An upcoming MCU project will do something with one of its villains that the franchise has never done in its 18-year history, dating all the way back to 2008's Iron Man. 2026 is a massive year for the MCU. Fans will get to see Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 on Disney+ in March (along with other shows releasing throughout the year), and two of the biggest films the MCU has ever had, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday, will be premiering in theaters.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is already in a bit of a tough position since it will aim to live up to the success of its predecessor, No Way Home, but, to help it out, it is breaking MCU history with one of its villains. Specifically, it was confirmed that Brand New Day will feature multiple villains, and that one of them will be Tombstone.
Tombstone is a well-known Spider-Man villain who has appeared in comics, TV shows (Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man), and video games. However, in Brand New Day, he is being played by Marvin Jones III, the same actor who portrayed Tombstone in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Notably, this is the first time in MCU history that a villain actor is reprising a role in live-action that they first brought to life through animation. Every single villain actor in the entire MCU has either played their character for the very first time in live-action (such as Tenoch Huerta Mejía playing Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) or is reprising their role from a previous live-action project (like Willem Dafoe reprising his role as Norman Osborn in Spider-Man: No Way Home).
It is worth noting that even though Jones III is playing the same character from Into the Spider-Verse, it is a different version of that character. The Tombstone from that movie is not the same Tombstone that will appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Every MCU Villain Actor Reprising Their Role in an Upcoming Project
Robert Downey Jr. - Doctor Doom
Robert Downey Jr. will be reprising his role as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, a film that could be the biggest and most important in the entire MCU. Downey first played Doom in the post-credits scene of The Fantastic Four: First Steps (yes, that was him in the suit).
Ian McKellen - Magneto
Fans were ecstatic to learn that Ian McKellen was being brought into the MCU to play Magneto in Avengers: Doomsday. The legendary actor started his Marvel tenure portraying the character in Fox's X-Men franchise, and it is possible that Doomsday could be his last appearance as the Omega-Level Mutant.
McKellen was featured in one of the official teasers (which, according to the Russo brothers, aren't actually teasers) for Doomsday.
Rebecca Romijn - Mystique
The same day McKellen's return was announced, Marvel Studios also revealed that Rebecca Romijn would be reprising her role as Mystique in Avengers: Doomsday. Romijn played Mystique in the original trilogy of Fox's X-Men movies, meaning Doomsday will be the first time she has brought the character to life since 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand.
Tenoch Huerta Mejía - Namor
Tenoch Huerta Mejía had the tall task of acting as Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This was the first time Namor was ever portrayed in live-action, but the character will be returning in Avengers: Doomsday.
Like McKellen, Huerta Mejía has already been featured in official marketing materials for Doomsday, as he was showcased in one of the film's teasers.
Michael Mando - Scorpion
Spider-Man: Homecoming's post-credits scene is finally paying off in 2026's Spider-Man: Brand New Day, because Michael Mando's Scorpion will be returning and is set to play a major antagonistic role in the upcoming film.
Mando has been spotted in set photos and videos from Brand New Day's public sets, but his overall role in the movie remains somewhat of a mystery, as many don't know exactly what will happen to his character. No matter what, it seems as though he will be breaking out of the prison he was seen in during the events of Homecoming, and that he will be after Spider-Man with everything he's got.
Jason Schwartzman - Spot
Many fans expected Spot to die in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, but that simply didn't happen, and now the character (voiced by Jason Schwartzman) will be returning for the third movie in the animated series, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.
Not much is known about what Spot will be doing in the threequel, or how Miles will stop him, but he is expected to be the movie's primary antagonist and will likely be trying to destroy multiple universes.
Jharrell Jerome - Miles Morales
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse ended with a shocking twist. Essentially, Shameik Moore's Miles Morales realizes he is in the wrong universe. In this one, his father is dead, his Uncle Aaron is alive, and that universe's Miles is the Prowler.
Jharrell Jerome portrayed that universe's version of Miles in Across the Spider-Verse and will be returning in Beyond the Spider-Verse.
Oscar Isaac - Miguel O'Hara
Oscar Isaac has portrayed multiple villains across different Marvel projects, but the only one he will be reprising his role as is Miguel O'Hara from Across the Spider-Verse.
Miguel directly opposed Miles at the end of Across the Spider-Verse, and is expected to continue his actions in Beyond the Spider-Verse.
Mahershala Ali - Aaron Davis
It would be nice to say that Mahershala Ali will be reprising his role as Eric Brooks (aka Blade) in an upcoming MCU project (no, he isn't a villain, it just hurts that no one can say he will be popping up anytime soon). However, the actor will be coming back to the world of Marvel as Aaron Davis in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.
When the trilogy is complete, Ali will have been featured in all three films in that franchise.
Vincent D'Onofrio - Wilson Fisk (Kingpin)
Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) has established himself as one of the biggest villains the MCU has ever seen. he was already ruthless and completely terrifying in Netflix's Marvel universe, but the MCU has made him even more nightmarish.
As mentioned, D'Onofrio's Fisk first appeared in Netflix's Daredevil. He reprised that role in the MCU's Hawkeye series on Disney+, and then returned in Echo and Daredevil: Born Again. Fans will get to see him in Born Again Season 2, which will premiere on March 24 on Disney+.
Wilson Bethel - Bullseye
Like D'Onofrio, Wilson Bethel first played his villain (Benjamin Poindexter, aka Bullseye) in Netflix's Daredevil series. He returned in Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, and has already been confirmed to have a presence in Season 2.
James Spader - Ultron
James Spader is finally returning to the MCU in live-action as Ultron, the main villain from the second Avengers flick titled Age of Ultron. Spader has voiced Ultron since Age of Ultron in animation, but VisionQuest will be the first time he has come back in live-action.
Faran Tahir - Raza
Faran Tahir is the oldest original villain in the entire MCU. Played by Faran Tahir, he was the leader of a Ten Rings cell who captured Tony Stark in the first Iron Man film.
After almost two decades, Tahir is returning to the franchise in VisionQuest and will reprise his role from Iron Man.
Ross Marquand - Apocalypse
Marvel veteran Ross Marquand voiced Apocalypse in X-Men '97 Season 1. Marvel has already confirmed that Marquand will be brought back in Season 2 and that Apocalypse will play a major role in the upcoming season. Specifically, some of the X-Men are face-to-face with him hundreds of years in the past.
Colman Domingo - Norman Osborn
Colman Domingo voiced Norman Osborn in Disney+'s Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 1. Norman acted as a mentor to Peter Parker in Season 1 and is expected to continue that in Season 2. However, many are expecting the Green Goblin storyline to make its debut in Season 2, whether that be in regard to Norman Osborn or Harry Osborn.
Roger Craig Smith - Chameleon
Roger Craig Smith played Chameleon in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 1. He is expected to reprise that role in Season 2, but he likely won't be as big a villain as characters like Tombstone or Scorpion.
