Spider-Man 4: The comic history of Rachel Cole, Sadie Sink's potential Brand New Day character with ties to the Punisher

Sadie Sink's character in Spider-Man: Brand New Day remains a mystery, but a new photo from the set of the film may offer up some clues at her role. In the image, she's seen wearing camo fatigues and combat boots - not exactly a fashion sense associated with many of Peter Parker's love interests or allies from comics. Instead, this may indicate that she's playing a comic book character with more ties to the Punisher than to Spidey himself.

We're talking, of course, about Rachel Cole, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan who Frank Castle takes under his wing in his crusade against crime. Created by writer Greg Rucka and artist Marco Checchetto, Rachel Cole is one of Punisher's closest and most trusted allies, meaning that Sink could be working closely alongside Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle, who is already confirmed to appear in Spider-Man 4.

Rachel Cole in comics

Rachel Cole first appeared in 2011's Punisher #1, with the former marine initially encountering Frank Castle while both of them were hunting a criminal organization known as The Exchange. The group was responsible for the death of Rachel's fiance at their wedding when they were caught in a crossfire between two rival gangs.

This leads Rachel to begin a mission of revenge, eventually taking her into the path of the Punisher when they both attack the same gathering of Exchange leaders. After a face-off between the two, they part ways, with Castle warning her not to interfere with his plans.

However, Rachel later saves Frank from the criminal group known as Black Spectre, with the pair then forming a tenuous alliance, eventually growing to trust each other as the only two people who truly believe in their mission.

Through her association with Punisher, Rachel becomes embroiled in the saga of the Omega Drive, a computer drive with information on numerous criminal agencies that is protected by Daredevil, Spider-Man, and more.

Eventually, when Rachel is put on trial for murder, she's defended by none other than Matt Murdock, going on to escape from prison with the help of Frank Castle.

Rachel Cole hasn't shown up much in recent comics, but she's definitely still out there in the Marvel Universe, meaning that if she is indeed part Spider-Man 4, there's every likelihood that she could come back in comics sooner rather than later as well.

Rachel Cole in the MCU

It's still unconfirmed whether Sadie Sink is actually playing Rachel Cole in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but considering her appearance in the set photos and the involvement of Jon Bernthal's Punisher, it's not a stretch to imagine she could indeed be playing Frank Castle's trusted ally.

While we don't know a ton about the plot of Spider-Man 4, we know that it's set to be a much more street level movie, dealing with Spidey getting down and dirty not just with Frank Castle, but with Tombstone, the Scorpion, and even Mark Ruffalo's Hulk.

With all that in mind, it might make a lot more sense for Sadie Sink to be playing a more active role in the story than a simple love interest for Peter Parker - though it's also possible she could become that as well. It's not a comic precedent, but it's also not unheard of for the MCU to shake things up in that way, especially because Sink is much younger than Rachel Cole in comics.

That could be a mark against the idea that Sink is playing Rachel in Spider-Man 4, or it could be an indication that her place in the movie isn't so cut-and-dried, or even that she could be some kind of composite of characters. And of course, there's also the potential that Marvel Studios will play up her connection to Daredevil as well.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is scheduled to hit theaters on July 31, 2026. While we wait, stay up to date on all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows in the works.