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Last month, San Diego Comic-Con brought some massive news for fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including the entire release schedule for the newly-revealed Phase 5, as well as two new Avengers movies to close out the Multiverse Saga. However, there was one particular name that was absent from this schedule: the spectacular Spider-Man, arguably Marvel’s greatest hero of all.
Judging by the overwhelming success of last year’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, it’s safe to say that Tom Holland’s Peter Parker won’t be going anywhere any time soon. So while the MCU’s fourth Spider-Man movie hasn’t been officially announced yet, it’s only a matter of time before new info on the project is revealed. However, there’s one question that’s been on every Spider-Man fan's lips ever since No Way Home hit theaters — who will be the next villain Peter Parker faces in the MCU?
Scorpion
After No Way Home featured not one, but five of Spider-Man’s most famous villains in a single movie, it’s probable that the next entry in the series will focus primarily on villains who have yet to battle Peter Parker in live action, much like Vulture and Mysterio before them. Additionally, with the new status quo, the film will likely return Spidey to his street-level roots, dealing with more mundane threats than the likes of Thanos or the Green Goblin.
As it happens, there’s one particular villain who fits both these qualifications, and has even been established already within the MCU. In Spider-Man: Homecoming, one of the criminals Vulture sells weapons to is Mac Gargan, played by Michael Mando of Better Call Saul and Far Cry 3 fame. In the film’s mid-credits scene, Gargan runs into Adrian Toomes in prison and swears vengeance on Spider-Man, setting up a potential return for the character. And as die-hard Spidey fans are likely already aware, Mac Gargan is the civilian identity of the Scorpion — one of the most enduring Spider-Man villains who has yet to make his live action debut.
Of course, Gargan hasn’t even been alluded to since Homecoming, leading many fans to believe that his plotline has been dropped. But if Tim Roth can make an unexpected comeback as the Abomination after over a decade, then it’s certainly possible for Michael Mando to officially step into the role of the Scorpion in the next Spider-Man movie. It’s also worth mentioning that Scorpion was briefly the host of the Venom Symbiote in the comics, making him the perfect nemesis for a film that will likely feature the Symbiote.
Prowler
Speaking of Spidey villains who were set up by Homecoming, the film also featured a brief appearance by Donald Glover as Aaron Davis, aka the Prowler. While the Aaron in that film was more of a small-time crook than a would-be supervillain, a lot has changed in the MCU between Phase 3 and now, so he could very well have taken up the mantle of the Prowler by the time of the next Spider-Man movie. Plus, bringing Aaron back would be the perfect opportunity to introduce Miles Morales to the MCU, opening the door for him to become the new Spider-Man should Tom Holland eventually step down from the role.
The only possible downside to featuring Prowler is that he was already prominently featured in the animated Into the Spider-Verse movie. On the one hand, both Spider-Verse and No Way Home focus on Spider-Man teaming up with other Spideys from parallel universes, but otherwise have enough differences to earn widespread acclaim on their own merits. But even so, if Aaron Davis does return to the MCU, it probably won’t be as a major antagonist like in Spider-Verse. Still, it’d be great to see Donald Glover step into the purple costume of the Prowler.
Black Cat
Probably the most popular character in Spider-Man’s supporting cast who has yet to appear on film, the Black Cat is one of the most commonly-requested characters by fans for the web-head’s next movie. And while she isn’t really a villain per se, she often walks the line between friend and foe, similar to another cat-themed master thief from a different superhero’s rogues’ gallery. And despite persistent rumors that she’ll be appearing in a Sony-produced spin-off film, no concrete news on the matter has developed. At least for now, the door is still open for this Black Cat to cross Spider-Man’s path on the silver screen.
Mister Negative
Of course, while Scorpion, Prowler, and Black Cat would all be nice to see in the MCU, none of them are the sort of character who could carry an entire film as main antagonist — they’re effective rivals, but not mastermind material. In terms of villains who could be a true big bad for Tom Holland’s Spidey, few characters fit the bill better than Martin Li, aka Mister Negative. Making his comic debut in 2007, Mister Negative is a relatively recent addition to Spider-Man’s rogues’ gallery. However, he’s made a big splash in recent years as a major antagonist in the 2018 Marvel’s Spider-Man video game by Insomniac Games.
The concept behind Mister Negative is a simple one. By day, he's kindly philanthropist Martin Li, founder of the FEAST charity organization — the same one Aunt May is working at in No Way Home. But by night, he’s the ruthless crime lord Mister Negative, leader of the Inner Demons gang. Not only is Mister Negative a cunning schemer, he’s also a powerful combatant, with superhuman strength, agility, and the ability to command dark energy that lets him both attack foes and control minds. Not only is Mister Negative a deadly street-level villain who’d be a perfect adversary for Peter’s new status quo, he’s also a major fan favorite.
Kingpin
But of course, if the next Spider-Man film is going to feature a renewed focus on street-level crime, there’s no better choice for a main antagonist than Wilson Fisk, aka the Kingpin. Vincent D’Onofrio’s portrayal of the iconic villain first made an impact on Marvel fans back in 2015, and fans have long since hoped for him to clash with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man on the big screen. For a while, that dream seemed to be tragically dead — but then, D’Onofrio’s Fisk made his triumphant return to the MCU in the season finale of Hawkeye.
And of course, that same month, Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock made a cameo in No Way Home, sharing the screen with Peter Parker. Since then, fans have hoped to see a proper Spider-Man/Daredevil team-up in the MCU. And since Kingpin originally started out as a Spider-Man villain, there’s no better nemesis for them to unite against. Plus, if Peter’s really going to be bonding with the Venom Symbiote in his next film, a foe as cruel and callous as the Kingpin would make for a true test of his moral code.