Liza Colón-Zayas, who plays NYPD Detective Jean DeWolff in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, discusses the character’s role as one of Peter Parker’s few remaining sources of support after the events of No Way Home. Their phone conversations establish warmth and trust despite DeWolff not knowing Spider-Man’s identity, and she helps calm him when he loses control of his powers.

Colón-Zayas said director Destin Daniel Cretton encouraged her to bring her own Bronx-rooted personality to the Marvel role, which she saw as an opportunity for the films to better reflect New York. Preparing with comic books supplied by her son, she connected with DeWolff’s toughness and determination, while noting that earlier comic versions of the character looked very different.