Spider-Man: No Way Home left off with Peter Parker facing a world that’s completely forgotten his identity, even his closest friends and fellow Avengers. This leave’s an opportunity for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man to face a humble new beginning, or head down a rabbit hole attempting to regain his friendships, lost to Dr. Strange’s mismanaged spell. With Spider-Man four currently in development by Marvel and Sony, fans are wondering who their favorite web head will be facing off against in the upcoming iteration. Currently slated for release in 2024, Spider-Man four should be swinging onto screen in the middle of phase five of the MCU.
This leaves time for various plot lines to unfold across the cinematic universe, making Spider-Man four an opportune place for them to intersect. A number of Spider-Man villains have already been teased at or confirmed in the MCU. With the recent introduction of the multiverse, the possibilities seem endless. All things considered, in no particular order, here’s the top Marvel Villains that may appear in the upcoming Spider-Man trilogy.
15/15 Shocker
Shocker had a brief amount of screen time during Spider-Man: Homecoming. New spider-fans may have brushed Shocker aside as his role in Homecoming is merely as peon to Michael Keaton’s Vulture. However, Shocker is a character who has played larger roles throughout the history of Spider-Man. Shocker’s real name is Herman Schultz in both the comics and the MCU. In the comics, Shocker uses the vibrating weapon technology to become a crime lord of the New York City Underground. Should the next Spider-Man trilogy see Peter Parker in a starting over phase after the events of the last film, the upcoming plot could revolve around more street-level crime like that of New York’s crime syndicates.
Shocker could reappear in the MCU in this capacity, possibly as an affiliate of Kingpin, since the Daredevil: Born Again plot is rumored to conjoin with the upcoming Spider-Man. Shocker has also appeared a number of times as a member of the Sinister Six, which Sony has announced plans to produce a film for. With their successful collaboration Spider-Man: No Way Home opening up the multiverse, there is definite potential for further crossovers. So we may see Shocker join the Sinister Six yet, among others of course.
14/15 Rhino
Rhino is a villain that is yet to appear in the MCU, but did have minor screen time at the end of Sony’s Amazing Spider-Man 2. Paul Giamatti, the actor who portrayed Rhino, is rumored to be on the cast of Sony’s Sinister Six which possibly could cross over with Marvel’s Spider-Man at some point in the upcoming trilogy. Now that the Spider-Men have worked together it is possible they may find ways to somehow call upon each other through the Spider-Verse as seen throughout the years in various iterations of Spider-Man media. Another crossover would make sense if the Sinister Six’s Spider-Man can’t take it alone.
One of Spider-Man’s oldest villains, Rhino’s character has undergone many changes through the years of Spider-Man. In some versions, he takes over New York’s underground in King Pin’s place. We may yet see a version of Rhino that’s unique to the MCU, one who could tie into Spider-Man’s return to cleaning the streets of New York. If the rumored conversion of Marvel’s Daredevil and Spider-Man takes place the two heroes could be seen side by side facing New York’s dark underbelly, which MCU Rhino may be part of.
13/15 Black Cat
After losing all his personal relationships, MCU Peter Parker may face a dark time in the following Spider-Man film. A dance with darkness is not an unfamiliar plot for Spider-Man. Spider-Man: No Way Home touched upon this theme as Peter faced his emotions in the wake of Aunt May’s death. Without any older, wiser Spider-Men to guide him, Peter could find himself in a bad way, flirting with right and wrong. In times like this, Spider-Man’s relationship with Black Cat a.k.a Felicia Hardy, has been used to exemplify Peter Parker’s internal struggle. With Michelle Jones-Watson currently out of the picture, there is room for the romance between Black Cat and Spider-Man to grow.
Felecia Hardy’s comic book origin is as a college freshman who trained in various acrobatic forms and fighting styles to cope after suffering abuse from an ex-boyfriend. Unless there is a significant time-jump before the next Spider-Man film, Peter Parker will be just the right age to meet Felecia Hardy as she’s just becoming the Black Cat. Introducing the Black Cat could be a great opportunity to see Peter grow a temporary love interest as well as potentially gain a strong ally on the streets of New York.
