Now that Disney and Sony Pictures have come to terms on a new deal which will keep
Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years to come, there's more excitement than ever before for the web-slinger's next solo outing. That starts shooting this summer, and while details are scarce, there's already a lot of speculation about who Spidey will face next.
With that in mind, we're taking a look at five of the most likely possibilities for the franchise's next big bad...as well as five villains who are highly unlikely to make any sort of appearance!
As well as delving into why that is, we also attempt to figure out how they could factor into proceedings (or not). It's definitely an exciting time to be a Spider-Man fan, but who can possibly come close to topping such sinister opponents as The Vulture and Mysterio?
Well, to find out, all you guys need to do is click on the "Next" button down below...
Could See: The Scorpion
At the end of
Spider-Man: Homecoming, Mac Gargan attempted to learn the web-slinger secret identity by confronting Adrian Toomes. The Vulture wasn't willing to play ball, but the post-credits scene must have been setting the stage for something to pay off further down the line.
With that in mind, who's to say that won't finally happen in this third instalment of the franchise?
While Marvel Studios has already taken some creative liberties with this version of Mac Gargan, it shouldn't be too difficult to explain his transformation into The Scorpion in the threequel. Atfer all, thanks to Mysterio, he now knows Spidey's secret and can use that to get the revenge he so desperately wants. Michael Mando is a tremendous actor,
and clearly wants this to happen.
Won't See: The Kingpin
Daredevil star Vincent D'Onofrio has made it clear that he would like to bring his version of Wilson Fisk to the big screen to battle Spider-Man, but the chances of that happen seem slim.
While the actor frequently stole the show in that Netflix series, those characters are still off-limits to Marvel Studios, and if and when Kevin Feige decides to reboot the heroes and villains from the world of
The Defenders, chances are he'll find a new actor to play the MCU's Kingpin.
That would be a shame, especially when the
Daredevil cast is so damn great, but there's a very strong chance we'll never get to see Tom Holland Spider-Man meet any of those characters.
Could See: Kraven The Hunter
Kraven the Hunter is a villain fans have been desperate to see on the big screen for years now, and considering the fact Spider-Man is now a wanted murderer, it seems like the perfect time for him to finally visit the Big Apple in a bid to take down his most fearsome prey to date.
Marvel Studios will definitely need to do something to update Kraven for a modern audience, but that hopefully won't involve tying him to Iron Man in some way (he doesn't need to be his ex-gardener).
Kraven has a lot of big screen potential, and if someone like The Scorpion is also thrown into the mix, that gives the Hunter either a useful ally or someone he can track down to make an example out of.
Won't See: Venom
A crossover featuring Tom Holland's Spider-Man and Tom Hardy's Venom is inevitable, but chances are that story won't end up playing out in the MCU. While the web-slinger now swings between two different worlds, that doesn't mean Kevin Feige is gong to start using Sony assets in his films.
There may be a reference to Eddie Brock (even that seems like wishful thinking if we're being honest), but if a Spider-Man vs. Venom movie is happening, then Sony Pictures are likely to be in charge.
Seeing Spidey don a Symbiote of his own and fighting the likes of Venom and Carnage is definitely a must, and everyone involved with these movies - aside from Feige - has expressed interest in making that happen. It just won't be something we end up seeing in this particular adventure.
Could See: J. Jonah Jameson
J.K. Simmons made his shock return to the role of J. Jonah Jameson at the end of
Spider-Man: Far From Home, and it's clear that Marvel Studios has some unique new plans for him in the MCU. While using him to deliver his own twisted version of the news is one thing, we would much prefer to see Jonah get a little more hands on in this next movie.
It makes perfect sense for this version of Jonah to want to become a hero in the eyes of the public by taking down Spider-Man himself, and if he's not going to hire the Scorpion for that, perhaps he can team up with Aleister Smythe and take control of a Spider-Slayer robot? After all, it would be easy for Marvel Studios to tie that robotics expert to Tony Stark!
In all seriousness, this could be a lot of fun, even if he's ultimately just a supporting villain here.
Won't See: Green Goblin
We're as desperate as you to see Norman Osborn back on the big screen, but after the character (and his legacy as the Green Goblin) dominated both Sam Raimi's
Spider-Man trilogy and
The Amazing Spider-Man 2, that's a well it might still be too soon to return to.
We all thought that Avengers Tower had been bought by Oscorp, but the way the Disney/Sony Pictures deal fell apart proves that there's no way Marvel Studios will commit to something like that.
That doesn't necessarily mean the Green Goblin can't return - we're certainly long overdue a comic accurate take on the villain - but we're pretty sure that it won't be happening in this third outing.
Could See: Doctor Octopus
It doesn't appear as if Marvel Studios is too keen on revisiting villains who have previously appeared in
Spider-Man movies, but after two movies with villains we've not seen before, it feels like now might be the right time to bring in one of the big names from the past.
Doctor Octopus stole the show in Sam Raimi's
Spider-Man 2, but there's definitely room for the classic character to be reinvented (something recent comic books and the
Spider-Man video game have proved). We're not suggesting heading down the Superior Spider-Man route, but that could make for fun viewing for at least part of this or another film!
Regardless, seeing Peter Parker match wits with Doc Ock next year would be no bad thing, and if a
Sinister Six movie is indeed in the works, then the team is going to need a leader...
Won't See: Electro
Electro is one of our favourite Spider-Man villains,
and the spectacular concept art from
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 that we shared yesterday has definitely got us thinking about a new take on Max Dillon. Jamie Foxx's take on the character certainly left a lot to be desired, anyway.
An argument could be made that Electro is a B-List villain in the pantheon of Spider-Man bad guys, and while the right reinvention could work amazingly, it's unlikely to be in the threequel.
At this point, so much damage has been done to Max that he would probably only work in a very minor, supporting role. Given the way the franchise currently appears to be heading, we're not banking on him showing up any time soon despite the fact he has so much history with the Sinister Six.
Could See: Mysterio
The Vulture is going to make his return in
Morbius, but what if Mysterio is going to be the man who serves as Peter Parker's greatest villain in the MCU? After all, he defeated Spider-Man in a way no one else ever has by revealing his secret identity to the world, and framing him for murder!
It's hard to believe that Quentin Beck is really dead, and it makes perfect sense for it to be revealed that he's now pulling the strings from behind the scenes somewhere.
We wouldn't expect Mysterio to be the
Spider-Man: Far From Home sequel's lead villain, and this appearance could boil down to an an appearance in the post-credits scene. Either way, we're convinced that we haven't seen the last of Quentin as he has unfinished business with Peter.
Won't See: Morlun
When J. Michael Straczynski took over the
Amazing Spider-Man comic book series, he delved into the mystical side of Peter Parker's powers and pitted the webbed warrior against the unstoppable Morlun.
The epic battle that followed would be perfect for the big screen, especially when Spider-Man is already on the ropes and a wanted criminal. Heading down this route would tie nicely into both
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Sony's "Spider-Verse" plans, but it almost feels like this would be too much for a film that already has so much to deal with.
That's a real shame, but Morlun is hopefully a villain we'll see in the MCU
one day...