An ongoing rumor seems to suggest that the character of Mr. Negative will feature as the primary villain in the upcoming Spider-Man 4. Sony Pictures recently confirmed the title of the film as Spider-Man: Brand New Day while also revealing the project’s first-look logo at the 2025 CinemaCon. While the studio shied away from sharing any details regarding the film’s antagonist, a prevalent theory on the internet indicates that the fabled Chinese gangster might fill the role.
According to a renowned internet scooper, Marvel Studios is looking to cast a 30-50-year-old Asian actor for a significant role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Even though Daniel Richtman’s latest X (formerly Twitter) update failed to specify the part for which Marvel is supposedly recruiting, the description of the artist needed in Spider-Man 4 has convinced fans that it is for the role of Martin Li, AKA Mr. Negative. Notably, the character also served as the big bad for the Spider-Man: Brand New Day comic, further solidifying the said rumor among fans.
Additionally, Stephen Oyoung, who voiced Mr. Negative in the two Insomniac Games-developed Spider-Man video games, has expressed his desire to reprise his role in Spider-Man 4. The actor recently took to X to react to Marvel’s Brand New Day casting rumor and wrote, “Just for giggles let’s all tag @MarvelStudios. JOIN ME!”
Last year, Culture Crave also shared a similar update on Threads, highlighting Oyoung’s eagerness to don the mantle of Mr. Negative in a big-screen outing. “What’s a guy gotta do? I have been on the grind in this biz for almost twenty years. I only know kung fu and have a dream,” he said, as per the digital news outlet.
Despite the encouraging updates, neither Marvel Studios nor Sony Pictures has shared any official news on the topics of Mr. Negative and the main villain of Spider-Man 4. Filming on the project is expected to commence in the summer of 2025, with the movie having an official release date of July 31, 2026.