A stunning new look emerged at one of Spider-Man: Brand New Day's dangerous villains, Tombstone, who has yet to be showcased in any official footage. Brand New Day will feature a plethora of villains for Tom Holland's Peter Parker to contend with, including Tarantula, Boomerang, and the return of Spider-Man: Homecoming antagonist Mac Gargan as Scorpion. Another confirmed villain is Tombstone, and many are already speculating that this street-level kingpin is the man bankrolling the other villains to make Spider-Man's life difficult in New York.
Official promotional art for Spider-Man: Brand New Day emerged online (via All Posters) ahead of the film's July 31 release date, showcasing the best look yet at Marvin Jones III's Tombstone. The villain's live-action design is quite fitting as a New York crime boss, capturing the perfect mix of elegance and brutality as a no-nonsense enforcer who commands respect through sheer presence.
Additional promotional art depicted a preview of the clash between Tom Holland's Spider-Man and Tombstone in Brand New Day, teasing that the street-level villain will gain the upper hand at some point.
Tombstone's design in this latest promo art is consistent with what Marvel and Sony revealed in the villain's LEGO form. The villain had pale gray skin and white hair, which aligns with the character's look across various forms of media.
After exposure to an experimental Oscorp gas, Tombstone, also known as Lonnie Lincoln, gained superhuman strength, stamina, durability, and reflexes. Similar to Luke Cage, his skin became nearly indestructible, and he has enhanced healing.
Tombstone's inclusion in Spider-Man: Brand New Day is historic for several reasons. Marvin Jones III's casting in the Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures' collaboration commemorates the first time in MCU history that a villain actor has reprised a role in live-action that they first brought to life in animation (Jones voiced Tombstone in the Spider-Verse movies).
Tombstone's involvement in Spider-Man: Brand New Day marks the first time a Marvel villain appears three times in 2026. Aside from Brand New Day, Tombstone is also confirmed to show up in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2 on Disney+ soon, and just recently, Spider-Noir on Prime Video.
Why Tombstone Is Spider-Man: Brand New Day's Secret Main Villain
Given the mystery surrounding Tombstone's role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the Marvel villain could be positioned as a secret overarching antagonist, thanks to his calculated, sinister nature and his connections to New York's criminal underbelly.
As Peter Parker embraces a new life after Spider-Man: No Way Home, having him deal with an organized crime figure makes a lot of sense, as his isolation from his peers makes him the perfect target.
Tombstone is clearly not a one-off villain, considering that past stories (like Insomniac Games' Spider-Man games) use him as a permanent fixture in the city's shadows, and the MCU's version could do the same to give Peter a new rival.
It also makes sense for Tombstone to hire low-tier villains, like Boomerang and Tarantula, to test his mettle before helping orchestrate Mac Gargan's prison escape. Tombstone may help Mac transform into Scorpion to mess with Spider-Man and, presumably, push him to the limit.
There is also a possibility that Tombstone might be behind the Hulk's return and eventual rampage, ordering Scorpion to inject his toxin into Bruce Banner to "unleash the monster" in New York as a distraction, so his minions could do his bidding.
Tombstone's inclusion as a secret main villain orchestrating chaos from the shadows would lead to a darker, more mature Spider-Man chapter in the MCU.
