Ever since Sadie Sink was cast in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, her character’s identity has been a closely guarded secret. The most popular theory was that she was the MCU’s version of the iconic X-Man, Jean Grey. But other theories persisted, like the mutant Firestar, or even Jean Grey’s daughter, Rachel Summers. But, as it turns out, the earliest theory was the correct one. Sadie Sink is indeed the MCU’s Jean Elaine Grey, one of Marvel Comics’ most powerful mutant telepaths. But there are significant differences between comic book Jean, the Fox X-Men movies Jean, and our new Marvel Cinematic Universe version.
How Brand New Day Introduces the MCU’s Jean Grey
In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Spidey (Tom Holland) works with the Department of Damage Control to help capture a powerful psychic who has been committing terrorist acts against the government agency. This mysterious person has the power to psychically jump into different bodies and take them over, usually from a distance of no more than 33 feet away. Although she’s the antagonist, by the movie’s third act, Peter Parker realizes that Jean is attacking Damage Control because they kidnapped her equally psychic sister Sara, and she wants her back.
When Damage Control ultimately captures Jean, she finds out that her sister Sara died under their imprisonment, and then truly unleashes her telepathic power on much of New York City in a rage. She attempts to kill the DODC’s William Metzger (Tramell Tillman), but Peter Parker appeals to her better nature, and stops her from murdering him in cold blood. She then goes off to parts unknown, although it certainly appears the bus she gets on is heading toward upstate New York, famously the home to Charles Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.
Marvel Comics’ Jean Grey Was Not as Powerful as a Teenager
In the comics, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced Jean Grey as Marvel Girl in 1963’s X-Men #1. But early on, she was only a telekinetic, not a telepath. When Professor X faked his death in 1968’s X-Men #43, we learned Jean was also a telepath. However, Professor X had blocked her telepathy when she was younger, as the power was overwhelming to her. Her powers began to manifest as a child, when she telepathically linked to her friend Annie, and she was mentally tethered to her when she died in an accident.
With Xavier gone, Jean became the X-Men’s resident telepath, and flexed both of her mental powers. But it wasn’t until Jean became the Phoenix in Uncanny X-Men #101 that the true extent of her telepathy shone through. Readers soon discovered she was one of the most powerful minds in the Marvel Universe. Over the years, Phoenix or no Phoenix, Jean Grey’s mental powers classify her as an Omega-level mutant.
Sadie Sink’s Jean Grey Is Already an Omega-Level Mutant Telepath
In the MCU, Jean is clearly already an Omega-level mutant as a teenager. This version of Jean had never met Professor Xavier, so no psychic blocks were ever placed on her. That’s something even Patrick Stewart’s Xavier did to his Jean, played by Famke Janssen. And this new Jean has already flirted more than once with her dark side in Brand New Day. We won’t have to wait for a Dark Phoenix Saga: Take 3 for that one. Will whatever version of Professor Charles Xavier she meets try to limit her powers, possibly for her own good? From what we know from both the comics and the original X-Men films, that never works out for anyone. But we can’t wait to see just how far Sadie Sink’s Jean will take it in future MCU installments.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, and starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Mark Ruffalo, and Tramell Tillman, is now playing in theaters everywhere.