Earlier this week, it was reported that Tom Holland's Peter Parker will battle the Scorpion, Tombstone, and Boomerang in next summer's Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
It's also been said that Spider-Man: Homecoming star Michael Mando has officially signed up to reprise his role as Mac Gargan, suggesting Marvel Studios will finally give fans what they want: a street-level adventure pitting Spidey against one of his classic comic book foes.
In this feature, we're taking a closer look at the reasons why bringing the Scorpion to the big screen is the best possible move on Marvel Studios' part. From the character's immense storytelling potential to the possible introduction of Venom, Mac Gargan has all the makings of being Spider-Man's most sinister big screen foe to date.
Find out what we think Scorpion will bring to the table in Spider-Man: Brand New Day by clicking on the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
5. It Would Also Put JJJ Front And Centre
Spider-Man: No Way Home made it clear that the MCU's J. Jonah Jameson hates the web-slinger, but like the rest of the world, he no longer remembers who's beneath the mask. As his one-sided vendetta continues, it makes sense for JJJ to try and deduce who New York City's "menace" is.
Enter, Mac Gargan. If the movie heads down the P.I. route, a minor retcon would be needed as Spider-Man: Homecoming's version of the character was a crook (original plans called for him to be a corrupt cop). Alternatively, he can always enlist Gargan as a thug-for-hire, eventually introducing him to Dr. Farley Stillwell in an effort to create a "hero" capable of taking down Spider-Man.
The Scorpion will be born, J.K. Simmons will get a lead role as TheDailyBugle.net's cantankerous figurehead, and we'll get a story that will feel like a breath of fresh air for the web-slinger's MCU-based adventures.
4. A True Challenge For Peter Parker
We've seen the MCU's Spider-Man face many formidable foes, including The Vulture, Mysterio, and the Green Goblin. Even so, Scorpion can push Peter to his limits, particularly if Marvel Studios leans into the dominance scorpions have over spiders in the wild.
Stronger than Spidey and boasting his own danger sense, his powerful armour makes Mac a major threat to the hero, something the comics have failed to effectively portray in recent years, thanks to Scorpion's B-List status.
We'd love to see Spider-Man: Brand New follow the example set by the Spider-Man video games and Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man; in those, he was a legitimate threat. We could even see the villain poison Peter, leading to the wall-crawler suffering from all manner of hallucinations, and perhaps a final act with Scorpion "transforming" into a monster for a horror-inspired battle.
3. He's One Of Spider-Man's Most Underrated Foes
Despite being one of Spider-Man's original villains (created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko), Scorpion rarely gets the same level of respect as characters like Doctor Octopus and Green Goblin. In fact, he's become a secondary baddie, often easily dispatched by the wall-crawler.
That changed in Mark Millar and Terry Dodson's Marvel Knights Spider-Man when Mac learned of Spidey's secret identity (courtesy of Norman Osborn). With that, he enacted a plan which saw him stage Aunt May's death and assemble the "Sinister Twelve" to take Peter down once and for all.
If Marvel Studios takes its cues from the story, Spider-Man: Brand New Day can put a spin on Mac that makes him a major threat to Peter and perhaps even his most formidable foe to date. There would be no world-ending stakes here; instead, we'd get a classic Spidey yarn!
2. A Venomous Future
At the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock was sent back to his own reality, but he left a piece of the Venom Symbiote behind. Will Marvel Studios pick up on that dangling plot thread? We certainly hope so.
However, rather than head down the expected route of introducing Earth-616's Eddie, we'd like to see Mac eventually get his hands on the alien suit. From there, a sinister new Venom could be introduced and, just like in the comics, this Venom would be an absolute beast of a character.
When the comic book version of the Scorpion acquired the Symbiote, he transformed into a hulking monster who ate people's brains (and limbs). Later, he even became an amalgamation of both Venom and Scorpion, and if Spidey easily beats Scorpion, then a rematch in the final act with a Venom-enthused Mac would be a great way to up the ante.
1. Michael Mando Gets His Chance To Shine
Michael Mando's role in Spider-Man: Homecoming was little more than a cameo, and when we last saw him, he was in prison, after being badly injured courtesy of Spidey's intervention, and eager for The Vulture to tell him who's beneath the mask.
Even if he found out, the villain would have forgotten, but that interest can easily be exploited by Jonah. It feels like a logical next step for this franchise and, more importantly, a chance for Mando to shine. If you've seen his work in Better Call Saul, then you'll know he's an absolute powerhouse talent.
Despite not being a big-name star, we're confident he can do Scorpion justice, putting himself and the character on the map in the process. We just hope Marvel Studios makes this a reality because a recast would do Mando a disservice (fortunately, recent reports suggest that won't happen).