Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was released back in 2018 to major acclaim from fans and critics alike, even earning an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. And after three long years, its sequel finally has a title — Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One).
This announcement came alongside a teaser trailer for the upcoming film, set to release on October 7th, 2022. But even though the movie is less than a year away, very little is known about what its story will be or what characters will be involved — in particular, no villains have been revealed yet for the sequel, even though an epic two-part film will no doubt feature plenty of major bad guys. Here are just a few Spider-Man rogues who might show up as the central antagonist in Across the Spider-Verse.
Doctor Octopus
While Into the Spider-Verse featured its own Doc Ock in the form of Kathryn Hahn’s Olivia Octavius, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Doctor Octopus won’t be the main villain of Across the Spider-Verse. A new Doc Ock from another universe could appear — potentially a male one, introducing Otto Octavius himself as a contrast to Olivia. Alternatively, Liv could make a comeback, ascending to the role of big bad after making an impact on audiences last time. Perhaps a cross-dimensional team-up between Doc Ocks could even be in the cards. When multiversal travel is involved, anything can happen.
Green Goblin
Despite arguably being Spider-Man’s most iconic nemesis, the Green Goblin was reduced to a minor role in Into the Spider-Verse, appearing only for the first fight at Kingpin’s particle accelerator. A brief shot of Norman's lifeless body is shown after the accelerator explodes, and he's never mentioned again. After giving such a small role to such a major villain, it's possible that a new Green Goblin could appear in the sequel, this time as the main antagonist. We might even see the 2099 Goblin from Miguel O’Hara’s world, or even a Hobgoblin to further differentiate Spider-Verse from the live-action movies.
Venom
Of course, the film could also introduce a new villain in the big bad role — one who wasn’t featured in any form in Into the Spider-Verse. And what better candidate than the biggest Spider-Man rogue to be absent from the last film? Venom could be traveling the multiverse hunting down Spider-Men, or even infecting them with Symbiotes. A multiversal army of Venoms is definitely a big enough threat to carry a two-part film.
Tyler Stone
Since it seems like Miguel O’Hara, the Spider-Man of the year 2099, will be playing a major role in Across the Spider-Verse, it’s possible that one of his enemies will be featured as a principal antagonist. The main villain of the original Spider-Man 2099 comic was Tyler Stone, CEO of Alchemax — the megacorp that rules over a dystopian cyberpunk New York with an iron fist. He’s even revealed at one point to be Miguel’s father, with his other son Kron Stone becoming Venom 2099. Of course, with Kingpin already used as the villain of the previous film, it’s possible that the creators might not be inclined to use another evil businessman as the main antagonist.
Morlun
Switching gears from sci-fi to fantasy, Across the Spider-Verse could very well introduce the villain of the original Spider-Verse comic storyline. Morlun is a member of the Inheritors, a clan of vampiric beings who travel the multiverse hunting down Spider-Men and feeding on their life force. If any of that sounds a little random, that’s because it is. But if anyone can take a concept as weird as Morlun and the Inheritors and turn it into something cool, it’s the team behind the Spider-Verse movies.
Kraven the Hunter
Of course, Morlun isn’t the only Spidey villain obsessed with hunting Spider-Men — he isn't even the most popular. And like Kingpin, Kraven is a villain who has yet to clash with Spider-Man in live action. A Kraven solo film starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson is currently slated for a January 2023 release from Sony, but Across the Spider-Verse could beat it to the punch for Kraven’s film debut. Kraven’s family (including his brother Chameleon) could easily be featured as supporting villains, united to take on Spideys from across the multiverse.
Jackal
Another major Spider-Man rogue who has yet to make his film debut, the Jackal is best known as the antagonist of the infamous “Clone Saga” storyline, making him a controversial figure among fans. However, a villain who’s best known for amassing an army of Spider-Man duplicates could easily be repurposed as the perfect antagonist for a Spider-Verse film. That said, it’s probably a good idea to leave his creepy obsession with Gwen Stacy out of this adaptation.
Spider-Man
This entry may come as a surprise, considering this is meant to be a list of villains. But in a movie focused on alternate universe Spider-Men joining forces, a villainous Spider-Man variant could make for an excellent main antagonist. Imagine seeing Miles confront a dark doppelganger of his mentor Peter Parker — one who lost hope in his heroic ideals and wound up on the path to villainy. Alternatively, there’s the Superior Spider-Man, a Doc Ock who switched bodies with Peter Parker and took his place as Spider-Man, fighting crime with brutally authoritarian methods. There’s even a villainous adult version of Miles Morales in the comics: a crime lord who uses the alias Ultimatum.
Professor Monster
This one is a bit of a joke pick — Professor Monster is the main villain of the 1970s live-action Spider-Man TV series from Japan, also known as Supaidāman. The series had little in common with the original comics, instead blending the iconography of Spider-Man with the style of tokusatsu shows like Kamen Rider, Ultraman, and Super Sentai. The Spider-Man of that series, Takuya Yamashiro, has been confirmed by producer Phil Lord to make an appearance in the film. As such, it’d be fun to see a cameo from his nemesis, the Doctor Doom-esque Professor Monster, who commands the alien invaders known as the Iron Cross Army. Seeing Professor Monster on the big screen might be a long shot, but it’d definitely be a treat for die-hard spider-fans.
