Peter Parker’s neighbor a Spider-Man comics character? One MCU theory makes the case

Swinging in with box office records falling left and right, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is, predictably, a massive deal this summer. That opening weekend haul? $360 million – the sort of number Sony execs probably dream about at night. It's already managed to speed past the billion-dollar mark, making it one of the fastest films ever to hit that figure. But tucked in behind all the web-slinging and new rogues (Scorpion, Boomerang, Tombstone), there's been a rumour doing the rounds: is that Gwen Stacy making a surprise return to the Spider-Verse after more than a decade away?

Spider-Man: Brand New Day smashed the record for the biggest domestic opening with $360 million.

The Gwen Stacy Speculation

Let's be honest: even before Brand New Day crashed into cinemas in July 2026, fans online were already poring over every shot of the trailers. A split-second glimpse of a young, blonde woman in Peter's slightly gloomy New York flat and suddenly, speculation was off to the races. Could it possibly be Gwen, last seen plunging to her doom back in 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2? With Peter now flying solo after the whole Doctor Strange/MJ memory-wipe incident, the rumour mill was only too happy to churn out theory after theory. And things got wilder when eagle-eyed viewers decided that the mystery blonde looked a bit like Kiernan Shipka (of Sabrina fame) – so wild, in fact, that there were actual rumours Shipka had been spotted hanging about on set simply to protect the secret.

Things got even more confused once Sadie Sink was publicly announced in the cast but in a top secret capacity. Strangely, it seemed half the internet decided she had to be playing Gwen, probably because she’s both blonde and available, and Hollywood’s never been subtle. The reality? Sadie Sink is playing Jean Grey from the X-Men (because yes, that crossover is finally happening). Gwen never actually makes it onto screen at all.

Who Is the Blonde, Then?

So, who’s the actual woman in the apartment scene? Not Gwen, not Shipka, and not even a recognisable face. It’s Taryn Marie Butler, making her first appearance in a film you might actually have heard of – previously, she’s only been attached to a survival thriller called Breaking Cover. Butler shows up as ‘Apartment Girl’, which is mostly there as a tiny nod to a fan-favourite from the old Sam Raimi films: Ursula Ditkovich, Peter’s low-key lovely neighbour from the Tobey Maguire era. She doesn’t say much and there’s no secret identity. Just some nice nostalgia for the old crowd.

• Sadie Sink plays Jean Grey, not Gwen Stacy.
• Taryn Marie Butler is credited as 'Apartment Girl', a wink to Raimi’s originals.
• Rumours linking Kiernan Shipka to Gwen Stacy were false – she’s not even in the film.

For comic purists, there’s one more Easter egg tucked in: in Brand New Day’s second act, Peter heads over to Empire State University – the very same college where Peter and Gwen first crossed paths in the comics. No Gwen in sight, but the reference is clear enough if you know your Spider-Man lore.