Now that Sony and Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man 4 is officially in the works, I am looking forward to seeing what Spider-Man villains Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is bound to cross paths with next. In fact, I have a few ideas for foes of the amazing webslinger I would most like to see in the new Spider-Man movie.
However, that raises the question: which of these baddies actually have the best chance of appearing in the upcoming superhero film? Let’s take a deeper look at the nine Spider-Man villains I have in mind (some of which have yet to appear in a new Marvel movie), and rank them, based on the likelihood of them showing up in Spidey’s fourth solo outing in the MCU.
9. Chameleon
The live-action, cinematic debut of the Chameleon is occurring in the upcoming Kraven the Hunter movie, which might hurt the villain’s chances of appearing in Spider-Man 4. However, the upcoming 2024 movie appears to be set before Kraven’s half-brother, Dmitri Nikolaievich Smerdyakov (Fred Hechinger), takes on the identity of the conniving master of disguise so seeing another iteration appear in in the next Spidey movie might not fall at risk of feeling repetitive.
8. Tombstone
Alonzo Lincoln – better known as Tombstone for his pigment-free complexion that makes him appear “cold as ice, hard as marble” – still has yet to make his live-action debut. It could be made a reality with Marvin “Krondon” Jones – who voiced the villain in one of the all-time best Spider-Man movies, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – reprising the role. There are no major rumors or reports suggesting Tombstone could be in Spider-Man 4 but now that Peter Parker is living on his own deep in the city, the possibility of him crossing paths with the notorious urban crime lord is somewhat strong.
7. Alistair Smythe
It was previously rumored that Alistair Smythe – whose father, Spencer, created a robotic fleet to take down Spider-Man known as the Spider-Slayers – might appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home as the “Ultimate Spider-Slayer,” which was supposed to happen in the cancelled Amazing Spider-Man 3 with B.J. Novak reprising the role. At the moment, there are no rumors or reports suggesting he will get his moment to shine in Spider-Man 4 but the sequel leaves a great opportunity for the third time to be the charm, finally. Otherwise, it might be fun to see the Spider-Man villain in his own movie if done well.
6. Morlun
As pointed out by the character’s creator, J. Michael Straczynski, Ezekiel Sims' portrayal in Madame Web bears a stronger resemblance in motivation to another character he co-created named Morlun, who pursues Peter Parker and other superhumans like him with deadly intent. I believe that a proper introduction of the Spider-Totem hunter in Spider-Man 4 would be a great way for Sony to make up for what many fans considered to be a mistake. Again, there have not been any popular theories or talk in the press of him showing up in the sequel but, since we are still in the Multiverse Saga, his ability to travel the Marvel Multiverse makes him a perfect match.
5. Hobgoblin
Tom Holland’s Peter Parker already crossed paths with Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe, reprising the role from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy) in Spider-Man: No Way Home, so it might seem repetitive to put him up against another Green Goblin. Instead, I think it makes more sense and would be more likely to see him go up against the first live-action iteration of the Hobgoblin, which is an alias passed down between multiple characters – the first being Ned Leeds, whom Jacob Batalon has portrayed in the MCU. Rumors of the character going bad as Hobgoblin – which Batalon addressed when speaking to CBR – date back to the release of Homecoming and it is not to out of left field to imagine it becoming a reality in Spider-Man 4.
4. Prowler
Following years of rumors that he might play Spider-Man, Donald Glover appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming, instead, as Miles Morales’ uncle, Aaron Davis, and would then cameo in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse dressed as his villainous alter ego, Prowler. While this could just be viewed as a fun Easter Egg, it could also be Sony’s way of teasing that Glover’s Aaron Davis could return to the MCU, perhaps even in Spider-Man 4. That would mean the live-action debut of Miles Morales might not be too far away either!
3. Scorpion
The day when Tom Holland’s Peter Parker would be at odds with Mac Gargan, better known as the Scorpion, was teased in 2017 when the criminal, played by Michael Mando, meets Adrian “Vulture” Tooms (Michael Keaton) in prison in one of the Spider-Man: Homecoming end credits scenes. Could that tease finally be paid off in Spider-Man 4? Well, I certainly hope so because I cannot imagine that Kevin Feige and co. do not have something planned involving the stinging Sinister Six member.
2. Kingpin
An MCU-canon villain who has already had his time in the spotlight is Wilson “Kingpin” Fisk – portrayed by Vincent D’Onofrio in TV shows Daredevil, Hawkeye, Echo, and the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again on Disney+. The larger-than-life crime lord has not yet appeared in an MCU movie, nor has he ever fought against his original archnemesis, Spider-Man, in a live-action setting but, according to ComicBookMovie.com, rumors have suggested that he was supposed to be the main villain of Spider-Man 4, which would have seen Peter Parker team up with Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock, following his cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Even if that is not the exact plot of the sequel, there is no reason why it should not include the cinematic debut of D’Onofrio’s Kingpin.
1. Black Cat
However, if there is one character from Spider-Man’s inner circle whom I believe has a better chance of appearing in Spider-Man 4 than Kingpin (or any other, for that matter), it would have to be Black Cat, whose live-action and cinematic debut almost happened, as teased by Felicity Jones’ appearance as Felicia Hardy in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. The main reason why I believe the MCU debut of the feline-esque anti-hero (essentially Marvel’s answer to DC’s Catwoman) is not just due to rumors of Black Cat’s involvement but because, in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker lost his MJ (Zendaya) to some memory-wiping sorcery, and I think giving him a new love interest in the form an alluring criminal, causing Spidey to have a crisis of morality, would make for some criminally alluring storytelling.
The Marvel movies have shown us the long-awaited portrayals of countless iconic villains so far but there are still many we want to see get caught up in Spider-Man’s web in the MCU. Hopefully, Spider-Man 4 makes that reality for at least one of the characters above.
