New information seemingly suggests Spider-Man 4 will make a historic move with its villain strategy. Spider-Man 4 (aka Spider-Man: Brand New Day) production is now underway in Glasgow, Scotland, giving fans a few scant glimpses of what is in store for Tom Holland's next wall-crawling blockbuster (like a look at the new supersuit and a potential villain tease).
While the movie's story and big comic book villain have not been officially revealed, photos from Brand New Day production have allegedly leaked that the terrifying Mister Negative will factor into its super-powered story, at least in some form. If Mister Negative is one of the villains to go up against Holland's high-flying hero, this would buck a live-action Spider-Man trend that dates back to the very first Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movie.
Spider-Man 4 comes to theaters on July 31, 2026. The new film marks the start of a new era for the web-slinging hero in the MCU, with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton stepping in to direct. Titled Brand New Day, Tom Holland's fourth Spider-Man adventure follows the titular hero after the character has been thrust back into anonymity, officially starting his Spider-Man-ing career in earnest.
Spider-Man 4 Makes Spider-Man Movie History
If, in fact, Mister Negative will be one of Spider-Man 4's villains (of which there could be many), the upcoming Marvel film will set a new mark for the character in live-action film.
In the comics, Mister Negative is a former New York philanthropist who, after a science experiment gone wrong, is given the ability to channel the mysterious Darkforce (a supernatural energy from another dimension).
This means that if Mister Negative is in the film, like recent set photos seem to indicate, the character will be the first supernatural villain in a live-action Spider-Man movie.
To date, no major Hollywood-released Spider-Man film has featured a big bad that draws its "powers" from a supernatural or extradimensional place. Most Spider-Man movie villains have been either scientists themselves or the result of a freak science accident, drawing their villainous intentions from various medical, technological, or cosmic origins.
Even a character like Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio, who has been closely associated with all things supernatural in Marvel lore, used clever projections and a fleet of drones to accomplish his magic-esque tricks on the big screen.
Mister Negative, however, is the closest thing to a full-on supernatural threat that Spidey has had to take on in a live-action movie.
While he may also be the result of another 'experiment gone wrong,' his powers originate in an otherworldly supernatural place (at least in the comics).
The MCU's Spider-Man has been witness to some of Marvel's more out-there magical elements over his last couple of adventures, using some of Doctor Strange's magic portals in Avengers: Endgame and then squaring off against Strange in a mirror dimension in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
So, introducing a character like Mister Negative into the MCU would not feel entirely foreign to the world that the previous Tom Holland Spider-Man movies have set up.
For fans who are worried that these supernatural elements could detract from what has been described as a 'street-level' Spider-Man story in Brand New Day, there is nothing to be nervous about.
Despite Mister Negative channeling a seemingly paranormal energy field for his abilities, he is one of Spidey's most dangerous ground-level adversaries.
Like fellow Marvel big bad Tombstone, Mister Negative is essentially a super-powered street gang leader, causing havoc on the streets of New York rather than across the Multiverse or in the stars.
The whole Mister Negative conversation comes with a massive caveat, though. There is no guarantee that the character is in the new Spider-Man movie, as all of this is being built upon the appearance of a small logo on the Brand New Day set.
There is also the chance that this supposed Mister Negative iconography in Spider-Man 4 is actually a deep-cut reference to Jon Bernthal's the Punisher, who has already been confirmed to appear in the new movie.
