Exploring the Dual Spider-Man Universes: What to Expect from Spider-Noir and Brand New Day
In 2026, Marvel will unveil two distinct Spider-Man films: Spider-Noir, featuring Nicolas Cage as a 1930s private investigator, and Brand New Day, with Tom Holland reprising his role as Peter Parker. Both films introduce the character Lonnie Lincoln, aka Tombstone, but present vastly different storylines. Discover how these two interpretations of Spider-Man will tackle crime in New York and the intriguing connections between their narratives. Dive into the details of each character's journey and the unique challenges they face in their respective universes.
May 30, 2026, 20:31 IST
A Tale of Two Spider-Men in 2026
The Marvel multiverse is set to deliver two unique Spider-Man experiences in 2026. The first, Spider-Noir, is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. This film features Nicolas Cage as Ben Reilly, a private investigator in 1930s New York who hides his identity as Spider-Man. In contrast, Tom Holland will return as Peter Parker in the fourth installment titled Brand New Day, set to release in July 2026. While both narratives focus on the fight against crime in New York, they present vastly different storylines. Interestingly, both films introduce a character named Lonnie Lincoln, also known as Tombstone. Let's delve deeper into these characters.
Lonnie Lincoln in Spider-Noir
Spider-Noir's Lonnie Lincoln aka Tombstone
In this collaboration between Marvel and Sony, Reilly (Cage) encounters various super-powered beings in New York. The storyline connects these characters to Reilly's past as a soldier in World War I, where he was part of a unit that liberated individuals subjected to unethical experiments by the Nazis in a French village. Among those he rescues are Flint Marko (Jack Huston), Lonnie Lincoln (Abraham Popoola), Jimmy Addison (Jack Mikesell), and Dirk Leyden (Andrew Lewis Caldwell). During this mission, he is bitten by a creature that is part human and part spider, granting him extraordinary abilities that transform him into Spider-Man.
As the Spider battles against the Irish crime lord Silvermane (Brendan Gleeson) and his superpowered henchmen, including Sandman (Marko), Tombstone (Lincoln), and Megawatt (Leyden), he successfully acquires an antidote that he tests on Lonnie first. Fortunately, it works, reducing Tombstone's superstrength. Lonnie then leaves New York to take his mother to Niagara Falls, leaving his future in the series uncertain.
Tombstone in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Spider-Man: Brand New Day's Tombstone
The upcoming Spider-Man film directed by Destin Daniel Cretton will also feature a character named Tombstone. Interestingly, Marvin Jones III, who plays Tombstone, previously voiced the character in the animated trilogy focused on Miles Morales. He will reprise his role from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) in Brand New Day and the anticipated Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.
The trailers for Brand New Day have kept details about Jones' character under wraps. Tombstone, whose real name is Lonnie Lincoln, is portrayed as a mob boss with albinism and possesses unique abilities, including nearly indestructible skin and superhuman strength, similar to Spider-Noir's version. However, further details will remain a mystery until the film's release on July 31, 2026. Another version of Lonnie Lincoln, voiced by Eugene Byrd, appears in the animated series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, where he is depicted as Peter Parker's classmate and an average student. However, like in the comics, he is on a trajectory to become Tombstone, one of Spider-Man's foes. Across all universes, Tombstone and Spider-Man face off, albeit with varying approaches.