Multiple sources have now said that Marvel Studios' plans to cast a female villain for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. We've heard the studio is looking for someone between the ages of 30 and 50 to play the mystery antagonist, though we remain in the dark about who she is.
The wall-crawler only has a handful of female foes, and it's not outside the realm of possibility that a character like the Hobgoblin or Chameleon could be gender-swapped.
Today, @MyTimeToShineH brings word that Aquaman and Batman Forever star Nicole Kidman is being eyed to play Spider-Man: Brand New Day's big bad.
It's unclear whether she's in talks at this stage, but given her history with comic book movies, we see no reason why the Oscar winner wouldn't jump at the chance to join the MCU. Kidman, meanwhile, is another big name Marvel Studios would no doubt be eager to bring into the fold.
The Oscar-winner has many credits to her name, including Practical Magic, Moulin Rouge!, Paddington, The Perfect Couple, and Babygirl. With Mark Ruffalo's Hulk expected to appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, we also can't discount the possibility of her portraying a villain from the wider MCU.
In 2018, Kidman explained what drew her to a project like Aquaman. "I knew [director] James Wan was going to do something really interesting and really fun and I’ve wanted to work with him since he started out in Australia in low-budget horror, and I’ve followed his career."
"I do this with directors," she added. "I follow certain directors. So I’ve been following James. And then he showed me some of the drawings [he was] doing, and he said, 'See this is why you have to be in the movie, because I’ve drawn her to look like you.'"
Spider-Man: Brand New Day shares a title with a controversial era of storytelling, which saw Marvel Comics give the wall-crawler a fresh start by ending his marriage to Mary Jane Watson and making his identity secret again. He faced many new sinister foes during that time and was surrounded by an overhauled supporting cast, including a resurrected Harry Osborn.
Mister Negative, Jackpot, Menace, and Carlie Cooper were some of the standout new creations, and no doubt among the most likely possibilities to make an appearance. You can learn more about how "Brand New Day" is likely to influence the next Spider-Man movie here.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings helmer Destin Daniel Cretton directs Spider-Man: Brand New Day from a script by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. Tom Holland leads a cast that also includes Zendaya, Sadie Sink, and Liza Colón-Zayas.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be released in theaters on July 31, 2026.