The Spider-Man: Brand New Day villain was kept secret in the run-up to release, but now that the film has arrived, we finally know the identity of the bad guy pulling all the strings.
Below, we've broken down the identity of the Spider-Man: Brand New Day villain and how it all plays out in the Marvel Phase 6 film. Naturally, that means there are major spoilers for the new film ahead! Turn back now if you're not up to date!
So, for all you need to know, head to the below. For even more, check out our spoiler-free Spider-Man: Brand New Day review.
Who is the villain in Spider-Man: Brand New Day?
For much of the runtime, the Spider-Man: Brand New Day villain appears to be Sadie Sink's mystery character. She is able to possess random, innocent people and use them for her schemes, and she even takes over MJ to fool Peter Parker into thinking his love remembers him in a particularly cruel moment.
Sink's character is eventually revealed to be none other than Jean Grey, as many had guessed. But soon after the reveal, we learn more about her, including that she has a psychic older sister named Sara who was kidnapped and experimented on by Damage Control.
After Spidey helps Damage Control catch Jean, he quickly realizes his mistake when he learns the organization's boss Bill Metzger lied to him. Metzger claimed that Jean said "Sarah" to Spider-Man before passing out because she'd learned the name from Metzger's mind. However, MJ tells Peter she remembers nothing from being mind-controlled by Jean, meaning Metzger shouldn't remember anything from Jean's time in his head.
It then becomes clear that Metzger and Damage Control killed Sara with their experiments, and they intend to continue their work with Jean. Throughout the film, Jean hunts for something called V-max, because Sara beamed the word into her head. When Jean is being held captive by Damage Control, she looks up and sees the word "Ventmax" on an air vent above her, though the sticker is peeling off so it instead reads "V-max." Jean then realizes Sara died in this same room, which prompts her to unleash a huge blast of her psychic powers.
Spidey fights his way to Jean, learning along the way that Damage Control had weapons on standby to use against him that neutralize his webs. He also has to go up against the Hand, who have been enlisted as security by Damage Control. Peter is able to get Jean on his side, but Punisher, aiming for Jean, accidentally shoots the webslinger instead. Punisher takes Spidey to hospital and Jean uses her powers to keep him alive, and he ultimately recovers.
In the confusion, Metzger escapes – though Yelena Belova is helping to decode all of Damage Control's redacted files.
So, while Jean was certainly working against Spider-Man throughout the film, the real villain was Metzger and Damage Control.
For even more on the MCU, check out our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.
