Marvel Studios' historic Netflix crossover movie in 2026 has a plethora of formidable villains. Marvel Television's Defenders saga on Netflix has been reintegrated into the MCU, primarily through Daredevil: Born Again, bringing back key players from that saga, such as Daredevil (Charlie Cox), Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), and Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio). However, this was only on the small screen, but never on the big screen. Despite that, Spider-Man: Brand New Day will change that by bringing in some key MCU Netflix characters, making it Marvel Studios' first Netflix crossover movie.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day's official trailer confirmed several MCU Netflix characters will crossover to the big screen, headlined by Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle (aka Punisher) and The Hand.
The Punisher's appearance in Brand New Day positions him as an ally of Tom Holland's Spider-Man, helping him deal with whatever street-level threat emerges in New York.
The trailer revealed that Punisher and Spider-Man already know each other, but they clash over how to deal with villains. Spider-Man tries to stop the Punisher from using lethal force while Frank operates with his usual brutal violence.
In December 2025, insider Daniel Richtman claimed that Rosario Dawson's Claire Temple would return in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, marking her comeback as the Night Nurse from Marvel's Netflix shows.
In the Netflix shows, Claire Temple is the unofficial night-shift nurse for vigilantes and enhanced individuals, with some fans calling her the "Agent Coulson" type character because of her appearances in Daredevil Seasons 1 and 2, Jessica Jones Season 1, Iron Fist Season 1, The Defenders, and Luke Cage Seasons 1 and 2.
Claire's possible return in Spider-Man: Brand New Day would mark her first big-screen appearance and her first-ever interaction with Frank Castle.
The official trailer for Brand New Day also confirmed that Daredevil: Born Again character Sheila Riviera (played by Zabryna Guevara), who served as Mayor Wilson Fisk's advisor in the series, will make an appearance in the movie, making her the fourth Daredevil character to show up.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day features the biggest Marvel Netflix crossover in the MCU, bringing together Punisher, The Hand, and Claire Temple into Peter Parker's street-level world. The film's recent trailer confirmed that it will featuresa long list of villains joining The Hand.
Every Major Villain In Marvel's 2026 Netflix Crossover Movie
Scorpion
Scorpion is positioned as one of the most dangerous villains in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, mainly because he is hellbent on seeking revenge against Tom Holland's titular web-slinger for putting him in jail in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Trailer scenes showed Scorpion, wearing his mechanized armor, duking it out against Spider-Man. It's possible that Punisher will step in to help Spider-Man in his duel with Scorpion, perhaps by unloading heavy firepower on the villain or providing backup when the fight turns deadly due to the villain's poisonous stinger.
Boomerang
Boomerang is a low-tier villain who can be seen fighting Spider-Man in one of the epic shots of the trailer.
In Marvel Comics, Boomerang is a gadget-based assassin known for his razor-sharp boomerangs. His role is likely limited in the movie, primarily to show Peter's busy life in the post-Spider-Man: No Way Home era.
Tarantula
Another minor villain in Spider-Man: Brand New Day is Tarantula, a highly athletic South American assassin with enhanced agility and poison-injecting spikes in his boots.
Tarantula is positioned as a low-tier villain who is expected to appear briefly in a montage sequence showing Spider-Man fighting different enemies in New York. Some have speculated that part of that montage could feature Punisher working with Spider-Man to deal with Tarantula, Boomerang, or both.
The Hand
The Hand will make its presence felt in Spider-Man: Brand New Day by targeting Peter Parker in a prison-related sequence. It is unknown why The Hand is clashing with Spider-Man, but it's possible that the group sees the web-slinger as a threat as they seek the power vacuum in New York's criminal underbelly.
The Hand's inclusion ties directly into the movie's Netflix crossover elements, and the ramifications of their on-screen comeback could carry over into Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 and position them as the larger, overarching threat for the newly reunited Defenders once more.
BONUS: Sadie Sink's Unconfirmed Character
Sadie Sink's mystery MCU character has been making headlines ever since her appearance in the Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer.
While many believe she is the MCU's version of Jean Grey, the trailer suggests she is positioned as a villain, with scenes showing her controlling innocent people. Some have theorized that Sink's character is the one Frank Castle is trying to protect in the film, which could create conflict if Peter Parker tries to stop her from whatever she is doing.
Whatever the case, Sink's role in Brand New Day appears central to the film's bigger stakes. If she is indeed Jean Grey, it will be an interesting journey for the X-Men character, as she would start as a villain before embracing her heroic roots.
BONUS: Tombstone (Reported)
Tombstone is another formidable villain for Spider-Man to contend with in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. By having near-indestructible skin and superhuman strength, Tombstone can easily stand toe-to-toe against Spider-Man.
His position as a crime boss suggests that he is pulling the strings from behind, meaning that he could eventually cross paths with Punisher as well. This could lead to a climactic battle featuring Punisher and Spider-Man against Tombstone and possibly Scorpion.
