Earlier today, we brought you news that Spider-Man 4 might swing into theaters in 2024...with Daredevil in tow! That's an exciting prospect, as is the rumour the alien costume is expected to factor into the wall-crawler's post-Avengers: Secret Wars adventures.
Nothing is confirmed at this stage, though, and even if the Man Without Fear and The Kingpin do factor into that next movie, we have no idea how big their respective roles would be.
It's been nearly a year since Spider-Man: No Way Home was released, but it feels good to be excited about the wall-crawler's future again. With that in mind, we've dived into the comics to bring you a list of heroes, villains, and supporting players we think would be amazing (and spectacular) additions to Spider-Man 4, 5, 6...and possibly even beyond!
From foes Spidey and Daredevil could tackle together to the characters who could help usher in a new era of storytelling for this hero, you can find who we singled out by hitting the "Next" button below.
10. Spider-Slayers
J. Jonah Jameson revealed Spider-Man's secret identity to the world, but the tragic events of No Way Home's final act saw Peter find a way to put the genie back in the bottle. Despite that rapid status quo change, how better for the loudmouth to prove the wall-crawler is a "menace" than to attempt to take him out with some killer robots?
He gave it a good go in the comic books, and while Aleister Smythe may not be as exciting on the surface as some of the other villains listed here, the Spider-Slayers would make a good secondary villain if nothing else.
Jameson trying to take the glory for stopping Spider-Man makes perfect sense, particularly as we saw the TheDailyBugle.net reporter cash in on his hatred for Spidey and continue campaigning for him to unmask even after the spell. Regardless, seeing Simmons' face on one of these robots chasing after Spidey would be beyond amazing.
9. Black Cat
Black Cat has flirted with being good and bad over the years, so bringing her in as an enemy of Spider-Man who eventually becomes one of his closes allies (and lover in the comic books) could definitely work. She’s a strong female character – something that's now a priority for superhero movies – and could be introduced in a number of ways.
One possibility is Felicia Hardy being in college with Peter in order to avoid the awkward age difference between them should Marvel decide to explore their romantic feelings for each other.
Spider-Man and Black Cat have clashed many times, though he often comes out on the losing end thanks to her ability to project bad luck onto others. While Sony is supposedly still considering a spinoff movie for the character, she's arguably an individual who would benefit greatly from some more direct links to the web-slinger as an ally, enemy, and love interest.
8. Hobgoblin
The Green Goblin’s story was covered in-depth in all three of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movies and even factored into The Amazing Spider-Man before Harry Osborn took up the mantle in the sequel. Willem Dafoe got to reprise the role in No Way Home, but before he was cured and sent back home, it was made clear that there is no Norman Osborn in the MCU.
However, despite the similar look and name, the Hobgoblin is a very different kind of bad guy. A number of men have held the mantle, while the initial mystery of who was beneath the mask could make for very entertaining viewing on the big screen.
A successful fashion designer, Roderick Kingsley became the Hobgoblin when he discovered one of Norman's caches of weapons, and managed to alter the Goblin formula to avoid going insane. Perhaps a similar story could play out here; plus, how better for Peter to confront what happened to him during that last adventure than facing yet another Goblin?
7. John Jameson
We didn't get to see quite as much from J. Jonah Jameson as we'd have liked in No Way Home, ultimately taking on a mostly comedic, supporting role. That worked with so much else going on, but in the next trilogy, we could learn a lot more about what makes this controversial figure tick.
We very briefly met John Jameson in Spider-Man 2, but how great would it be for him to return here and adopt his Man-Wolf persona? That would be batsh*t crazy, but something really fun to see the hero tackle, especially if he ultimately saves the day and proves to Jonah he is a hero. Heck, this could even be tied into what we've just seen in Werewolf by Night!
Having Jonah resent the world's heroes because his son doesn't get the recognition he deserves would certainly go some way in explaining his motivations. Man-Wolf shouldn't be the movie's main villain, but there could be a way for him to factor into the next trilogy in a meaningful way.
6. Jean DeWolff
Despite the fact that they initially had something of a hostile relationship (mostly thanks to J. Jonah Jameson’s anti-Spider-Man stories in The Daily Bugle), Spider-Man and NYPD police captain Jean DeWolff would later become close allies.
She was tragically murdered by the Sin-Eater, and when Peter visited her apartment for clues, he discovered that she had romantic feelings for him. It was an emotionally complex, memorable story arc, and aside from Captain Stacy's sporadic appearances, the previous Spider-Man movies never really touched on the wall-crawler’s relationship with the police.
