Tom Holland's fourth outing as the web-slinger is set to unleash an unprecedented range of villain power types when Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters on July 31. The film promises to present a diverse array of threats against Peter Parker, pitting him against a wide-ranging rogues' gallery while he grapples with a mysterious mutation and attempts to re-engage with his former best friends, Ned (Jacob Batalon) and MJ (Zendaya).
Throughout his MCU run, Holland's Spidey has squared off against an increasingly dangerous set of foes from Vulture (Michael Keaton) in Homecoming, to the deceptive illusionist Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) in Far From Home, all the way to a multiversal gauntlet in No Way Home that included the return of Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), Electro (Jamie Foxx), Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), and Lizard (Rhys Ifans).
Now, Brand New Day appears poised to raise the stakes even further. The first trailer showed the return of Michael Mando as Scorpion, whom Peter has already faced in Homecoming, setting up an exciting reunion.
One of the most exciting aspects of Spider-Man's challenges this summer is the medley of supervillain types, from mind control to a guy in a green suit.
5 Types of Supervillains in Spider-Man 4
Tech-Based
Brand New Day features two villains who owe their threat to engineered weaponry rather than any innate gift. In the comics, experiments grant Mac Gargan superhuman strength, speed, reflexes, and a Scorpion-sense similar to Peter's Spider-Sense, all amplified by his iconic tail.
The MCU appears to be taking a more grounded approach, with Scorpion's mech-tech suit looking visually similar to other armored suits from past Marvel films.
In Marvel Comics, Fred Myers / Boomerang was a former major league baseball pitcher, so he found employment with the criminal organization, which equipped him with specialized weaponry built around his exceptional throwing skills and gave him the Boomerang identity.
In Brand New Day, Boomerang is likely going to have a very limited role, but will still be just a guy in a cool suit and exceptional throwing skills.
Agent-Based
Not every villain in Brand New Day was born with powers or built a suit; some had their abilities forced on them by accident. In the comics, Lonnie Lincoln was originally just an unusually tall man in near-peak physical condition who rose through organized crime through sheer size and brutality.
That changed when Robbie Robertson accidentally locked him in a chamber filled with the preservative gas Diox-3, mutating him and leaving his skin virtually indestructible.
Disney+'s series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is re-writing it's own Tombstone origin story heading into Season 2.
In Brand New Day, Tombstone is played by Marvin Jones III and, fitting the film’s street-level tone, is expected to have a major role, with some fans even speculating he could be the primary antagonist.
Born With Powers
Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures have kept Sadie Sink's role under wraps, but rumors suggest she could be playing Jean Grey in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
If that's the case, it would introduce something entirely new to Spider-Man's corner of the MCU: a character whose powers aren't tied to accidents or technology, but something she was born with. Rumored details point to telepathic abilities like mind control, potentially allowing her to manipulate others, like the DODC agents shown in the first trailer.
The real threat, however, comes from who Jean Grey is in the comics. She's an Omega-level mutant with immense telepathic and telekinetic power, and a connection to the Phoenix Force, an entity capable of catastrophic destruction.
If she is Jean, this is clearly a younger, scared version, who probably hasn't gone to Charles Xavier's school yet, to hone in her emotions and Earth-breaking powers.
Supernatural
The Hand was first introduced in Daredevil Season 1, mainly through Nobu Yoshioka (Peter Shinkoda), and also played a significant role in Season 2 and future Netflix projects.
They continued to menace New York through Iron Fist and The Defenders, all of which are officially canon in the MCU. In Brand New Day, the Hand can be seen donning their red outfits at two points in the trailer, battling Spider-Man within the walls of a prison, and also diving at the hero on a rooftop.
Why they've turned their attention toward Spider-Man remains one of the film's biggest mysteries, though many suspect their appearance ties directly to the greater mystery.
Human / Unknown
Tarantula is the one villain in Brand New Day whose power type remains genuinely up in the air heading into the film. In his original human form in the comics, Anton Miguel Rodriguez is a great athlete with incredible hand-to-hand combat expertise.
That baseline version of the character would technically be classified as a non-powered, human-level threat. However, the comics also tell a darker story: when injected with a mutagenic serum by the Brand Corporation in an attempt to give him spider-powers, Rodriguez mutated uncontrollably into a monstrous spider-like form.
Based on the trailer, Tarantula appears to be part of a slow-motion montage sequence, and given his brief appearance and lack of a confirmed actor, he will likely not play a major role in the film, and is likely light on super-abilities.
