Amid huge speculation over Sadie Sink's character in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds has posted a cheeky nod to X-Men character Jean Grey via social media.
Reynolds appeared in-character during Marvel's San Diego Comic Con 2026 Marvel panel this past weekend to help promote Avengers: Doomsday and to show off a new grey-colored version of his superhero suit.
Now, Reynolds has posted what he claims is the exact color shade of this new suit — "Jean Grey" — and stated that "once you see it, you can't unsee it."
Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. pic.twitter.com/rfqw4YqPcY
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) July 27, 2026
For Marvel fans, this is an obvious nod to the ongoing discussion over the identity of Sadie Sink's Marvel role, which will finally be revealed this week when she debuts in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. But has Reynolds given the game away, or is this all just another of Deadpool's jokes?
To be clear, there is no actual "Jean Grey" color in paint company Pantone's range (we checked). And fans will already know that the color's fictional color code, 9-1963, is a nod to September 1963, when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's original The X-Men #1 comic was published.
All of that said, if Reynolds has teased Jean Grey and this isn't who Sadie Sink is playing… well, it would be the exact sort of joke we'd expect. (Remember, also, that Tom Holland has insisted Jean Grey is "not in this movie." We'll see, eh!)
Last year, it was reported that Sink will be back in 2027's climactic Multiverse Saga finale Avengers: Secret Wars, something that seemingly sets her up for a far bigger MCU role. Of course, Marvel is currently prepping its big X-Men reboot, which is being helmed by Thunderbolts/The New Avengers director Jake Schreier. Introducing Jean Grey now would allow Marvel to gently introduce audiences to the idea of a fresh generation of X-Men, before fans get to say farewell to various legacy characters who are returning for Avengers: Doomsday.
Speaking on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Sink discussed the huge amount of secrecy over her role and described not being able to say who she's playing as "torture." Subsequent trailers have kept Sink in the shadows, though she has now begun giving interviews on Spider-Man: Brand New Day's promotional tour, with rather amusingly tight-lipped results. Beyond a marketing tactic to get fans speculating, director Destin Daniel Cretton has insisted that fans will ultimately appreciate being kept in suspense, and stated that Marvel was keeping the identity of Sadie Sink's character a secret until fans see the movie for a "very real reason" that he believes fans won't "get mad at."
Spider-Man: Brand New Day officially launches in theaters on July 31, though previews begin around the world in less than 24 hours. Early reactions from press are already on social media — all of which are very positive — and the movie is now projected to be the biggest box office launch of the year so far.
One thing you won't see in the movie when it launches is a cameo from recurring Marvel actress (and Ahsoka star) Rosario Dawson, who filmed a scene in-character as Clare Temple that has very sadly now been cut. Oh, and if you live in India, there's an 8-second moment you also won't see, due to an unusual decision about censorship.
Image credit: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
