Warning: SPOILERS for Spider-Man: Far From Home are present. If you haven’t seen the film yet, turn back and only return once you’ve caught up.
There are a lot of interesting developments that came out the aftermath of Spider-Man: Far From Home, the most momentous of which is the fact that Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is now known to the public at large as Spider-Man. With Mysterio/Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal) putting that little secret into the world, there’s a ton of potential for the famed Web-Slinger’s adventures to go to some interesting places.
One such destination is a place that the Spider-Man series, and to a certain extent the Marvel Cinematic Universe, have been waiting to arrive at for some time: the formation of the Sinister Six. After two Spider-Man solo films in the MCU, and several appearances in team-up films, there are enough threads to pull together what could be a new and exciting turn for the villainous conglomerate that forms to make Peter Parker’s life one big, living hell.
Let’s take a look at what could be bringing this group together, as well as what new members may be present in the Sinster Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Common Thread Of The MCU’s Sinister Six
One member of a potential Sinister Six team in the Marvel Cinematic Universe needs to be revealed right from the start, though we’ll speak more to his place in this lineup when we break down the individual members. That person is, of course, Quentin Beck, a.k.a. Mysterio, the man who may have just given away the common bond of this new squad of adversaries.
A running thread through the MCU in its first three phases has always been the effect that Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has had on the world. With his business empire almost always thriving and his heroism as Iron Man always on display, it’s driven his most envious competitors mad with jealousy.
Though he may have failed in his ultimate goal of becoming the latest and greatest “superhero” on the earth, Quentin Beck’s twin purposes of trying to denigrate the legacy of Tony Stark, as well as take down Spider-Man/Peter Parker in the process, fit together perfectly to inspire a new Sinister Six team-up.
Six figures have had run-ins with Spider-Man and/or Tony Stark so confrontational, their grudges are still worn pretty clearly on their sleeves. Together, those figures could potentially pool their resources and become a fighting force so powerful, Peter Parker won’t know what hit him.
Quentin Beck/Mysterio
Despite the fact that Spider-Man: Far From Home would have you believe that Quentin Beck died on the Tower Bridge in London, it’s hard to accept that “reality” as truth. Beck lets people see what he wants them to see, and considering the last couple moments of Quentin Beck’s life were drenched in illusions that Peter Parker had to fight through, there’s a good chance he’s still alive.
With Mysterio still on the streets, and having outed Peter Parker as a supposed terrorist mastermind, he could return to the world of the living and enlist folks who not only don’t like Spider-Man, but also feel Tony Stark’s memory could be brought down a peg or two. There’s no shortage of those types either, and with Beck being the right villain at the right time, he just might back Peter into a corner he can’t get out of.
Mac Gargan/Scorpion
While he only appeared at the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming, Mac Gargan, better known as “Scorpion” (Michael Mando), has a score to settle with Spidey. He’s clearly not afraid to talk about it either, as he walks straight up to Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton) in the middle of the prison halls and tries to strike up a friendship built on a mutual hatred.
Should there be a Sinister Six after the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home, you could be sure that Gargan would be a part of it, as he’d jump to the head of the line to try and take down Peter Parker’s superhero alter ego. Not to mention, someone else introduced into the Spider-Man canon would be able to provide the resources to make that fight a little more even handed.
Adrian Toomes/Vulture
Despite having some level of respect for Spider-Man and not wanting to kill him outright, prison may have made Adrian Toomes into more of a sinister, Vulture-esque personality. Being separated from his family, all thanks to the heroic efforts of Peter Parker, may not sit too well in his mind. It all adds up to a no-brainer sort of decision to bring Vulture into the Sinister Six team.
However, there’s also a possibility that Toomes would join to loot as much as he can and sponge up the benefits of Sinister Six membership, while also somewhat protecting Peter Parker. If he wouldn’t give his name up entering prison, there’s a chance that Adrian Toomes’ intention to protect the identity of Peter Parker just might have persevered through the years.
Justin Hammer
When last we saw Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), he was in Seagate Prison after getting sent up due to the events of Iron Man 2. Much like Adrian Toomes though, there’s a shot that Hammer could be given some special treatment to let him out of prison early. Let’s not forget, Quentin Beck’s resources and common grudge against Tony Stark would totally make enlisting Justin Hammer onto the team all the easier.
Even worse is the fact that once he’s out of prison, Hammer could totally rebuild his business empire with the right contracts. Anyone who’s out to get Spider-Man, and has the cash to flash, would be his best buddy for life. And it just so happen that there’s two people that fit both of those bills.
J. Jonah Jameson
The head of the The Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons) has always had it out for Spider-Man. His appearance at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home more than confirmed that this old rivalry is still very much in play, and with the connection of some dots in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jameson’s presence will be even more of a blight on young Peter Parker’s life.
Not only is J. Jonah Jameson capable of running slanderous content that’ll make Parker’s web-headed antics look positively evil, but as we’ve mentioned before, the comic source material has played him as the guy who funds the creation of Mac Gargan’s Scorpion persona. Though Justin Hammer wouldn’t only have Jameson as a promising client, as there’s one more person who could really bring the fight to Peter Parker.
Norman Osborn
While he hasn’t been introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe just yet, Norman Osborn’s adversarial nature against Peter Parker/Spider-Man is as legendary as the red, black and blue color scheme our hero wears. Typically, Norman is a businessman himself, but in some incarnations, such as the Playstation 4 game recently released, Osborn has been seen as a political figure in the world of Marvel.
Throw in the fact that he himself gets to be the Iron Patriot in the comics, and you can see how the world of the MCU could be setting the table for the greatest foe Spider-Man has ever faced. Norman’s political machinery, bolstered by a heroic image in a very Stark-esque shell, could play the public face to a shadowy organization ready to rip New York apart, in the hopes of destroying Spider-Man. Who knows: with J.K. Simmons coming back to his role in a previous incarnation of Spider-Man history, maybe Willem Dafoe could return to play this brand new Osborn.
Modern Spider-Man movies have been all about the fresh air approach to the legacy of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko originated with their comic book work. This version of Peter Parker’s life is similar enough to the source that it works, but different enough that it’s not just a stale reimagining of something we’ve seen before.
Putting that modus operandi together with some of the threads the Marvel Cinematic Universe has already spun, and you can see why this new Sinister Six would be the best course of action. As Jon Watts’ Spidey films have also woven in a theme of socially relevant commentary in the world of a very modern Spider-Man, this strategy also keeps the series on brand, delivering a third film that pulls out all the stops.
As that third film isn’t entirely dreamed up just yet, there’s still time for Spider-Man: Far From Home’s actions to gel in the minds of both the audience and the architects that’ll build that next film. Perhaps Phase 4 will help lay down the foundation further, but as it stands now, this is a theory worth getting hyped up about.
Spider-Man: Far From Home is in theaters now, in case you want to see it again and imagine it as a Sinister Six prequel adventure.
