Kevin Feige Connects ‘Spider-Man’ to Marvel’s Biggest 2025 Box Office Disappointment
Kevin Feige has hinted that another major Marvel character could appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026).
Marvel Studios has spent the past year rebuilding its theatrical slate after several uneven box office performances. While recent releases have earned stronger reviews, not every film has found the same commercial success.
That makes Spider-Man: Brand New DayĀ one of the studio’s most important upcoming releases. Tom Holland returns as Peter Parker nearly five years after Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), which earned more than $1.9 billion worldwide.
Following the ending of No Way Home, Peter is living alone after asking Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to erase all knowledge of his identity. Early footage shows him watching over MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon), who no longer remember him.
Zendaya and Batalon both return alongside Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk, Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/Punisher, Michael Mando as Mac Gargan/Scorpion, and Stranger Things star Sadie Sink in an undisclosed role.
Kevin Feige Teases Yelena Belova’s MCU Return
During an appearance at the Chinese fan festival Bilibili World, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige teased Florence Pugh’s next appearance as Yelena Belova.
He confirmed the character plays an important role in Avengers: Doomsday (2026), but suggested audiences may see her even sooner.
“If youāre a fan of Yelena, wait until ‘Avengers: Doomsday,'” Feige said. “Yelena plays a big part in that. But if you donāt want to wait until then, you might see Yelena a little bit sooner in the movies.”
The comment immediately fueled speculation that Yelena could appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is Marvel Studios’ only theatrical release before Avengers: Doomsday.
Kevin Feige on Yelena's role in 'AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY'
"If you're a fan of Yelena, wait until Avengers Doomsday, Yelena plays a big part in that. But if you don't want to wait until then, you might see Yelena a little bit sooner in the movies"
(via: čŗäøč„æ on RedNote) pic.twitter.com/4ws5aQD9np
— Avengers Updates (@AvengersUpdated) July 11, 2026
It also lines up with reports from last August that claimed Florence Pugh would appear in the film, although Marvel has never confirmed those rumors.
Whether Yelena plays a major role remains unclear. A brief appearance or post-credits scene would be enough to bridge the gap between Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Marvel’s next Avengers films.
Marvel Links Yelena to Its Biggest Franchise
The tease comes after Thunderbolts* (2025) became Marvel Studios’ biggest box office disappointment of the year.
When fans last saw Yelena in Thunderbolts*, she had emerged as the emotional center of the team, leading the group into the Void to reach Bob (Lewis Pullman) and help him regain control. After saving New York, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) publicly rebranded the team as the New Avengers.
Despite earning an 88% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, Thunderbolts*Ā finished with just over $382 million at the global box office.
By comparison, Spider-Man: Brand New DayĀ is currently tracking for a domestic opening between $180 million and $190 million. If those projections hold, the film could earn nearly half of Thunderbolts‘ entire worldwide total during its opening weekend.
A Yelena appearance would also bring one of Marvel’s newest leading characters into its biggest active franchise ahead of Avengers: DoomsdayĀ and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).
Fans have long wanted to see Holland and Pugh share the screen. Feige’s latest comments suggest that crossover may happen sooner than expected.
Would you like to see Florence Pugh inĀ Spider-Man: Brand New Day?