12/15 Vulture
Vulture was already Spider-Man’s main villain in Spider-Man: Homecoming, so if he is to return, we are more likely to see him as a member of an ensemble rather than reprising a role as the primary antagonist. Vulture can be seen in the post-credit scene of Morbius attempting to form some sort of team. This is likely the origin of Sony’s Sinister Six, however Vulture’s presence keeps the Sony super villain ensemble inextricably tied to the MCU. Meaning there is still great potential for another cross-over in the style of the last Spider-Man film. Perhaps Vulture has found ways to manipulate his place in the multiverse with the Chitauri technology he uses for his suit and weapons. Even if he is in the Sony-verse for the time being, the Spider-Man Vulture is after belongs to the MCU. If he wants to enact revenge for his defeat in Spider-Man: Homecoming, he’ll have to somehow find his way back to MCU Spider-Man.
11/15 Morbius
In the same light as the Vulture’s appearance in the Morbius post-credits, the living Vampire Michael Morbius could find his way through the multiverse into the MCU. First appearing in The Amazing Spider-Man comic #101, Morbius is one of Spider-Man’s oldest and strongest villains. Based on the post-credit teaser, he is likely to show up as a member of the Sinister Six but his potential to crossover into the MCU is even greater than just that. Morbius has been a villain, but he as also been known as an anti-hero, appearing many times beside Dr. Strange. He even once teamed up with Spider-Man to defeat Carnage for the greater good.
Should Sony and Marvel continue to collaborate there is great potential for Morbius to instill himself as a titular character in the upcoming Spider-Man trilogy, depending on the direction Marvel wants to take things. Since things are heading in the direction of Avengers: Secret Wars, it is likely that the plots across the multiverse will continue to converge until that culminating event takes place. This leaves Morbius and other characters from the Sony-verse a great chance at gracing the screen in the MCU, and likely meeting up with Spider-Man for the new trilogy.
10/15 Mysterio’s Successor
The last two Spider-Man films saw Quentin Beck, a.k.a Mysterio rise in infamy. After revealing Peter Parker’s identity to the world Mysterio sparked conspiracy over Spider-Man’s said terroristic agenda as the new Iron Man. In Spider-Man: No Way Home there are shown to be masses of poeple who believe Mysterio’s message and feel adverse to Spider-Man. Despite everyone now having forgotten Spider-Man’s identity, they should still remember Spider-Man and Mysterio’s conspiracy should still exist. This is not a plot point likely to be forgotten by Marvel, and we could very well see it’s unfolding in the upcoming Spider-Man trilogy with the help of Mysterio’s Successor.
In the comics, the mantle of Mysterio is taken up by Daniel Berkhart, a stuntman who had previously worked with Quentin Beck. Berkhart was hired by J. Jonah Jameson to torment Spider-Man by pretending to be Mysterio’s ghost. With the Mysterio conspiracy plot still lingering, it is likely that audiences could see a second coming of the illusionist villain at some point in the next Spider-Man trilogy.
9/15 Chameleon
Spider-Man’s original comic-book villain, Chameleon has already been teased in the MCU. He goes by his real name, Dimitri Smerdyakov, in Spider-Man: Far From Home as a part of Nick Fury’s team. In line with his namesake, Chameleon’s character is a master of disguises and can successfully imitate anyone. With such powers, there may be times aside from the one confirmed glimpse at his character where fans have unknowingly seen Chameleon in disguise. How he may reappear in the upcoming Spider-Man is unknown, but it may have something to do with his half-brother.
8/15 Kraven The Hunter
Half brother to Chameleon, Sergei Kravinoff is one of Spider-Man’s deadliest enemies. Better known as Kraven The Hunter, the renowned big game hunter is a founding member of the Sinister Six in the comics and even has a film slated for 2023 as a part of the Sony-verse. If the Sony is preparing to bridge the gap with Marvel for another MCU crossover in the next Spider-Man trilogy leading up to Avengers: Secret Wars, it is likely fans can expect to see Kraven find his way into the MCU.
