Though we still don't know for sure if this is accurate, enough insiders have weighed in that we are inclined to believe that there is something to the recent rumor that Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures' untitled Spider-Man 4 will introduce a female villain.
Apparently, this mysterious character has already been cast, but won't be played by Stranger Things star Sadie Sink, who is believed to be joining the MCU as a new take on Mary Jane Watson.
Shortly after the initial rumor broke, Jeff Sneider sent out an X post which appeared to hint that another redheaded actress with the initials "SS" may have either been cast or in talks, and he pretty much confirmed who he was referring to during tonight's episode of The Hot Mic.
Based on Sneider's clues, we'd say he was most likely talking about Succession star Sarah Snook. The reporter also mentioned that he heard Anne Hathaway was approached for the role, but turned it down.
If Snook (37) or Hathaway (42) are/were in the mix, it would indicate that this character will be significantly older than Tom Holland's Peter Parker. If this is the case, it could lend credence to the speculation that the villain will be Adriana Soria, aka Spider-Queen.
Spider-Man doesn't have that many major female foes, so if it isn't The Queen, Felicia Hardy/Black Cat would seem like the safest bet. There are other, more obscure possibilities, however, including the likes of Silver Sable, Delilah, Screwball, Stunner, and White Rabbit.
There is always a chance we could see the wall-crawler encounter a villain that wouldn't usually be associated with the character on the page, which would open up a whole host of new potential picks.
In his recent newsletter, Sneider pointed out that Sony’s arrangement with Marvel requires the latter to provide each Spider-Man movie with a major MCU character. Assuming Sink is indeed playing MJ, there's a chance this mysterious female villain will qualify.
Some pretty wild rumors relating to the film have been doing the rounds over the past couple of months, with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's wall-crawlers, Venom, Ghost Rider, Black Cat, Daredevil, The Punisher, Mephisto, Kingpin, and Knull just some of the characters mentioned as possible allies/villains for Holland's Peter Parker.
Here's what Holland had to say about the fourth solo Spidey movie in a recent interview.
"We have the best in the business working toward whatever the story might be. But until we’ve cracked it, we have a legacy to protect. The third movie was so special in so many ways that we need to make sure we do the right thing."
Who do you make of these updates? Which female Marvel Comics villain would you most like to see the webhead take on in Spider-Man 4? Let us know in the comments section.
Spider-Man 4 was recently pushed back a week from July 24, 2026 to July 31, 2026.