2026 is the year of Spider-Man villains break a long trend, and it’s perfect when so many of them appear in new releases. Spider-Man and Batman are the two comic book characters with the best villains. The Marvel and DC heroes have so many iconic foes, including the likes of the Green Goblin, the Joker, Doc Ock, the Riddler, Electro, Bane and more.
To that end, given how things have been more Spider-Man movies and Batman movies over the years, many of these villains have already found their way into live-action projects. Focusing exclusively on the Marvel side of things, Tom Holland’s MCU Spider-Man franchise will now begin what could be its second trilogy, which is an impressive feat that allows even more villains to emerge.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day‘s cast is already confirmed to feature a number of Marvel Comics villains, including the Hand, Boomerang, Tarantula, Scorpion and Tombstone. That said, the upcoming Spider-Man movie isn’t the Marvel hero’s only live-action appearance in 2026, as another version of Spider-Man has already led his own project, and it features plenty of exciting villains.
Friendly Neighborhood Assessment · MCU Era Tom Holland’s Spider-Man trivia
🏠Homecoming2017
✈️Far from home2019
🌌No way home2021
😈VillainsCreepy…
🤖MCUAvengers
01
Before getting his own solo film, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut by being recruited by Tony Stark to help in a massive superhero conflict. In which MCU film did Holland first appear as Spider-Man?
✓ Correct! Tom Holland first appeared as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War (2016), where Tony Stark visits Peter in Queens and recruits him for the airport fight against Team Cap. His quirky, starstruck portrayal instantly won over audiences.
✗ Web miss! The answer is Captain America: Civil War. Holland debuted in the 2016 film before Homecoming (2017). He was recruited by Tony Stark for the iconic airport fight scene where he stole Captain America’s shield with his web in one of the film’s most memorable moments.
02
In Spider-Man: Homecoming, Peter faces a savior who turned to arms dealing after being shut out of the Chitauri cleanup by Damage Control. Using an alien-tech wingsuit, he becomes one of Spider-Man’s most grounded villains. Who is he?
✓ Correct! Adrian Toomes, played brilliantly by Michael Keaton, is Gribben – a working-class father who builds a criminal empire selling alien-derived weapons. The twist that he is the father of Peter’s date Liz is one of the MCU’s best surprises.
✗ Web miss! The answer is The Vulture (Adrian Toomes). The Shocker and Tinkerer are his henchmen in the film, and Scorpion (Mac Gargan) only makes a brief appearance. Toomes is the main antagonist, personally confronting Peter in the unforgettable road trip scene.
03
Tony Stark built Peter a high-tech suit filled with features Peter didn’t even know about, including an AI assistant that helps him in battle, provides tactical analysis, and even gives dating advice. What name does Peter give this AI?
✓ Correct! Peter calls his suit’s AI “Karen”, voiced by Jennifer Connelly. She helps him with web shooting modes, reconnaissance and even his love life. Friday is Tony Stark’s AI and EDITH is the Stark satellite system that appears in Far From Home.
✗ Web miss! The answer is Karen. Friday is Tony Stark’s personal AI, EDITH is the Stark defense satellite Peter inherits in Far From Home, and Jocasta is an AI from the comics. Karen, voiced by Jennifer Connelly, is Peter’s suit assistant throughout Homecoming.
04
In Spider-Man: Far From Home, Peter encounters a seemingly heroic figure claiming to be from another Earth who is fighting elemental creatures across Europe. In reality, he is a disgruntled former Stark Industries employee who uses advanced holographic drones. What is his real name?
✓ Correct! Quentin Beck, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, is Mysterio – a master of illusion who uses Stark Industries’ BARF holographic technology and weapon-based drones to manufacture Elementals and pose as a hero. His final act of revenge shapes the entire third film.
✗ Web miss! The answer is Quentin Beck. William Ginter Riva is one of Beck’s team members, Aldrich Killian is the villain in Iron Man 3, and Justin Hammer is from Iron Man 2. Beck is Mysterio, the illusionist who manipulated Peter’s trust throughout Europe.
05
In one of the MCU’s most shocking mid-credits scenes, J. Jonah Jameson broadcasts edited footage of Mysterio’s final moments, completely destroying Peter Parker’s life. What does this broadcast reveal to the whole world?
✓ Correct! Mysterio’s processed footage, broadcast by J. Jonah Jameson (JK Simmons reprising his iconic role), reveals Spider-Man’s identity as Peter Parker to the world. This revelation drives the entire plot of No Way Home as Peter desperately seeks to undo the damage.
✗ Web miss! The answer is that Spider-Man is Peter Parker. While the footage also frames Spider-Man for the London drone strike, the earth-shattering reveal is Peter’s unmasked identity, broadcast globally by The Daily Bugle’s J. Jonah Jameson.
