Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s Confirmed X-Men Villain Is The Start Of A New Era For The MCU

The reveal of a new X-Men villain in Spider-Man: Brand New Day may very well be the start of a new era for the MCU. While the trailer featured major names like Bruce Banner’s Hulk, Scorpion, and The Punisher, it also debuted a lesser-known character who could prove very important in crafting the MCU’s future beyond the Multiverse Saga.

Following Avengers: Secret Wars, Marvel Studios is expected to introduce the X-Men as native heroes of Earth-616, with Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier already developing an X-Men project. Keeping that in mind, planting the seeds for mutantkind’s full debut ahead of time makes sense, including the public’s traditional fear and hatred toward mutants from the original Marvel Comics.

Beyond the theories that Sadie Sink’s mystery character will be revealed as Jean Grey, the new Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer does confirm the involvement of an X-Men villain who could be perfect when it comes to laying the groundwork for mutantkind’s greater presence in the MCU.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Will Feature Tramell Tillman As William Metzger

The newest trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day confirms that Severance’s Tramell Tillman is playing William “Bill” Metzger. In the MCU, Metzger looks to be the director of the Department of Damage Control, the organization tasked with cleaning up after, containing, and monitoring enhanced individuals, and made its first on-screen debut in Spider-Man: Homecoming. In the new trailer, Metzger is seemingly recruiting Spider-Man to help the DODC take down a dangerous mind-controller, describing them as an enemy they “can’t see” and “can’t control.” Bill also says Spider-Man appears to be the only one immune (presumably thanks to his spider-sense).

While Metzger may appear to be another government official trying to keep the public safe, readers of the original comics know better. On the page, William Metzger was the leader of the Anti-Mutant Militia, publicly stoking fear and hatred of mutants before he was ultimately killed by Magneto. As such, it’d be pretty strange if Marvel Studios were to use the name William Metzger and not have some sort of connection to the comic’s version, especially with mutants being so imminent on the horizon for the MCU.

How Metzger Could Kick Off Anti-Mutant Sentiments In The MCU (Before The X-Men)

Bill Metzger’s dialogue in the latest Brand New Day trailer becomes even more interesting considering all the current fan theories surrounding the hooded mystery mind-controller played by Sadie Sink. If the massive speculation proves correct and Sink is ultimately proven to be the X-Men’s incredibly powerful psychic Jean Grey, it’s even easier to imagine someone like Metzger viewing mutants as a major danger that “can’t be controlled.” From that point on, the classic anti-mutant fear and hatred practically writes itself for the MCU, even with more established heroes like the Avengers still being accepted.

The MCU’s DODC already has a rough reputation thanks to its increasingly aggressive tactics toward enhanced individuals, as was seen in Ms. Marvel’s Disney+ series (a confirmed early MCU mutant). As such, introducing a live-action version of Metzger running an organization like the DODC could be the start of some major institutional distrust toward mutants ahead of the X-Men’s official debut. Seeing as how the Metzger of the comics had connections to Bolivar Trask and the mutant-killing robot Sentinel program, there’s some pretty dark potential for how the MCU might start using the DODC against mutants in the near future.

If that’s indeed the direction Spider-Man: Brand New Day is taking, it’s easy to see how Spider-Man’s next adventure could become a major narrative pillar for the MCU and its future beyond the Multiverse Saga. Likewise, it just makes sense for Marvel Studios to start laying the groundwork and planting seeds ahead of an official X-Men movie, and characters like Metzger (and hopefully Jean Grey) could be a very exciting means of doing just that.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day releases in theaters on July 31st from Sony and Marvel Studios.