Having an authority figure of sorts in the NYPD for Spidey to both clash and work with would be something new to this franchise, and Jean is a fantastic character who could easily come into the wall-crawler's orbit now he's viewed as more of a menace to the Big Apple than a heroic Avenger.
5. Jackal
Is it too soon for The Clone Saga? One of the coolest pieces of imagery in Spider-Man: Far From Home was the wall-crawler fighting off duplicates of himself during Mysterio's illusion attack, and there's a lot Marvel Studios could do with both The Jackal and Ben Reilly.
This would be a lot to tackle in just one outing, so the new trilogy could let it play out slowly across three movies. Miles Warren could show up as an ally of sorts to the wall-crawler who has an unusual fascination with his powers, and a post-credits scene in Spider-Man 4 could show a Peter doppelganger, thereby setting the stage for Ben's live-action debut.
Later, the franchise could delve into what it means for there to be "another" Spidey, and even Kaine could be brought into the fold. Holland would be given the chance to take on multiple roles, really testing himself as an actor and exploring what exactly it means to be Peter Parker.
4. Ezekiel Sims
One day out of the blue, Spider-Man was confronted by a mysterious older man who somehow had the same powers as him and knew his secret identity. Ezekiel revealed to Peter that his powers weren’t scientific in nature at all; they had a basis in magic.
Despite being sceptical, Spidey found himself up against all sorts of mystical threats, and Ezekiel became a good friend...until it was revealed that he meant to sacrifice Spider-Man in order to save himself.
Taking the franchise in this direction and throwing a mentor character like Ezekiel into the mix could serve as a refreshing change of pace, and would tie into the MCU's Peter's frequent hunt for someone to replace his Uncle Ben. Unfortunately, all the signs are currently pointing to the character being Madame Web's big bad, and we can't help but think that's a waste.
3. Morlun
With or without Ezekiel in the periphery, Morlun is a great villain. Introduced in the early 2000s when J. Michael Straczynski took over writing duties on The Amazing Spider-Man, he's one of Spidey's most powerful foes, and Peter Parker very nearly failed to survive their first encounter.
Morlun arrived on the scene at the time Peter discovered that his powers may be more magic than science-based. He relentlessly tracked Spider-Man through New York and started murdering civilians whenever the hero managed to hide to take a rest. Later, he'd return to plague Peter alongside the rest of his family - The Inheritors - in a battle that saw them tear through the Multiverse.
With so much focus on Peter’s parents and science in The Amazing Spider-Man movies and technology being such a huge part of his MCU adventures, delving into another side of the hero's powers could be truly fascinating, and something fresh for this next Spider-Man trilogy.
2. Scorpion
Scorpion is one of Spider-Man’s classic enemies, though perhaps not as A-List as the likes of Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus. Even so, his story is perfectly suited for the big screen, especially after he made an appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming and The Daily Bugle has been reimagined with J.K Simmons back in the role of J. Jonah Jameson
In the comics, Jonah hires private detective Mac Gargan to find out Spidey’s secret identity. When he fails, he agrees to be bonded to a suit that will grant him the abilities needed to take the hero down and unmask him. Unfortunately, it also drives him insane, and a vengeful Scorpion ends up targeting both Spider-Man and Jameson thanks to his newfound powers.
That origin would need to undergo some changes on the big screen, of course, but Jameson hiring an ex-con with a grudge against Spider-Man wouldn't be remotely surprising. Scorpion could even be tied to The Kingpin somehow, thereby explaining why Daredevil arrives to lend a helping hand against this unhinged baddie.
1. Gwen Stacy
There were rumours that Gwen Stacy would make an appearance in Spider-Man: Far From Home as a foreign exchange student, but that never happened and Jon Watts said it was never the plan when we spoke to him about the sequel back in 2019. It would be good to see a fresh take on the character, however, and Gwen could be reinvented just like MJ.
That would be controversial among some fans, of course, but MJ has arguably become Peter's best big screen girlfriend, so there's really no reason why a fresh take on Gwen would be a bad thing.
While we're sure Peter will still be pining for MJ in Spider-Man 4, it's just as likely that he might have already forced himself to move on. How better to do that than by meeting a bombshell like Gwen? Whether it's an amalgamation between Gwen and Felica Hardy or a live-action Ghost Spider, we'd be excited to see a fresh take on this iconic love interest.