From the very first trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home, longtime fans of the wall-crawling superhero cheered in excitement over the return of iconic villains from previous movies. NWH doesn’t disappoint in that field, with Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus and Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin being particularly captivating additions.
But there are some Spider-Man villains who weren’t included in No Way Home. Some are already present in the MCU; others remain tied to Sony’s Spider-Man’s Universe. A few are actually visible at the end, when the Multiverse cracks and Dr. Strange warns Spidey about the imminent arrival of more villains. Strange’s final spell prevents disaster, but some of these villains will definitely make a comeback.
10 The Vulture Is MCU Spider-Man’s First Defeated Villain
Spider-Man: Homecoming introduced not only Peter Parker to the MCU but also brought one of his most memorable villains, the Vulture, finally on the cinema screen. In the movie, Adrian Toomes is Bestman Salvage's owner and loses his livelihood after the Battle of New York, due to Damage Control—a joint venture created by Tony Stark in collaboration with the government.
His comic version is unsurprisingly different and much older. The distinctive feature of the character, his winged metallic exoskeleton, is capable to steal youth, and Toomes has even made Spider-Man older on one occasion. In the MCU, the Vulture doesn’t have that ability. After the end of Homecoming, he remains in prison. With Dr. Strange’s spell, he has forgotten Peter too, but he has already appeared in Morbius' trailer, so fans will doubtlessly see him return.
9 Shocker Has A Brief Appearance In Spider-Man: Homecoming
Another villain from Homecoming, the Shocker—Herman Schultz—is part of the Vulture’s crew and later, his gang of criminals. He receives the powerful Shocker’s Gauntlet after Toomes kills its original owner, Jackson Brice.
The weapon enhances his strength and gives him the ability to generate energy blasts. Following a fight with Spider-Man, he is arrested.
8 Scorpion Is Imprisoned With The Vulture & Still Wants Revenge
A classic Spider-Man nemesis from the comics, Mac Gargan is also among the villains who appear in Spider-Man: Homecoming. The movie displays him as one of Toomes’s potential buyers, and he is only a regular criminal, with no superpowers of his own.
His comic book equivalent is quite different. He undergoes a genetic experiment run by Dr. Farley Stillwell, gaining the abilities of a scorpion but losing his sanity in the process. NWH's finale seems to display a silhouette of the classic Scorpion version, promising that the character may return and this time make more of an impact.
7 The Chameleon Is The First Supervillain Spidey Ever Fought
Homecoming isn’t the only Spider-Man movie that makes big changes to previous Spider-Man villains. The very first supervillain Spider-Man ever fought, Chameleon, actually appears in Spider-Man: Far From Home. This version is very different, as instead of being a member of the Sinister Six, he is an associate of Nick Fury’s, in charge of Peter Parker during his trip through Europe.
Suffice to say, the character isn’t quite what he’s supposed to be. He doesn’t make his appearance in NWH either, but perhaps it’s not too late for him. Dimitri Smerdyakov still has the chance to return and reveal his true powers.
6 The Crime Lord Kingpin Has Made A Comeback In Hawkeye
Originally a villain in Netflix’s Daredevil, the Kingpin Wilson Fisk is a powerful crime lord who acts as Matt Murdock’s main nemesis. While he is briefly imprisoned in Daredevil, he has recently made an unexpected comeback in the Disney+ series Hawkeye. He has gained control of the Tracksuit Mafia, which is perhaps unsurprising, considering that he’s proven himself incredibly adept at tactics and manipulation in the past.
In the comics, Kingpin is one of Spider-Man’s most dangerous enemies, his intellect, wealth, and resources making him a powerful threat. He may not have made an appearance in No Way Home, but with Spider-Man on his own and the Kingpin up to his old schemes, it may be only a matter of time until a confrontation happens.
5 Kraven’s Silhouette Is Visible Through The Crack Between Universes
The classic version of Scorpion isn’t the only one who threatens to pay Spidey and his friends a visit. Kraven the Hunter is also visible through the crack between universes. A maniacal hunter of big game, Kraven possesses a level of superhuman abilities due to having ingested a special serum created out of herbs. He has made appearances in media before, particularly in animated shows like Spider-Man: The Animated Series.
His first live-action appearance will be in the Sony Spider-Man Universe. A movie dedicated to Kraven is set to release in 2023, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Considering the fact that Aaron has already played Quicksilver in the MCU, it seems unlikely that Kraven will meet up with Spidey again. But stranger things have happened, and fans can only wait and see what Kraven’s first live-action adventure will bring.
4 Morbius’ Imminent Series Will Probably Be Unrelated To Spidey
Until Kraven the Hunter's release, Sony’s Spider-Man Universe has other things planned. Slated for release in January 2022, Morbius stars Jared Leto and brings Morbius the Living Vampire for the first time to the big screen. It is unlikely that the film will have much to do with Spider-Man, but the trailer shows promise. A Nobel prize-winning scientist, Michael Morbius gains vampire-like supernatural abilities after an experiment intended to heal his rare blood disease goes wrong.
His enhanced strength, speed, and senses come at a dire cost, as he now hungers for blood and can go on violent rampages. In the comics, he actually comes across Spider-Man during the time when Peter is struggling with his own mutation. While this doesn’t seem possible now, Morbius does have a connection with the MCU and still has a lot to offer as an individual character. It is a shame he couldn’t drop by for a visit in NWH.
3 Black Cat Is Both Spider-Man’s Love Interest & His Enemy
It’s not unusual for superheroes to have romantic relationships with their enemies. Black Cat is the perfect example, and her dynamic with Spider-Man is very interesting. Originally a highly skilled cat burglar with no real superpowers, Felicia Hardy later gains the ability to affect probability fields, giving her enemies bad luck. In the comics, she becomes more of an antiheroine as she and Spider-Man grow close, but she returns to her life of crime after the relationship between the two sours.
Felicia Hardy also appears in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and was intended to eventually become the Black Cat in the sequel. The project was canceled, but the character may make her return in the Sony Spider-Man Universe, assuming the Silver and Black series goes forward and isn’t canceled again.
2 Rhino Has Far More Potential Than The Amazing Spider-Man Showed
While the main villain in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is Electro, the Rhino also makes his appearance. Unfortunately, he is, on the whole, a rather unremarkable addition. A Russian mobster wearing a rhino-like armor, he doesn’t have a lot of things in common with his comic book equivalent, in terms of abilities, at least. In the comics, Aleksei Sytsevich is exposed to a series of chemical and radiation treatments.
As a result, he gains superhuman abilities—enhanced strength, speed, and durability. His armor is actually bound to his body and modeled after a rhinoceros' hide. Like in the case of other Spider-Man villains, this classical version can also be glimpsed through the crack between universes. Fans have hope that he may one day appear in the MCU.
1 Carnage May Make His Appearance In The MCU
NWH's mid-credit scene brings with it a big pleasant surprise—Venom's visit. Eddie Brock and his symbiote aren’t involved in the conflict with Spidey. They spend the movie apparently drinking cocktails and investigating the MCU's state. They are sent back to their own world before they can dig deeper, but in the aftermath, a piece of the symbiote is left behind.
The development can have devastating consequences on the MCU. While Venom seems strongly anchored in the SSU, Cletus Kasady's Carnage has recently been killed off after only one movie. Some fans of the bloodthirsty character have been disappointed with the ending. Carnage is one of Spider-Man’s most terrifying villains, and while he may not be present in NWH, his potential return should fill everyone with dread.