One fan-favorite element of Spider-Man: No Way Home's plot will make its way back into the MCU for 2026's Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Spider-Man 4 has the tall order of following a film that became the biggest solo superhero movie in history when it debuted in 2021. Looking ahead, the web-slinger still has plenty of exciting action ahead of him, along with new characters to introduce alongside him.
Spider-Man 4 will reportedly feature multiple villains in its story. The MCU's Spider-Man saga already has more than a handful of classic villains, and fans have spent a long time theorizing about where the story would go next on that front. As it turns out, Marvel will look to its most recent Spidey solo movie for inspiration.
Scooper Daniel Richtman shared the rumor that Brand New Day "will feature multiple villains, similar to No Way Home." Fans remember No Way Home for its multitude of villains, as the threequel brought back five big bads from Sony's five Spider-Man movies developed prior to the web-slinger's introduction into the MCU. That group featured Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin, Alfred Molina's Doc Ock, Jamie Foxx's Electro, Thomas Hayden Church's Sandman, and Rhys Ifans' Lizard.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be the first solo web-slinger movie since 2021 and the second solo movie of Phase 6. Starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Mark Ruffalo, and Jon Bernthal, the story is expected to show Peter Parker restarting his life after Doctor Strange's spell made the world forget about his existence. He will also face a horde of new bad guys as he keeps his friends and loved ones safe. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is currently filming and will be released in theaters on July 31, 2026.
Which Villains Will Show Up in Spider-Man 4?
While most of the characters confirmed for Spider-Man: Brand New Day are heroes as of writing, the sequel is expected to be loaded with firepower from the antagonists' side of the story. After Peter Parker's last duel with the Green Goblin, Doc Ock, and more, the stage is set for the stakes to possibly go even bigger for his next movie.
Early rumors teased a potential MCU debut for Martin Li's Mr. Negative, who was utilized recently in Insomniac's Spider-Man saga for the PlayStation. However, later reports denied that this was the case, leaving Martin Li on the table for a future project for the time being.
The one big name confirmed for Spider-Man 4's villain roster is Michael Mando, who will reprise his role as Mac Gargan/Scorpion from 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming. He is also expected to fully level up into his antagonistic alter-ego in this movie, giving Peter Parker a scary ex-convict with some powerful upgrades to fight.
Other rumors have hinted at a female villain being brought into this movie, and there could still be a few names fans have not heard yet who will make their presence felt. Regardless of how the details play out,
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.
