Highlights

  • Spider-Man's rogue's gallery is unmatched, featuring iconic villains like Scorpion, Vulture, and Kingpin.
  • Marvel's Spider-Man 2 teases Chameleon's appearance, setting the stage for potential disappointment in future installments.
  • Chameleon's ability to mimic others may lose its impact if fans already expect his presence in Marvel's Spider-Man 3.

While The Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four all have some iconic adversaries, there are few Marvel superheroes out there that have a rogue's gallery on nearly the same level as Spider-Man. Indeed, Spider-Man has continued to face off against some now-legendary foes, ranging from animal-themed villains like Scorpion, Rhino, and Vulture to more grounded villains like Kingpin and Tombstone, and a bunch in between. Much like its predecessors, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 did its very best to cram in as many iconic Spidey villains as possible, but some had to settle with just a brief teaser.

Trying to juggle both Kraven the Hunter and Venom at the same time, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 was already biting off a little more than it could chew in the villain department, though that didn't stop it from trying to add in a handful of other iconic Spidey foes as part of the game's side content. But while characters like Mysterio and Wraith get their own full set of missions, characters like the Chameleon only make their debut at the end of their questlines, instead acting as more of a teaser for an inevitable Marvel's Spider-Man 2 sequel. But in revealing Chameleon already, Spider-Man might have shot itself in the foot a little.

Marvel Rivals Spider Man
Related
Marvel Rivals Continues to Demonstrate How Legendary One Spider-Man Actor's Portrayal is

There have been many Spider-Man actors over the last few decades, but Marvel Rivals is further proof that one is becoming synonymous with the hero.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2's Chameleon Teaser Could End Up Backfiring

The Chameleon Is a Tough Villain To Get Right

Chameleon was one of the Wall-Crawler's very first adversaries, and though he's far from Spider-Man's most spectacular villain, he's Spider-Man's first real villain and one that's stuck around since their inception. A villain whose whole gimmick is simply changing his appearance and mannerisms to look like someone else, the Chameleon isn't the most physically threatening Spider-Man villain, but in the right hands, he can be just as terrifying as the likes of Green Goblin, Kraven, and even Venom.

From impersonating Peter Parker's dead parents to try and uncover his secret identity to trapping Spider-Man in an asylum and manipulating the hero into thinking he's just a regular person, the Chameleon has done some pretty heinous things over the last six decades, using unpredictability and the fear of the unknown to trick both Spider-Man and readers into falling for his schemes. But that's going to be a little harder to do in a video game, especially as the villain's already been teased.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 May Have Already Shot Itself in the Foot With Chameleon

All of the best Chameleon-centered stories hinge on his appearance being a complete surprise, at least to begin with. Seeing a beloved character brought back from the dead, or seeing a faithful ally suddenly turn evil loses its luster quite quickly if fans know all along that it's the Chameleon pulling the strings. And this, unfortunately, seems like a probable future for Marvel's Spider-Man 3.

Though the Chameleon's tease in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 was incredibly exciting and had a nice build-up, the fact that fans now know he's established in the canon could impact the franchise in some pretty major ways. Based on his abilities and the vast majority of his previous comic appearances, the Chameleon will likely impersonate a major character in Marvel's Spider-Man 3, and knowing this, fans are going to start speculating on who it could be.

From the moment the first Spider-Man 3 trailer drops, it will be fair to assume that every character could actually be the Chameleon. And after a few months of speculation, the eventual reveal of the Chameleon in Spider-Man 3 is probably going to feel pretty lackluster, regardless of who he's impersonating or how it's woven into the story.