Spider-Man 4's Villain Is Finally Delivering on the Promise of 'Amazing Spider-Man 3'

Spider-Man: Brand New Day appears set to fulfill a promise through Tom Holland that was previously set up for Andrew Garfield's The Amazing Spider-Man 3. Holland's hero has had the chance to dive deep into his rogues gallery across his MCU tenure, including a tussle with classic villains from Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire's universes. Looking ahead, Spider-Man 4 appears set to explore a storyline that past movies never had the chance to.

Concept artist Tom Zhao shared concept art for the version of Scorpion that would have been realized in Sony Pictures' The Amazing Spider-Man 3. Made by Oscorp, the suit features huge, bug-like eyes on the mask, pincers as replacements for the hands, and a massive scorpion-like tail with pyrotechnics at the end.

Zhao commented on his work in the post, indicating that this look at Scorpion was part of the "references to the Sinister Six that were going to be hinted at" in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. He thought up the idea of creating "a military prototype for an anti-projectile defense system," and the tail would have been "a quick targeting laser" capable of destroying incoming projectiles:

"I got to work on 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' early in the process to help figure out some of the references to the Sinister Six that were going to be hinted at in the film.

Here are a few concepts for the prototypes in Oscorp's Special Projects Division.

Scorpion

My original idea was to create a military prototype for an anti-projectile defense system. The "tail" is a quick targeting laser that could destroy projectiles as they travel toward the operator. Similar to the 'Iron Dome' but on a personnel scale."

The Scorpion suit was one of a handful teased at the Ravencroft Institute in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 before the final battle between Peter Parker and Harry Osborn. This collection included mechanical attachments meant for versions of Doctor Octopus, Vulture, and Rhino (amongst other undisclosed villains). While that movie was meant to set up Scorpion as a main villain in the Sinister Six, Spider-Man 4 will deliver on that idea with Michael Mando's return as Mac Gargan.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be the MCU's fourth solo Spider-Man movie and the second film released in Marvel Studios' Phase 6 slate. Starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Michael Mando, Jon Bernthal, and Mark Ruffalo, the film follows Peter Parker as he attempts to rebuild his life anonymously while facing new threats. Spider-Man: Brand New Day will swing into theaters on July 31, 2026.

Scorpion's Role in Tom Holland's Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Scorpion seems lined up to be one of the main antagonists in Spider-Man 4. This film will pick up on his story after he was last seen in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming, which ended with him in jail and plotting with Michael Keaton's Vulture about how to take out the web-slinger.

For Brand New Day, all signs point to Mando finally suiting up as the Scorpion, although his official look is being kept under wraps. Although he will not be the only villain to take on Spider-Man in this movie, his evolution into his villainous alter-ego will make for one of the franchise's biggest payoffs.

The big question is how Mac Gargan and the film's other villains will interact with one another, as Scorpion will reportedly share screentime with Tombstone, Tarantula, Boomerang, and possibly more.

As fans wait to get their first look at this new sequel, which may still arrive before the end of 2025, Scorpion will be a hot topic as Mando preps to expand mightily on Mac Gargan's story in the MCU.