Peter Parker's story in Spider-Man: Brand New Day will dive into new places that his original MCU trilogy did not touch. Tom Holland will make Marvel history upon his 2026 return on July 31, marking the first time any Spider-Man star has gotten to lead four solo live-action web-slinger movies. He will also come back with a horde of antagonists in his path, adding more intrigue to his adventure.
Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures' Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), the MCU's first solo Spider-Man movie, introduced Michael Mando in a minor role as Mac Gargan. The film showed him taking part in an illegal weapons deal on the Staten Island Ferry, which ended with the FBI taking him in and sending him to prison after only a few minutes of screentime. He later showed up in the movie's mid-credits scene, inquiring about Spider-Man's identity while speaking with Michael Keaton's Adrian Toomes.
Mando is set for a much larger role in the MCU in 2026's Spider-Man: Brand New Day, marking only his second appearance in the Marvel franchise. Here, Mac Gargan will evolve into his villainous alter-ego from Marvel Comics, Scorpion, for the first time on the big screen.
While Scorpion is one of Marvel's most notable Spider-Man villains in history, Sony and Marvel previously refused to use him in a live-action movie. Brand New Day will give Scorpion a proper villain platform in a major Marvel movie, after first being introduced in Marvel Comics with 1964's The Amazing Spider-Man #19.
In the comics, J. Jonah Jameson offers Gargan $10,000 to be the subject of an experiment, which makes him lose his sanity and turns him into the Scorpion. Most often, Spidey stopped Gargan from killing Jameson (who is not yet confirmed for Brand New Day's cast after appearing in Spider-Man: No Way Home), due to Gargan hating Jameson even more than Spider-Man.
As for why Scorpion has not been used in the MCU before now, original Spider-Man trilogy director Jon Watts explained to Digital Spy in 2019 that the team "never really found the right moment" to bring Mando back without it feeling like a "shoehorned-in cameo." He loved the idea of Scorpion and Vulture still being out in the world, however:
"We never really found the right moment to do something like that. It's always just about it being right for the story and not just some sort of shoehorned-in cameo. But I do love the idea that they're both still out there, and I like the idea that as we move forward with these films, we're building out this rich world that we can continually draw from."
Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be the fourth solo Spider-Man movie in the MCU, following Marvel Studios' agreement with Sony Pictures to bring the hero into the franchise in 2015. Starring Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Michael Mando, Jon Bernthal, and Mark Ruffalo, the film will pick up with Peter in a world unaware of his existence as he faces scary new villains like the Scorpion.
What To Expect From Scorpion in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
While Scorpion is closely tied to J. Jonah Jameson in Marvel Comics, it is unclear if the MCU will take that same route for Michael Mando's version of the character.
Specifically, Jameson's involvement in Gargan's MCU story is unknown, even considering how closely the two were intertwined in the comics. The MCU version of Jameson has no known connection to Gargan yet, which could be revealed later as fans learn what Gargan has been up to for close to a decade in the franchise.
For now, Gargan will likely be laser-focused on Peter Parker, as Tom Holland's returning MCU hero played a big part in putting the villain in jail before his evolution. Thus far, the movie's first trailer teased a fairly big fight between the web-slinger and Scorpion, though no context has been given for what puts them on a collision course.
Considering Gargan only had a few minutes of screentime and one line in Homecoming, the hope is that Marvel explores his character much more deeply upon his return.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer. 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.
