The reveal of a new X-Men villain in the Spider-Man: Brand New Day may well be the start of a new era for the MCU. While the trailer featured big names like Bruce Banner’s Hulk, Scorpion, and The Punisher, it also debuted a lesser-known character who could prove to be very important in shaping the MCU’s future beyond the Multiverse Saga.
Follow Avengers: Secret WarsMarvel Studios is expected to introduce the X-Men as native heroes from Earth-616, with Thunderbolt* director Jake Schreier is already developing one X-Men project. With that in mind, it makes sense to plant the seeds for mutantkind’s full debut ahead of time, including the public’s traditional fear and hatred of mutants from the original Marvel Comics.
In addition to the theories that Sadie Sink’s mysterious character will be revealed as Jean Grey, the new Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer confirms the involvement of an X-Men villain who could be perfect when it comes to laying the groundwork for mutantkind’s larger presence in the MCU.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day will feature Tramell Tillman as William Metzger
The latest trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day confirms it Severance’s Tramell Tillman plays William “Bill” Metzger. In the MCU, Metzger appears to be the director of Damage control departmentthe organization tasked with cleaning up, containing, and monitoring enhanced individuals, made its first screen debut in Spider-Man: Homecoming. In the new trailer, Metzger apparently recruits 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 that Spider-Man seems to be the only one immune (presumably thanks to his spider-sense).
Marvel · Mutant Profile Which X-Men character are you? “Mutation: it’s the key to our evolution.”
🐺 Wolverine The loner
🧠 Professor X The visionary
🧲 Magneto The survivor
01
Humans discover your mutant abilities. what are you doing
02
Anti-mutant protesters surround a school full of young mutants. What is your first move?
03
A team of mutants needs a leader for a dangerous mission. What role do you naturally fit into?
04
A powerful mutant threatens innocent people. How do you react?
05
A human politician offers to fight for mutant rights – but has a shady past. what are you doing
06
What is your biggest mistake?
07
Sentinels hunt mutants in your city. What’s your move?
08
What do you think about coexistence between humans and mutants?
Cerebro Scan Complete Your X-Men identity
🐺
Wolverine (Logan)
“I’m the best at what I do. But what I’m best at isn’t very nice.” You’re the fierce loner who acts first and philosophizes later – but beneath that adamantium-coated exterior beats a heart that cares far more than you’d ever admit. You’ve been burned enough times to distrust the world so you keep people at a distance, yet you’d throw yourself into any fight to protect those who slip past your defenses. You don’t need a cause or a manifesto – you just need someone worth fighting for. Like Logan, your greatest strength isn’t your claws or your healing factor; it is the stubborn refusal to let the people you love face danger alone.
Violent Protective Elastic Untamed
🧠
Professor X (Charles Xavier)
“Just because someone stumbles and loses their way doesn’t mean they’re lost forever.” You are the visionary who sees the best in everyone – even when the world gives you every reason not to. Your greatest power is not telepathy; it is an unwavering belief that understanding and compassion can bridge any divide. You lead not through power but through hope, building bridges where others build walls. Some call you naive, but you know that true strength lies in reaching out to your enemy. Like Charles Xavier, you carry the weight of a dream that most consider impossible, and you refuse to let it die.
Visionary Empathetic Diplomatic Hopeful
🧲
Magneto (Erik Lehnsherr)
“Peace was never an option.” You are the survivor who learned the hardest lesson life has to offer: The world won’t protect you, so you must protect yourself. Your conviction is unbreakable and your patience is terrifying – you will wait years to put the right plan into action. You don’t hate humanity; you simply refuse to let your people become victims ever again. Every action you take, no matter how reckless, is driven by a deep love for those who share your struggle. Like Erik Lehnsherr, you are both revolutionary and tragic – a leader forged in pain who will bend the world before it bends you.
Resolutely Strategic Relentless Adamant
While Metzger may appear to be another government official trying to keep the public safe, readers of the original comics know better. On the side, William Metzger was the leader of the Anti-Mutant Militia, publicly inciting fear and hatred of mutants before he was ultimately killed by Magneto. As such, it would be quite strange if Marvel Studios were to use the name William Metzger and not have some sort of connection to the comic book version, especially with mutants so looming on the horizon for the MCU.
How Metzger Could Kick Off Anti-Mutant Sentiment in the MCU (Before The X-Men)
x-men unite in x-men 97 art
Bill Metzger’s dialogue lately Brand new day the trailer becomes even more interesting considering all the current fan theories surrounding hooded mysterious mind controller played by Sadie Sink. If the massive speculation turns out to be correct and Sink ultimately turns out to be the X-Men’s incredibly powerful psychic Jean Grey, it’s even easier to imagine someone like Metzger seeing mutants as a major danger that “can’t be controlled.” From that point on, the classic anti-mutant fear and loathing 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 towards enhanced individuals, as seen in Ms. Marvel’s Disney+ series (a confirmed early MCU mutant). As such, the introduction of a live-action version of Metzger running an organization like the DODC could be the start of some institutional distrust of mutants ahead of the X-Men’s official debut. Considering how the comics’ Metzger 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 is indeed the direction Spider-Man: Brand New Day takes, it’s easy to see how Spider-Man’s next adventure could become an important narrative pillar for The MCU and its future beyond the Multiverse Saga. Likewise, it only 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 hits theaters July 31 from Sony and Marvel Studios.
