Credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel StudiosA major Marvel Studios release set for 2026 could be missing a familiar fan-favorite hero.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) is currently in production in Glasgow, Scotland, complete with on-location web-slinging. Tom Holland is officially reprising his role as Peter Parker, with the film once again arriving through Marvel Studios’ collaboration with Sony Pictures.
Zendaya and Jacob Batalon will return as MJ and Ned Leeds, though reports indicate Zendaya’s role will be scaled back due to other filming commitments. Stranger Things standout Sadie Sink will also make her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in an undisclosed role. Yet as the cast list grows, one much-anticipated superhero partnership appears to be off the table–at least for now.
Despite speculation, Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock–better known as Daredevil–will reportedly not appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The news, reported by an industry insider (via The Direct), puts an end to rumors that the blind vigilante would join forces with Spider-Man on the big screen in 2026.
For fans who have followed Daredevil’s MCU journey–from his brief but standout cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home, to his turn in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, gritty return in Echo, and upcoming lead role in Daredevil: Born Again–this may come as a disappointment. Given the characters’ long-standing connection in Marvel Comics, many hoped the two heroes would finally share significant screen time. Marvel Studios, however, seems to have other plans.
Instead, the film will feature Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle, AKA The Punisher. Fresh from his appearance in Daredevil: Born Again, Castle is reportedly set for an expanded role in Brand New Day. This aligns with Marvel’s ongoing move to highlight more street-level heroes–though this time, Daredevil won’t be part of the action.
The absence may be more strategic than surprising. Brand New Day looks to reestablish Peter Parker’s solo storyline following the multiverse-shaking events of Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). Alongside Punisher’s debut, rumors suggest the arrival of a savage Hulk and a reimagined J. Jonah Jameson at the helm of the Daily Bugle. Including Daredevil now could risk overstuffing the plot, and Marvel might be positioning him for a bigger payoff down the line.
That long game fits with the studio’s current roadmap. In 2025, Marvel’s releases included Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts* in May, the Disney+ miniseries Ironheart in June, The Fantastic Four: First Steps in July, and Eyes of Wakanda in August. These will be followed by Marvel Zombies in October and Wonder Man in December, the latter debuting under Marvel Television’s Marvel Spotlight banner.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters on July 31, 2026, ahead of Avengers: Doomsday in December–directed by Joe and Anthony Russo and set to unite the Avengers, Fantastic Four, Wakandans, and the original X-Men against Doctor Doom. The saga concludes in December 2027 with Avengers: Secret Wars.
If Marvel is holding the Spider-Man/Daredevil team-up for a future moment, these massive crossover events could be where it finally happens. Seeing Matt Murdock’s streetwise heroics intersect with the chaos of the Multiverse would be classic Marvel timing–and a payoff worth the wait.
The report that Charlie Cox, who recently voiced the leading role in the critically-acclaimed “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” video game, won’t be appearing in Spider-Man: Brand New Day comes after another report that A-list star Pedro Pascal had exited the Avengers: Doomsday filming process amid the First Steps box office decline.
How do you feel about the lack of Daredevil in the presumably street-level Spider-Man: Brand New Day movie? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!