Eight villains have now been rumored to appear in the upcoming Spider-Man 4. Tom Holland's latest web-slinging adventure, titled Spider-Man: Brand New Day, is confirmed to swing into theaters on July 31, 2026, with newcomer to the franchise Sadie Sink arriving in an undisclosed role, yet who Holland's wall-crawler will go up against in the movie has not been revealed.
That has not stopped the rumor machine from churning out name after name attached to Spider-Man 4 as a potential villain. Everyone from classic returning characters to award-winning acting superstars has come up in the Brand New Day big bad conversation, with no official announcement having been made public as of yet.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day (aka Spider-Man 4) will be directed by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' Destin Daniel Cretton, picking u with Tom Holland's Peter Parker as he enters his life as an anonymous college-age New Yorker with a super-powered secret identity.
The new film is said to see Zendaya return as her MJ character, along with J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson and Sadie Sink in an unannounced secret role (although some seem to think she may be playing Mayday Parker).
Every Villain Rumored to Appear in Spider-Man 4
Mr. Negative
One name that keeps coming up over and over again in the ongoing Spider-Man 4 villain conversation is the mysterious Mr. Negative. According to reporting from The Hot Mic host Jeff Sneider, Martin Li/Mr. Negative will be the primary antagonist in Brand New Day, taking on Tom Holland's Peter Parker.
As for who will play the character, that is a different question. There has been speculation that The Walking Dead star Steven Yeun could be in line for the role, while the voice behind the character in Marvel's Spider-Man video game, Steven OYoung, has also thrown his name in the ring.
Martin Li/Mr. Negative is a relatively new addition to the Spider-Man comics canon, being first introduced in 2007's Free Comic Book Day 2007 (Spider-Man) #1. In the comics, he is the wealthy New York philanthropist behind the renowned charity FEAST, who secretly is an energy-wielding supervillain who sports a distinct appearance similar to that of a photo negative.
Unknown Female Villain (Sarah Snook)
One of the few Spidey villain rumors going around without an actual character attached is the big Sarah Snook rumor. Also, according to insider Jeff Sndeider, Marvel Studios is reportedly eyeing the Succession actress to play a secondary big bad in the film.
This came alongside reporting from leaker Daniel Richtman, saying the film was looking for a "female villain" between "30s-50s" and of "any ethnicity." While no character has been mentioned in relation to these reports, that has not stopped fans from throwing a few names out for who someone like Snook could be playing.
Some have thought she could be the super-soldier Spider-Queen/Adriana Soria, a former marine who carries insect DNA in her veins, allowing her to use powers like shape-shifting, telepathic, and the spewing of a dangerous Mutagenic Enzyme that grants people Spider-Man-like powers.
Scorpion
One of the few returning villains related to the movie on this list was mentioned at a recent Disney Consumer Product presentation. The terrifying Scorpion was first teased at the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2017, with Better Call Saul star Micheal Mando playing the role.
Nearly a decade later, the MCU's Scorpion has not been heard from, but Spider-Man 4 could be the time to bring the character back. This most recent rumor included the character's name, alongside Boomerang and Tombstone, as a potential antagonist for the upcoming movie.
Scorpion (aka Mac Gargan) is a career criminal who remains one of Spider-Man's longest-standing supervillains. He is best known for his bright green scorpion-themed suit of armor, which comes equipped with a deadly cybernetic tail.
Boomerang
If rumors are true, and Spider-Man 4 will include several villains for Peter Parker to go up against, Boomerang could be the perfect fit. The character's name came up in this reported Disney Consumer Product presentation in late May, which supposedly disclosed some significant details about the upcoming super-powered sequel.
Boomerang/Fredrick Myers was brought up along with Scorpion and Tombstone at the presentation. He could potentially play a lesser role in the movie, serving as a henchman to Micheal Mando's Scorpion (think Shocker in Spider-Man: Homecoming), being a part of a supervillain team rather than the main threat himself.
In the comics, Boomerang is a former professional baseball player who, after his career comes to a screeching halt, is offered a chance at redemption, being recruited to a criminal organization known as the Secret Organization, where he is outfitted with specially designed boomerang-like weaponry that is meant to take advantage of his pitching arm.
Tombstone
The third villain reportedly mentioned at Disney's recent Consumer Product presentation was Tombstone (aka Lonnie Lincoln). The semi-obscure Spider-Man villain has appeared in various Spidey-related media, like the recently released Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man series. However, he has never been in something as big as Spider-Man 4.
If Marvel Studios wanted to focus on a more street-level Spider-Man adventure for Brand New Day, Tombstone could actually work quite well.
While he has some other-worldly features to him, like his near impenetrable skin, Tombstone is ultimately a hulking crime boss working the streets of New York, making him a perfect grounded big bad for Holland's webhead to go up against.
Tarantula
If these reports from this May 2025 Disney Merchandising Conference are to be believed, then there is a good chance that Spider-Man 4 is assembling some sort of supervillain team for the upcoming film. Part of this team, as mentioned by those in attendance, is Tarantula (via Reddit).
Tarantulas have never been seen on the big screen before in a Spider-Man film, but they could be a fascinating addition to the MCU canon if Marvel Studios chooses to pursue that direction.
On the page, Tarantula is a former terrorist-turned-gun-for-hire who flees to New York City after being disavowed by the fascist regime he previously worked for across the world.
Savage Hulk
Spider-Man 4 could also see Spidey face off against someone he once called his friend as part of the Avengers. Savage Hulk's name has been mentioned in a few places as a potential primary antagonist for the new movie, with Mark Ruffalo returning to the role.
Like many of the names on this list, this Savage Hulk speculation was based on a report from an attendee of Disney's May 2025 Consumer Product presentation. It was said that the not-so-jolly green giant would return to his more uncontrolled form (as opposed to the Smart Hulk fans have been seeing as of late), and Peter Parker/Spider-Man would be forced to reckon with the consequences.
For those unaware, Savage Hulk is Hulk's deadliest, most terrifying form. He usually works without any mental guards, meaning he poses a significant threat not just to his foes but also to the lives of innocent people who may be caught in his line of fire.
Kingpin
One of the longest-rumored names for Spider-Man 4 has been Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin. Kingpin/Wilson Fisk and Spider-Man have long stood at odds with one another in Marvel Comics, and for years, fans have wished for the characters to cross paths on the big screen.
D'Onofrio's Marvel character first came up in the Spider-Man 4 conversation when it was reported that the new wall-crawling sequel was looking to tackle a more grounded story after the Multiversal shenanigans of Spider-Man: No Way Home. However, as time passes, and the scale of the new Spider-Man movie has reportedly gotten bigger, Kingpin has faded into the background.
That is, even if the character could be used in the movie at all. D'Onofrio himself has said he would love to play Kingpin in Spider-Man 4, but he knows it cannot happen because of a rights issue with the character.
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