Sony's animated Spider-Verse will help the MCU make history thanks to a new villain cast in Marvel Studios' next efforts with the web-slinger. Spider-Man is still a power player across the superhero movie world, as the MCU continues its work with Peter Parker and Sony Pictures breaks records with its animated Spider-Verse franchise. Now, Marvel Studios will add a new layer of excitement for the red-suited hero thanks to another villain's addition to Spidey's next solo film.
Marvin Jones III reportedly joined the cast of Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures' Spider-Man: Brand New Day as the villainous Tombstone. Brand New Day is already chock full of reported villains, as fans are eager to see Tom Holland's hero take on a new crop of big bads while having to rediscover his identity. While Tombstone is the latest addition to that group, this will be far from his first appearance on the big screen.
As reported by Deadline, Jones III is lined up to play Tombstone in 2026's Spider-Man: Brand New Day and 2027's Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. The former Black Lightning star voiced Tombstone in a small role in 2018's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. This marks the first time an actor started with a role in one of Sony's animated movies before going on to play the same role in live-action.
For perspective, Donald Glover made history in a similar fashion, but in reverse order. First playing Aaron Davis (who becomes the Prowler) in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming, he had a live-action cameo as the fully-evolved Prowler in 2023's Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Glover has not voiced the Prowler as an animated character as of writing.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the fourth live-action Spider-Man movie in the MCU and the second film in the MCU's Phase 6 slate. It stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Mark Ruffalo, Jon Bernthal, and Michael Mando. The story is expected to focus on Peter Parker's quest to rediscover his identity while taking on a horde of terrifying new villains. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is currently filming and will swing into theaters on July 31, 2026.
What To Expect From Tombstone in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Also seen in Marvel's Spider-Man video games for the PlayStation, Tombstone recently appeared in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man through a younger version of Lonnie Lincoln. While he only got his nickname and not his powers in that series, fans expect to see a fully powered-up take on Lonnie when he debuts in Spider-Man 4.
Known for his struggles with albinism (which Jones III has in real life), Tombstone is driven to anger and villainy after a rough childhood. Making up for his appearance, he bulks up to be incredibly muscular and winds up becoming a school bully in his youth, leading to him earning the "Tombstone" nickname.
As an adult, he becomes a mobster and a gang leader, eventually turning into a regular foe for both Spider-Man and Daredevil in New York City. He also gains true superpowers later after a reaction to an experimental gas, which makes his skin near impenetrable and able to withstand extreme conditions of all varieties.
Known as a capable fighter before getting powers, Tombstone is one of Spider-Man's toughest foes in the comics, able to lay a beatdown on most enemies while barely breaking a sweat.
How he plays into the story being developed for Spider-Man 4 is still unknown. However, considering his physical prowess and ruthlessness, he will be no easy task for Tom Holland's web-slinger to take down (once Holland returns from a minor on-set injury).
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
