Why Jean DeWolff From Spider-Man: Brand New Day Looks So Familiar

"Spider-Man: Brand New Day" changes everything for New York's favorite webslinger. It finds Tom Holland's Peter Parker at his most alone and miserable, having used magic to make the entire universe forget all about him after he almost destroyed the fabric of space-time. Reactions to "Brand New Day" are largely united in their praise for the new movie, highlighting the action and the heart in the story.

Even if the universe forgot about Peter Parker, Spider-Man is not entirely alone. Destin Daniel Cretton's film gives the superhero a whole lot of new allies and rivals — meaning a whole lot of Marvel-style cameos and surprise appearances. There are the big ones like Mark Ruffalo's Hulk, Jon Bernthal's Punisher, and Sadie Sink's surprise character. But there's also a plethora of side characters that populate the New York of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" played by established character actors and new fan-favorites like Keith David, Tramell Tillman, Marvin Jones III, Eman Esfandi, and more.

One face that might be very familiar when watching "Brand New Day" is that of the Jean DeWolff character. DeWolff is a detective and Spider-Man's main point of contact with law enforcement throughout the story, basically the Commissioner Gordon to his Batman.

Jean DeWolff looks familiar because she is played by Liza Colón-Zayas, who has been a staple of television for 30 years, appearing in "Law & Order," "House," "Dexter," and much more. She even appeared in a DC Comics title, playing Detective Jessica Perez in "Titans." Colón-Zayas is indubitably best known for playing Tina Marrero in FX and Hulu's "The Bear," one of the breakout characters on that excellent and chaotic show.

Liza Colón-Zayas has been acting since the '90s on both TV, film, and the stage, appearing in several Off-Broadway shows. She acted in prestige dramas like Paul Greengrass' Oscar-nominated film "United 93," and franchises like "The Purge: Election Year." On TV, Colón-Zayas appeared in some of the biggest shows of the 2000s and 2010s like "House" and "Dexter," where she acted alongside her husband, David Zayas.

Though she's been acting for over 30 years, Colón-Zayas became a household name thanks to "The Bear," where she played Tina, a cook at the titular restaurant who grows to be an essential member of the team and a gifted chef in her own right, taking more and more responsibility on her shoulders. Colón-Zayas was praised for her performance every season, and she made history as the first Latina to win Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at the Emmys for her work on "The Bear" Season 2.

Now, she is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in one of the biggest releases of 2026. "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" gives us the best Tom Holland Spider-Man story yet, one full of new challenges for the character and new allies that aid in his crusade. Though we don't know what the future holds for Holland's Spider-Man, Colón-Zayas does have a chance to remain a part of this franchise for the foreseeable future. The character Jean DeWolff first appeared in a 1976 issue of "Marvel Team-Up" as a police detective and supporting character of Spider-Man. She is tough and unrelenting, the sister of the antihero Wraith. She also develops romantic feelings for Spider-Man in the comics, though it's hard to imagine Sony and Marvel adding that aspect of the character to the movie.