‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Interview: Sadie Sink and More

The film once again stars Tom Holland (‘The Odyssey‘) as Peter Parker / Spider-Man, Zendaya (‘The Drama‘) as MJ, and Jacob Batalon (‘The Wrecking Crew‘) as Ned Leeds. In addition, reprising their MCU roles are Jon Bernthal (‘Daredevil: Born Again‘) as Frank Castle / Punisher, and Mark Ruffalo (‘Poor Things‘) as Bruce Banner / Hulk, as well as new cast members Tramell Tillman (‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning‘) as Bill Metzger, and Sadie Sink (‘Stranger Things‘) in an undisclosed role.

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Sadie Sink and director Destin Daniel Cretton about their work on ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’, the tone of the film, how its different from other ‘Spider-Man’ movies, what it was like for them to work together again, Sink’s mysterious role, and working with Tom Holland.

Related Article: Jon Bernthal to Reprise The Punisher for ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’

‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ director Destin Daniel Cretton.

Moviefone: To begin with,  Destin, as a director, what did you want to do differently with this ‘Spider-Man’ movie?

Destin Daniel Cretton: I was very lucky to be able to work with Peng Zhang and his amazing team on ‘Shang-Chi’, and we had such a great time on that movie. I wanted to see what his style would bring to Spider-Man and his movements. Our stunt team was full of huge Spidey fans who were desperate to see Spidey do some moves on screen that they haven’t seen before. It was really fun to watch them jump into this and develop some things that I think will blow people away.

MF: What was it like for you to work with Sadie again after’The Glass Castle” and how has she grown as a performer?

DDC: I love Sadie. I was so lucky to be able to work with her on ‘The Glass Castle‘ when I think she was 14 at the time. When we were finishing that movie, she was saying, “Oh yeah, I’m going to go off and do this show called ‘Stranger Things’.” I was like, “Good luck. It sounds awesome.” It’s been really amazing watching her over the course of the last few years not only grow in her abilities as a performer, but to see the way she carries herself in just everyday life is very amazing. She’s just a very grounded, wonderful, hardworking, incredibly talented performer. I got to see her in her musical on Broadway and that just blew me away. So, to be able to work with her on this movie and she’s phenomenal. She really steals many scenes in this movie. I think people will be very happy.

Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield in ‘Stranger Things: Season 5 Vol 2.’ Photo: Netflix © 2025.

MF: Sadie, with ‘Stranger Things’ you joined the cast in season 2, and now you are joining the ‘Spider-Man’ series for their forth MCU film. What is it like for you joining the cast of an already established franchise and what was it like coming onboard ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’?

Sadie Sink: I know. I kind of have a habit for it at this point. I think especially after finishing ‘Stranger Things’, it was interesting to go to such a close-knit group of cast members that I considered family at that point and then to go to the next, where I was an outsider all over again. But that being said, Tom and the entire cast were so welcoming. I had worked with Destin before too, so it was kind of comforting to have a familiar presence there. But I felt right at home and it was such a fun experience.

MF: What was it like reuniting with Destin on a ‘Spider-Man’ movie?

SS: It was crazy. It was also like ‘Spider-Man’ is such a different set than the movie that we worked on together. So, it was interesting to be in a different environment and also to be an adult now because he directed the first movie I ever did and made a very lasting impression on me as a young actor. So, to reunite over something as iconic and as fun as ‘Spider-Man’, it was so nice.

(L to R) Tom Holland and director Destin Daniel Cretton on the set of ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’. Photo: Sony Pictures.

MF: There has been a lot of speculation over what character you are actually playing. What’s the craziest online theory you have read about?

SS: I think it was just the amount of theories that I saw that was the most surprising or the craziest to fathom. It just seemed like there was a new character every week that I was supposedly playing.

MF: It’s been reported that you were not allowed to read the script until you arrived on set. What is it like signing on to a project and stepping on to set without having read the script first?

SS: I mean I trusted Destin and obviously I’m a huge fan of the Spider-Man movies, so I trusted that as well. I had a good sense of what I would be doing, but I was definitely eager to get the script, as one would be.

(L to R) Spider-Man and Boomerang in Columbia Pictures ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’. Copyright: ©2026 CTMG. All Rights Reserved. Photo By Sony Pictures.

MF: Was there a “pinch me” moment on set where you said to yourself, “Wow, I’m in a Spider-man movie?”

SS: I mean, honestly, I think it was during the camera tests that we were doing and then seeing Tom in the full Spider-Man outfit. It’s like, “Whoa, that’s Spider-Man,” which is very surreal.

MF: How did it feel when you first put on your costume for the movie?

SS: Well, it’s similar to reading the script for the first time. It’s just nice to know what you’re doing, and what you’re going to look like.

Tom Holland stars in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’. Photo: Sony Pictures.

MF: Finally, Destin, can you talk about balancing the classic lighthearted Spider-Man from the comics with a darker psychological tone for this movie?

DDC: The tone is, I don’t like to use the word “dark” because it does get very real and it covers some subject matters that I feel, at least to me, are close to home. It does touch on the primary theme of this movie, which is isolation versus community. Everything that we’ve seen with Peter Parker up to until this point, he has been surrounded by some type of community that has supported him. This is the first time in his trajectory that he is completely alone. I think we all know that feeling. We all know the psychological battle of your brain telling you that you are the only person on earth who feels this way, and you don’t deserve to be loved and you are destined to be alone the rest of your life. I think those lies come very easy to the human brain. That’s where Peter Parker finds himself in the beginning of this movie. It has been, in a lot of ways, healing to watch Peter go through this journey of learning how to reconnect with people.

Editorial Note:Tessa Smith conducted this interview and contributed to this article.

‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’. opens in theaters on July 31st.

What is the plot of ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’?

Following Dr. Stephen Strange’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) spell at the end of the film ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, the world has forgotten that Peter Parker (Tom Holland) exists. Four years later, Parker anonymously protects New York City as the hero Spider-Man and investigates a powerful new threat while his superpowers undergo a surprising and potentially dangerous evolution.

Who is in the cast of ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’?

• Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man
• Zendaya as Michelle “MJ” Jones-Watson
• Sadie Sink as TBD
• Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds
• Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle / Punisher
• Tramell Tillman as Bill Metzger
• Michael Mando as Mac Gargan / Scorpion
• Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner / Hulk

‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ opens in theaters on July 31st.

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