Spider-Man’s street-level world just got meaner. Marvin Jones III has been cast as Tombstone in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, stepping from voice work in the Spider-Verse films to a full live action turn as one of New York’s coldest crime bosses. The timing is notable. Production briefly paused after Tom Holland suffered a concussion during a stunt, but cameras are slated to roll again shortly and the July 31, 2026 release remains in sight.
Jones is a strong fit for the role. Fans already know his gravel and menace from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and the upcoming Beyond the Spider-Verse. Translating that presence to live action gives Brand New Day a grounded villain with history in both animation and the comics. For anyone less familiar with Lonnie Lincoln, he is a ruthless fixer who rose from Harlem streets to muscle and mastermind, often playing the long game while others grandstand.
In print, Tombstone first appeared in Web of Spider-Man 36 back in 1988, created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Alex Saviuk. He has gone toe to toe with Spider-Man, tangled with Daredevil, and crossed paths with the Kingpin. He is not a world-ender. He is a pressure test for Peter Parker’s everyday hero work, the kind of adversary who forces hard choices about friends, neighborhoods, and where the line between survivor and predator is drawn.
The rest of the picture keeps building. Zendaya returns as MJ. Sadie Sink and Liza Colón-Zayas are aboard in undisclosed roles. Mark Ruffalo is expected to appear as the Hulk. Destin Daniel Cretton directs, with Amy Pascal and Kevin Feige producing, and the film is positioned as Holland’s next chapter after the record-breaking No Way Home run. If Brand New Day leans into street-level stakes, Tombstone is exactly the kind of antagonist who can carry a quieter, tenser kind of escalation.
On the production front, Holland’s concussion paused filming for roughly a week and is not expected to change the schedule. Multiple outlets report work will resume around September 29 with the release date unchanged. That gives Sony and Marvel a clear runway to keep casting and worldbuilding while Holland recovers.
Bringing Jones into live action does two things. It rewards continuity for fans who follow both animation and the films. It also signals a focus on New York crime stories that put Peter back in small rooms with big consequences. If the script gives Tombstone room to scheme rather than simply swing and punch, Brand New Day could feel closer to a crime thriller than a cosmic event, which is where this character thrives.
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