SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING's Sinister 6 Villains Ranked From Worst To Best
Spider-Man: Homecoming features six villains in total but just how good are the wall-crawler's sinister foes? Hit the jump for our in-depth ranking of everyone from the two Shockers to The Vulture...
Too many villains have always been an issue for the Spider-Man movies. Spider-Man 3 crashed and burned because throwing a new Green Goblin and Venom into the mix alongside Sandman proved to be too much of a good thing, while The Amazing Spider-Man 2 definitely couldn't cope with Electro and the Green Goblin! So, how does Spider-Man: Homecoming fare with a total of SIX baddies?
Amazingly well! Despite featuring The Vulture, two Shockers, The Tinkerer, and more, Spider-Man: Homecoming remains cohesive and never fails to deliver a satisfying take on each of them. Mostly.
What you'll find here is a ranking of all six sinister villains from Spider-Man: Homecoming. Looking at what did and didn't work with each of them, we explore what could be next for these characters and how well they compare with their comic book counterparts compare to the MCU's versions.
6. Mac Gargan/Scorpion
I'm a huge fan of Scorpion but am still struggling to figure out why Marvel bothered to include him in Spider-Man: Homecoming. After a blink and you'll miss it cameo during the Staten Ferry sequence he returns in the mid-credits scene scarred and broken and anxious to get revenge on Spidey. There's a chance he'll now be the villain (or at least one of them) in the sequel but it's sort of hard to care when the private eye who found himself trapped within the Scorpion suit after a deal with J. Jonah Jameson went awry has been transformed into a generic criminal.
I think it's now most likely that we'll see Scorpion used the same way as Crossbones in Captain America: Civil War or as a secondary villain as the opportunity to do something special with him had seemingly been lost. Here's hoping the friends he mentions are a little more interesting as little about Mac Gargan in Spider-Man: Homecoming seems to really work.
5. Herman Schultz/Shocker #2
Herman Schultz has never been one of Spider-Man's greatest villains, so it seems almost silly to complain about him being "wasted" here. Despite that, it's hard to escape the feeling that more could and should have been done to ensure that he made a bigger impact beyond the one fight scene with Spidey which sees him ultimately stopped by Ned Leeds (an undeniably cool moment) and taken down by the wall-crawler with ease.
Ultimately, it may just boil down to the fact Marvel needed a C-list villain for Spider-Man: Homecoming to be part of Toomes' operation and Shocker fit the bill. It is a shame that we never got the version promised by promo art, though, as that could have redeemed this Shocker somewhat. More could have definitely been done with Bokeem Woodbine too.
4. Jackson Brice/Shocker #1
This guy didn't make much of an impact but of the two different versions of the character we got, it's fair to say that Logan Marshall-Green's Shocker was closest to the one who most frequently pops up in the comic books. Of course, this was Jackson Brice and not Herman Schulz so his sudden demise doesn't really rob the franchise of much as this isn't someone even the biggest Spider-Man fans are likely to be overly familiar with.
The moment he takes down Spidey with ease during the wall-crawler's botched attempt to stop a weapons sale is a memorable visual, though, and it's a shame the movie didn't devote a little more time to exploring this goofy version of the villain who by rights really should have been called Herman and lasted a lot longer!
3. The Tinkerer
Phineas Mason arguably gets nowhere near enough screen time in Spider-Man: Homecoming, something that can probably be blamed on the fact that there's just so much going on in the reboot. It would have been nice to spend some more time with the genius inventor but at least the reboot makes it clear that he knows how to create tech capable of pushing Spidey to his limits and that's hopefully something the sequel will return to.
After all, we have no idea what becomes of him so the villain making costumes and weaponry for members of the wall-crawler's rogues gallery in order to make him pay for costing him the cushy gig he had with Toomes makes sense. Sadly, given how little he's fleshed out and the fact his scenes are often played for laughs in the movie, chances are we won't see him again and that feels like a huge missed opportunity on Marvel's part.
2. The Prowler
Donald Glover's scenes in Spider-Man: Homecoming are frustratingly brief but that doesn't mean he fails to make an impact. The mention of his newphew was obviously exciting, especially as fans of the comic books will know that Aaron Davis was referring to Miles Morales, the Spider-Man of the Ultimate Universe (and a character Kevin Feige has confirmed exists in the Marvel Cinematic Universe).
However, there's more to him than that as we learn during that botched weapons deal that he's looking for equipment for a stakeout; his criminal records also reveals that he's known to the police as The Prowler, so all the ingredients are there for him to suit up in the sequel. That would be spectacular, especially as Glover is such a compelling presence who could easily become an unexpected ally to the wall-crawler moving forward. With any luck, Marvel won't miss their chance to capitalise on Glover's talents and deliver a fascinating big screen take on The Prowler.
1. The Vulture
However, Toomes is also responsible for one of the reboot's best moments as he works out that Peter Parker is Spider-Man on that tense and compelling car ride to the Homecoming dance. Michael Keaton shines here and it's essential that he reprises the role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe at some point in the next few years.
Which of these Spider-Man: Homecoming villains was your favourite? Do you agree with this ranking? As always, be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section down below.