Sadie Sink is revealed to play Jean Grey in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”, introducing the X-Men character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe ahead of a planned but uncast “X-Men” film. Her appearance makes Damage Control the film’s principal villain and positions Jean’s traumatic past, powerful psychic abilities and eventual encounter with Spider-Man as a major bridge towards Marvel’s next reboot.

Jean initially uses mind-possession powers to infiltrate Damage Control and seize an undisclosed item from its vault, including by controlling Bruce Banner and unleashing the Hulk. The organisation captures her instead, revealing it had previously abducted and experimented on her older sister Sara, who died in custody; Jean then freezes much of New York in a psychic field before Spider-Man persuades her to abandon her revenge.