7/15 Hobgoblin
Hobgoblin, using similar weapons to Green Goblin, can pose a significant threat to Spider-Man. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter’s closest friend Ned Leeds is seen as having attained some of Dr. Strange’s magic. Everyone has hopes for Ned to become a hero alongside his friend Peter, however, since the world forgot who Peter Parker is, they are no longer friends. Ned’s character has not displayed the most mental fortitude and could potentially be swayed by a hidden hand to use his newfound powers for evil, possibly even against Spider-Man. This event could be seen as foreshadowed in the last Spider-Man film where Ned promises to never try to kill Peter after hearing Tobey Maguire Spider-Man’s tragic story about his best friend Harry Osborne. Coincidentally the original naming of Hobgoblins true identity in the comics was none other than Ned Leeds.
6/15 Venom
As of the Spider-Man: No Way Home post-credit scene, the alien symbiote known as Venom is officially in the MCU. There are many possibilities with how the symbiote will function, but primarily it is slated to be a villain to Spider-Man in some way. Spider-Man may merge with the symbiote himself and dawn the black suit, a likely route for the story as Peter Parker is dealing with his darkness after the death of Aunt May and losing his two closest friends. Venom could even breed its offspring Carnage for Spider-Man to showdown against.
Venom is also known for attaching itself to Peter Parker’s high school bully Flash Thompson to become Agent Venom. Though Agent Venom is technically a hero, to Peter he may always be Flash Thompson the bully. However, MCU flash’s character arc may see him redeemed as his obsession with Spider-Man could come full circle to becoming a hero himself.
5/15 Werewolf Dr. Strange
One of the more zany plots from the comics, due to the pull of dark magic, Dr. Strange becomes a werewolf and Spider-Man must quell him. If the fight between Strange and Spider-Man from the last film wasn’t enough, imagine Dr. Strange as an uncontrollable werewolf that Spider-Man must face-off with. Dr. Strange has frequently been eluded by dark magic to become evil in the comics, so we may see a dark turn in the Dr. Strange of the MCU. Especially now that Strange cannot remember Peter Parker, we may find them fighting once more.
Marvel now has its Werewolf By Night serieson Disney+, which could be a possible lead in point to how Dr. Strange might become a Werewolf in the MCU. The plot could make for a one of a kind Spider-Man film, or simply a great Halloween special.
4/15 Dr. Doom
With a Fantastic Four reboot in development for Marvel’s phase four of the MCU, it is only a matter of time before Victor Von Doom graces the screen once more. Spider-Man’s admiration for the Avengers in the MCU mirrors his love for The Fantastic Four in the original comics. He has even joined the group at various points in the comics. However, with the current MCU timeline it seems more likely that The Fantastic Four will be joining the Avengers for the Secret Wars arc. Dr. Doom is a super genius villain that could rise to prominence as one of the greatest villains in the MCU. His character could earn a titular antagonist role in the upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars and could likely be teased somewhere within the new Spider-Man trilogy.
3/15 Kingpin
Arch nemesis of the MCU’s Daredevil, Kingpin is a well known Spider-Man villain that has yet to cross paths with the web-slinger in the MCU. However, Kingpin’s actor Vincent D’Onofrio was not shy to make claims that he will be seen fighting Spider-Man in the next film at Q&A panels for the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again. It is highly speculated that Daredevil and Spider-Man will be teaming up to defeat Kingpin in the next Spider-Man film.
2/15 Galactus
A Marvel Villain that has had run-ins with The Fantastic Four and The Guardians of the Galaxy, Galactus is a likely pick to eventually show up in the MCU. While it is unlikely Spider-Man would fight Galactus alone, his presence in the MCU could begin to be teased somewhere within the upcoming Spider-Man trilogy. Galactus is a cosmic level villain who eats entire planets to sustain himself. The threat of Galactus is so monumental, the whole of the Avengers are likely to assemble to defeat him. It is possible that Galactus may be a main villain leading up to the Avengers: Secret Wars film.
1/15 The Beyonder
Possibly the most likely villain to show up sometime in the next Spider-Man trilogy, the Beyonder must come into the MCU sooner or later for he is the omnipotent being who brings the multiverse together for the Secret Wars. The manifested embodiment of the whole multiverse, Beyonder is the ultimate villain the MCU is heading towards. Since the multiverse was opened in Spider-Man: No Way Home, the Spider-Man franchise may maintain its proximity with the multiverse storyline by introducing the Beyonder in the upcoming trilogy. We may even see all three Spider-Men return for the Secret Wars event.
