
The Destin here is Destin Daniel Cretton, the film’s director, while the Tom is obviously Tom Holland.
Apparently, the three of them agreed that The Punisher should do plenty of punishing.
More Brand New Day Intel
Photo: VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images
On the Sadie Sink front, the actress has spoken a lot recently.
That’s understandable since Stranger Things just aired its final episodes, which everyone watched.
Photo: BBC
Seriously, the ratings for this show are every bit as historic as Avengers: Endgame’s box office.
Anyway, Sink has made a few comments about her appearance in Brand New Day.
Photo: ELLE
First, she cheekily acknowledged the creepy power of the internet with a funny anecdote.
Sink read the same reports you and I did that she had been cast in the film.
Photo: PEOPLE
That was news to her. Then, sure enough, a couple of days later, her agent got the offer.
So, the internet knew Sink was in Brand New Day before she did.
Photo: Nerdist
The next time you give one of those rumor reporters/sites a hard time, remember this story.
Anyway, the actress has rebuffed rumors that she is, in fact, Jean Grey in the MCU. Well, kind of.
She has coyly deflected whenever anybody asked, maintaining the secrecy surrounding her character.
Right now, not many people know whether she’s telling the truth, which is really saying something.
As I just said, some of the same folks knew when she was cast, yet they don’t know which character she will play…after filming has wrapped.
The other two heavily rumored possibilities are Rachel Summers and my favorite, Mayday Parker.
Source: Marvel
Mayday absolutely stole her scenes in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, so I’d be all for that.
I’m eerily confident that she’s Jean Grey, though, which I wish weren’t the case.
Image: Marvel
The other big rumor is that Eman Esfandi has joined the cast…as MJ’s boyfriend?!
I guess that would maximize the heartbreak and isolation for Peter Parker, so it makes sense.
Source: Marvel Studios/ Sony Pictures
Again, Esfandi’s casting is just a rumor, but there is a mysterious cast listing for a guy in an undefined role. It makes sense.
Marvel Miscellany
Photo: Vanity Fair
The most interesting recent Marvel story involves Tatiana Maslany.
I mentioned her in September when the She-Hulk actress earned some unusual headlines.
Photo: Variety
Maslany, the lead actress on She-Hulk, a Disney+ series, instructed people to cancel Disney+.
This happened during the aftermath of the Jimmy Kimmel kerfluffle, but Disney must have forgiven her.
Photo: Marvel Comics/NYT
According to Maslany, the studio asked her to reappear as She-Hulk in some other story.
While the actress didn’t specify which one, she flatly told fans it ain’t happening.
Source: Marvel Studios
According to her, she rebuffed Disney’s inquiries because she doesn’t want to work with them.
As a huge fan of Maslany and She-Hulk, that’s like a stake to my black heart, but I admire her conviction.
Source: Marvel Studios
On a different note, Damson Idris of F1 finally acknowledged the rumors about him.
He is reportedly in the running to be the next Black Panther, which he neither confirmed or denied.
Marvel
The actor revealed that he loves the character and would be honored to take the role.
However, he isn’t quite prepared to say that he’ll show up as the character in an Avengers or Black Panther movie.
Photo: Marvel
So, Sink and Idris are both more polished about refuting Marvel rumors than Tom Holland is.
Okay, that’s everything for this week. Check back next week when we probably return to Avengers: Doomsday.
