Top 5 villains we want to see in Spider-Man 4 and beyond, ranked from least to most wanted

They say a hero is only as good as its villains, and that's certainly the case for Spider-Man. The friendly neighborhood hero has faced countless iconic foes across the years in comic book pages. However, not all of them have managed to make their way onto a big-screen adaptation yet - even if they are deserving of it. So it's time to shine the spotlight on those bad guys worthy enough to face Tom Holland's Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

But before we begin, it's important to note we'll be unfortunately ruling out of the list a few iconic characters. After all, insider Daniel Richtman reported that the MCU can't make use of the villains that Sony used first in their movies. That means fan favorites such as Rhino, Kraven, Venom, and Carnage are all out of the picture. Fortunately, that doesn't mean there aren't any exciting prospects left. So now that we've set some ground rules, it's time to rank the top 5 Spider-Man villains we want to see in Spier-Man 4 and beyond!

5. Tombstone

Fans are craving a street-level Spider-Man story after the hero's recent multiversal adventure and his appearances in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. With that in mind, we need to ask ourselves: Who would be the ideal villain for a "grounded" storyline? Well, the first character to come to mind may be Wilson Fisk, but there's another perfect fit in the form of Alonzo Lincoln AKA Tombstone.

Take Zeb Well's The Amazing Spider-Man run as an example. While it has been filled with highs and some very... unique lows (to put it lightly), some of its best moments come from the interactions between Tombstone and the wall-crawler. Furthermore, if the Spectacular Spider-Man series and Insomniac's Marvel's Spider-Man have proven anything, is that Alonzo Lincoln can very well fill the role that Kingpin usually has.

When he was a kid, he was mocked for his physical appearance. Now, he's one of the most feared crime bosses in New York City. Perhaps Tombstone isn't as well-known as other Spider-Man villains. but all he needs is a breakout role in a live-action movie for all of that to chance. So please, Sony, make it happen.

4. Scorpion

The MCU has the tendency to tease upcoming storylines in its post-credits scenes. Unfortunately, not all of them are followed up, as proven by the infamous Mac Gargan scene in Spider-Man: Homecoming. It's been more than 7 years since audiences were led to believe the friendly neighborhood hero and Scorpion would face off on the big screen. And while that has yet to happen, it's better late than never.

After J. Jonah Jameson got too tired of being proven wrong about his defamatory Spider-Man headlines, he sought to take matters into his own hands. The desperate editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle paid 20,000 USD to create a villain capable of defeating the wall-crawler once and for all (as a side note; it's worth noting that this story was published in 1965, meaning that figure would roughly translate to more than 190,000 USD today. Yeah, that's how much Jameson hates the spider). Unfortunately, the experiment went wrong and Mac Gargan became a madman, fully embracing the Scorpion persona.

If the villain were to be adapted on the big screen, chances are his origin would be a little different from that of comic book pages. Fortunately, he already has a reason to hate Tom Holland's Spider-Man. Now, all he needs is a mechanical tail and we're set to go. The advantage is that Sony and Marvel can use the villain whenever they want, and we hope that time comes soon.

3. Hobgoblin

For a time, there was a rumor that the presence of Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin and Alfred Molina's Doc Ock in the MCU would inspire other people to take on their supervillains' personas. But while it would be weird to see someone else take on the Green Goblin mantle just to imitate the original, that story could work well for another Spider-Man villain.

Remember how Norman Osborn left his goblin mask and glider behind in the MCU? Well, what if a certain Roderick Kingsley were to get ahold of them just like in comic book pages? Audiences could be in for a wild ride that could even involve multiple versions of the Hobgoblin, including that of Ned Leeds'.

Now that the world has forgotten about Peter Parker, it would be interesting to explore the idea of a former best friend turning into a ruthless foe. Yes, Harry Osborn has already fulfilled that role in previous live-action movies, but his friendship with Peter was never as strong as that of Ned. Besides, Spider-Man fighting two different versions of the same villain simultaneously could lead to memorable action scenes, especially if Destin Daniel Cretton were to direct the movie. All in all, Hobgoblin could strike fear into Peter Parker's heart, and become even more of an evil genius than Norman ever could.

2. Black Cat

There's no denying that Black Cat is one of the most popular and beloved characters on this list. She has been a recurring ally and love interest of the wall-crawler while double-crossing him on occasions as well. We all love their complicated relationship and, yet, we still haven't seen it come to life on the big screen across three different live-action franchises (which is a little disappointing, by all means).

Sure, Felicity Jones portrayed Felicia Hardy in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. However, her character played out more like a cameo instead of having a proper supporting role. Unfortunately, Sony was simply trying to set up her character in anticipation of a Silver & Black movie that never came to be. So looking ahead, she needs to have a redeeming appearance in another Spider-Man project.

Felicia Hardy would fit a perfect "street-level" storyline where she could be an antagonistic figure both to Spidey and the movie's main villain. Furthermore, she could also introduce a little bit of friction to Peter's relationship with Zendaya's M.J. or whoever gets to be the hero's new partner. Rumor has it that Sydney Sweeney could play the role of Black Cat in Spider-Man 4. Unfortunately, the chances of that happening are low given that the upcoming wall-crawler movie will reportedly be about a crossover with Tom Hardy's Venom. But we still hope to watch the iconic thief on the big screen someday.

1. The Kingpin

Every villain we've talked about so far has yet to make its big screen debut (with the exception of that brief appearance of Felicia Hardy in The Amazing Spider-Man 2). However, if Sony and Marvel want to shine the spotlight on a menacing and ruthless foe without needing to spend a lot of time explaining his origin, then there's one perfect choice.

If you've watched Daredevil on Netflix, you know how amazing of a villain Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin is. Besides, if you've read Spider-Man comic books, then you know how frequently the wall-crawler comes face-to-face with Wilson Fisk. Just think for a moment what are some of the most popular and beloved Spidey stories on comic book pages. Sure, The Night that Gwen Stacy Died and Kraven's Last Hunt may be the first to come to mind, but Back in Black is also right up there. In it, a black-suited Spidey beats the Kingpin near the point of death after finding the villain ordered the shooting of Aunt May.

Since Spider-Man 4 will reportedly unite Tom Holland's Peter Parker and Tom Hardy's Venom, audiences could see the friendly neighborhood hero get ahold of the symbiote. Then, a black-suited Spidey and Daredevil could join forces in another future project to fight against a ruthless Wilson Fisk. All the pieces would fall into place for an amazing adaptation of an amazing storyline, and we couldn't be more on board with the idea.

What villains would you like to see in a new Spider-Man movie? Let us know on our social media pages! And stick around with Whatever A Spider Can for everything Spider-Man-related.