Is Keith David Playing A Mystery Villain In Brand New Day? 1 Spider-Man Character Could Explain His Role

In a surprising development, Keith David’s voice could be clearly heard in the trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. However, no official plot details or casting announcements offer any indication as to what an onscreen role for the actor in the film could be. In any case, the inclusion of one of the most recognizable voices in the industry adds an extra degree of mystery to the story.

There’s already a number of intriguing questions related to the plan for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Among the most pressing of these is, of course, the identity of Sadie Sink’s character and whether or not Jean Grey is really joining the MCU in a Spider-Man movie. That discussion distracts from the matter of Keith David’s presence in the film, which could be of great importance.

After all, for all the characters confirmed to appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, none stand out as an obvious choice to be the main antagonist. Spider-Man: Brand New Day may be carefully obscuring the real threat Spider-Man is up against. But there could certainly be hints in the trailer regardless, and one could be Keith David’s voice.

The actor’s deep, commanding voice makes him a great choice for villainous characters, and there’s one in particular in Spider-Man’s rogues gallery where the casting of Keith David would ensure a strong, sinister vibe.

Jackal Could Be A Secret Villain In Spider-Man: Brand New Day

If there is indeed a mystery villain in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, one of the top suspects should be the Jackal, a character who is arguably the most notable Spider-Man villain without a live-action appearance yet. Given his significance to Spider-Man lore and the fact that he hasn’t been used yet, he’s surely someone on Marvel Studios’ radar.

In Marvel Comics, Miles Warren a.k.a. Jackal is a college professor whose obsession with Gwen Stacy led him to making clones of her, himself, and Spider-Man after her death. Jackal became somewhat of a “mad scientist” figure in Marvel Comics, using his expertise in cloning and deep understanding of Spider-Man’s DNA to get revenge on the hero.

Jackal has served as the evil mastermind of several schemes that Spider-Man has been faced with over the years, including the Clone Saga, the gang war between Doctor Octopus and Hammerhead in pages of The Amazing Spider-Man, Spider-Island, the Clone Conspiracy, and more. More so than Tombstone or Scorpion, Jackal is most certainly main villain material.

What’s more, Keith David’s lines in the Brand New Day trailer support the notion that his role is linked to the scientific element of the story. David can be heard speaking of the “three life cycles of a spider,” thus indicating that his character may have some level of knowledge of the DNA mutations Spider-Man is experiencing.

Not only that, but a handful of the most important figures in Jackal’s most famous story are on hand for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. It’s worth noting that the Punisher (who is about to share the screen with the MCU’s Spider-Man for the first time) was first introduced as a hired gun sent after Spidey by the Jackal in The Amazing Spider-Man #129.

Shortly afterward, both Tarantula and Scorpion were recruited by the Jackal to attack Spider-Man. All three characters having roles in Spider-Man: Brand New Day adds further credence to the idea that the film is bringing Miles Warren to life. Once again, the three may be used as pawns of the Jackal.

Where The Jackal Could Fit Into Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s Story

Based on what’s known about Spider-Man: Brand New Day, a character like him would feel appropriate for the story it’s telling. There’s a profound air of mystery in the trailer, giving the impression that Spider-Man won’t have a clearly-defined enemy he’s going after. And the synopsis supports that idea, as it reveals Spider-Man will be investigating a string of crimes.

With that in mind, the villain of the film may indeed be a schemer like the Jackal, as opposed to a more physical threat like the Scorpion. If that’s true, Keith David’s penchant for voice-over roles would make him a solid pick for the main villain, especially since Jackal is rarely seen without his mask and would likely be a voice-over role for the most part (if portrayed accurately).

For now, there’s no evidence that cloning – the plot device most commonly associated with the Jackal – has anything to do with Spider-Man: Brand New Day’s story. However, that alone doesn’t discount the possibility that Jackal is involved in the story, as that’s something the MCU could always set up for a future installment in its Spider-Man series.

But whether Jackal is making clones of Spider-Man or not, there’s no question that he’s an expert when it comes to Peter Parker’s DNA. That could be the aspect of the character that Spider-Man: Brand New Day leans on for its plot, with Jackal possibly being the one behind the biological changes Peter is going through, such as his new organic webbing abilities.

It may not be a natural consequence of the radioactive spider bite, but something Jackal is doing to him for the sake of science. Or, true to the spirit of the Marvel Comics villain, Jackal may be trying to get revenge on him for some perceived transgression from Peter’s past. In the comics, Jackal blamed him for Gwen Stacy’s death.

Manipulating him from behind the scenes and employing convoluted schemes is his standard modus operandi when he has vengeance on his mind. Jackal excels at (and enjoys) playing with Peter’s mind, and when looking at what’s in the trailer, it’s not hard to imagine that being the explanation for what’s going on in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Another possibility is that Jackal is taking advantage of an existing situation. As an extremely intelligent and ambitious scientist, Jackal may somehow find out about Spider-Man’s DNA mutations and take an interest in exploiting that process for his own gain in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.