06
With his identity revealed and his loved ones threatened, Peter seeks the help of a powerful wizard to cast a spell that would make the world forget he is Spider-Man. Peter’s constant modifications to the spell cause it to break the multiverse. What wizard casts this spell?
✓ Correct! Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) casts the memory erasing spell at Peter’s request, but Peter keeps asking for exceptions – so that MJ, Ned, May and Happy can still remember him. These constant changes destroy the spell and tear up the multiverse, drawing in villains from other Spider-Man universes.
✗ Web miss! The answer is Doctor Strange. While Wong is the Sorcerer Supreme and actually warns Strange against it, it is Stephen Strange who agrees to cast the spell. Wanda’s multiverse interference occurs in the Multiverse of Madness, not here.
07
Throughout all three films, Peter’s loyal best friend acts as his “guy in the chair”, helping with technical support and keeping his secret. In No Way Home, this character even discovers that he can open magical portals using a Sling Ring. Who is Peter’s best friend?
✓ Correct! Ned Leeds, played by Jacob Batalon, is Peter’s best friend and self-proclaimed “guy in the chair”. He discovers Peter’s secret identity in Homecoming, supports him across all three films, and in No Way Home accidentally uses Doctor Strange’s Sling Ring to open portals to other Spider-Men.
✗ Web miss! The answer is Ned Leeds. Flash Thompson is Peter’s rival and bully who ironically idolizes Spider-Man. Harry Osborn is Peter’s friend in the Raimi and Webb films, but does not appear in Holland’s trilogy. Miles Morales is only implied. Ned is the irreplaceable “guy in the chair.”
08
At the emotional climax of No Way Home, Peter makes a huge personal sacrifice to save the multiverse. Doctor Strange completes the spell, and when it takes effect, Peter is left all alone. What does the last spell do?
✓ Correct! The final spell makes every person in every universe forget that Peter Parker exists. MJ, Ned, Happy, Avengers – all of them. Peter visits MJ at the coffee shop afterwards, but decides not to introduce himself again, choosing to protect them. He starts all over on his own and sews his own suit in a small apartment.
✗ Web miss! The answer is that everyone forgets who Peter Parker is. The spell doesn’t erase Spider-Man – people still know the hero exists – but no one remembers Peter Parker the person. This devastating sacrifice means that MJ, Ned and even Happy Hogan don’t remember him at all.
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Are you an Avenger – or just a friendly neighbor?
Nicolas Cage debuted as Ben Reilly, not connected to the actor’s message Spider-Man Noir in the animated Spider-Verse movies on Prime Video’s Spider-Noir. The Marvel hero faced many villains, such as Sandman and Silvermane. While it’s something that every live-action Spider-Man appearance includes, Spider-Noir managed to end on a surprising note, starting a new era of Spider-Man villains.
Spider-Noir mostly fades away with tragic villain endings
In Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man films, most of the villains who appear on screen have met tragic ends. These include major deaths such as Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin being killed by his own glider after an emotional battle with Maguire’s Spider-Man, Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock sacrificing himself to destroy his unstable fusion reactor, Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio framing Peter Parker for his death and revealing to the world that he was Spider-Man and more. It also ties in with villains like Michael Keaton’s Vulture going to prison and his family learning he was a bad guy.
IN Spider-Noirthis tragic trend for Spider-Man villains mostly ends. Sure, the truly evil characters, like Silvermane and Megawatt, end their time in Season 1 in dark ways. However, the characters with tragic backstories, namely Tombstone and Sandman, as well as the morally gray Cat Hardy, all have happy endings. Sandman and Tombstone are cured of the mutations that killed them, and the latter is also free to live his happily ever after with Cat now that Silvermane is out of the picture. More villains get happy endings Spider-Noirwhich doesn’t usually happen in live-action Spider-Man stories.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Could Repeat Spider-Noir’s Villain Change
After Spider-Noirit seems Spider-Man: Brand New Day will continue the new era of Marvel villains through a surprise foe. Stranger ThingsSadie Sink is reportedly playing the X-Men’s Jean Gray in the 2026 MCU film. That said, her face was not seen in the first Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer, though she was teased to be some sort of antagonist, mind-controlling people to do her bidding and be behind the lush tank seen in the trailer. If Jean Gray ends up being one of the Spider-Man: Brand New Day‘s “villains”, then the setup is easy.
Instead of having a tragic ending, the film would serve to establish Jean in the MCU before she gets to appear in Avengers: Secret Warswhich Sink is reportedly in, and the MCU X-Men movie. No matter how much Spider-Man: Brand New Day trying to paint her as a villain in trailers, it’s clear that if Sink really does play Jean Grey, then the character will end the Marvel movie as an ally to Holland’s Spider-Man. This would continue Spider-Noir‘s trend of happy endings for Spider-Man villains.
