Earlier this week, Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures finally released a new trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home. While it didn't feature any Variant Spider-Men, the latest sneak peek did offer a closer look at the villains who will target the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Peter Parker in the upcoming threequel.
Having spent a few days poring over every detail in that trailer, we feel like we know Doctor Octopus, the Green Goblin, Electro, Sandman, and The Lizard better than ever.
Big changes have been made to the appearances of some of those sinister baddies, and we're delving into the improvements that immediately jump out at us. However, there are a couple we wish had been made, especially to a certain reptilian baddie who seems to have stepped straight out of 2012!
To take a look through this feature, all you guys need to do is hit the "Next" button below...
6. Electro Embraces His Comic Book Roots
There are versions of Electro who have been portrayed as beings of pure electricity, so The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was somewhat comic accurate back in 2014 (at least to the Ultimate Universe). Unfortunately, painting Jamie Foxx blue and putting the Oscar-winner inside a silly black leather "containment suit" made the villain feel like he'd be more at home in Batman and Robin.
Marvel Studios hasn't completely given up on that blue electricity based on a couple of shots in the new trailer, but by also heading down the yellow route, they've fully embraced the source material. That's evident from the moment Max Dillon powers up and we see his classic "mask" materialise.
It's an incredible visual, and one that has us fully sold on a suit many fans were unsure of when a first look leaked online. He's basically dressed like a regular power worker, albeit with some technological enhancements that appear to be better directing his powers. Similar to what we saw in 2018's Spider-Man video game, we'd argue that it's impossible to hate the changes made here.
5. Green Goblin Gets A 2021 Overhaul
At first glance, the Green Goblin looks exactly as he did in 2002's Spider-Man. This costume has always been somewhat divisive, but it worked at the time and 100% faithfully adapting this comic book villain's look from the page would be damn near impossible even for Marvel Studios to pull off.
Thanks to modern visual effects, however, this version is a little more streamlined and nowhere near as bulky or Power Rangers-esque. The eyes don't appear to be as brightly coloured, and while that's a subtle change, it's enough of one to make this Norman Osborn look that little bit more threatening.
Needless to say, we can't wait to see him in action; it's been nearly two decades since Willem Dafoe last donned the suit, but even then, the way his performance came through made this villain feel like he'd jumped straight off the page. It's just a shame it looks like a big change is made later in the movie...
4. Doc Ock's Upgraded Arms
For the most part, Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus looks exactly like he did in 2004's Spider-Man 2. You won't find us complaining about that, but there's one massive change we're really intrigued by.
Somehow, Doc Ock manages to combine Peter Parker's nanotech Iron Spider suit with his four arms, creating what we're guessing will be even more powerful versions of those destructive appendages. The trailer has also hinted that Otto might be an ally to Peter and his friends, so perhaps that will overwrite the sinister A.I. that so heavily influenced the scientist last time we saw him.
That's an intriguing twist, and this is a cool way to give the character a new look without fixing what's not broken. We're excited to see what Marvel Studios does with Doc Ock, and having him make use of Tony Stark's technology - as a "hero" or villain - feels like a smart direction for the MCU.
3. Sand Not Mud
Spider-Man 3 featured some groundbreaking visual effects, but they could still only do so much back in 2007. The Sandman looked phenomenal, but for the VFX-heavy final battle, he looked like a giant, cartoonish mud man. The team working on the threequel did the best they could with the tools at their disposal, but that massive Sandman didn't look as good as we'd have liked.
We don't get to see the regular-sized Sandman in the new Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer, but his giant form looks perfect...and like he is actually made of sand rather than being a muddy blob!
With any luck, Thomas Haden Church will get a decent amount of screentime, but for the final battle, this villain appears to be a true (sandy) force to be reckoned with. The only request we'd have for Marvel Studios is that this skyscraper-sized Sandman is able to talk rather than being too monster-like.
2. Not The Goblin We Were Hoping For
Moments after the new trailer revealed that "classic" Green Goblin design, we catch a glimpse of Norman Osborn looking quite a bit different. Matching up with a recently leaked batch of behind-the-scenes images, this Goblin's suit is pretty battered and the villain is carrying a satchel similar to his comic book counterpart's. While it's hard to see here, we believe he'll also have a purple hood.
On the surface, that might sound like an improvement, but Norman ditching the mask for a pair of goggles...well, it won't have quite the same effect, even if it means seeing more of Dafoe's performance.
We won't be too quick to rush to judgement here, but if the Green Goblin heads into the final battle decked out like this, it's going to disappoint. Just adding that original mask/helmet would make all the difference, and we hope he does don that (with the hood) in order to properly complete this fresh take.
1. The Same Lizard Design? Really?!
You had one job, Marvel Studios! Look, it was easy enough to understand why The Amazing Spider-Man changed The Lizard; in order to get the villain to emote and talk, it would have been extremely difficult to give him that comic book "snout. It's also worth noting that this design was actually pretty close to what he looked like when Stan Lee and Steve Ditko introduced Curt Connors.
Despite all of that, it's a shame the opportunity wasn't taken to have this Lizard "evolve" somewhat.
He could have easily become more monstrous since his last big screen appearance, and the addition of tattered purple pants and a white lab coat would have been welcomed (rumour has it that could happen elsewhere in the movie, though). A Lizard more akin to how he was illustrated by Todd MacFarlane would have been amazing, but it seems that's not the plan in the MCU.