Liza Colón-Zayas has joined the cast of ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ and fans think she’s playing Rio Morales

The Emmy-winning actress Liza Colón-Zayas who gained fame for her role as Tina Marrero in FX’s The Bear has joined the upcoming Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures film Spider-Man: Brand New Day which will hit theaters on July 31, 2026.  

The production has not revealed any information about her character but Colón-Zayas joins Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man alongside Zendaya as MJ and Jacob Batalon as Ned.  Sadie Sink has also been cast in an undisclosed role.  

Fans have already begun to speculate that the award-winning actress is playing none other than Rio Morales, mother of Miles Morales / Spider-Man, but nothing has been confirmed from the studio for her role at this time.

Speculation has been present for some time as many members of the cast, crew, and the studio itself have all expressed a strong desire to introduce Miles Morales into the realm of live-action, and this film presents the perfect opportunity to put Miles into the mix as Peter is now stepping into the role of Spider-Man alone following the events of Spider-Man No Way Home.

 The upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day film will be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton  (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) after Peter Parker’s identity was forgotten by  all characters in Spider-Man: No Way Home.  The film is part of Phase Six of the  Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

The cast gains additional depth through  Colón-Zayas’s addition and fans continue to wait for more information about her character as production continues.