WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home, now in theaters.
In 2013, Sony Pictures announced a Sinister Six solo film, based around the team of supervillains united with the intention to take down Spider-Man. While that movie never ended up coming to fruition thanks to the failure of the Amazing Spider-Man series, the idea of a Sinister Six film has lived on in the minds of both fans and Sony executives. Producer Amy Pascal has repeatedly suggested that the team will make the jump to the big screen eventually, even after the famous deal between Marvel Studios and Sony was struck.
For a long time, it was believed that the team would finally show up in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but that movie's villainous lineup ended up being restricted to only five main foes. However, a Sinister Six film can very much still happen thanks to the fact that Marvel and Sony have strategically placed a number of potential members throughout their films that star Spidey-based characters. Let's break down each potential member of Marvel and Sony's Sinister Six, should their solo film finally see the light of day.
Vulture
The first and most obvious potential member of the Sinister Six is Adrian Toomes, also known as the Vulture, who is played by Michael Keaton in Spider-Man: Homecoming. As the leader of a group of illegal salvagers, Toomes comes into conflict with Peter Parker several times before eventually being defeated during a confrontation with the young Web-Slinger. Despite the fact that he seemingly gets over his hatred for Peter, Mac Gargan proposes the idea of a team-up to Toomes in the film's post-credits scene. Keaton has since been confirmed to reprise his role as Vulture in Morbius, seemingly taking on the role of a recruiter himself.
Shocker
Initially introduced as one of Adrian Toomes' most trusted crew members in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Herman Schultz eventually gets "promoted" to the role of the Shocker, wielding a shock-emitting gauntlet to combat Spider-Man. Although he tracks down Peter and manages to deal some brutal blows to him, Schultz ends up being defeated by the Wall-Crawler thanks to an assist from Ned Leeds. Due to his status as Toomes' right-hand man, as well as the fact that he has a history with Mac Gargan, the Shocker is a pretty obvious shoo-in to join the Sinister Six.
Scorpion
Mac Gargan, who is better known in the comics as the Scorpion, also makes his debut in Spider-Man: Homecoming. He makes a deal with the Vulture's crew to buy weapons onboard the Staten Island Ferry, but Spider-Man intervenes, leading to a battle that sees Gargan suffer serious injuries as he is knocked overboard. The film's post-credits scene reveals that he survived this encounter and ended up in jail, where he approaches Toomes about allying with him and some "friends" to kill Spider-Man. So far, this piece of setup hasn't been expanded upon, so Gargan's offer to Toomes could serve as an easy jumping-off point if Sony and Marvel move forward with their Sinister Six movie.
Venom
Sony's first solo movie in their universe of Marvel characters was 2018's Venom, which stars Tom Hardy as the titular half-alien antihero. The film ended up being a huge hit, and it was followed by 2021's Venom: Let There Be Carnage. While both of these films largely serve as standalone adventures, the latter's post-credits scene sees Venom get transported into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where he sets his sights on Tom Holland's Peter Parker. Following his cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home's post-credits scene, Venom seems primed to become a key member of the Sinister Six.
Morbius
Jared Leto is set to star as the title character in Morbius, which will release in January 2022. The film will follow Michael Morbius, a doctor who attempts to cure himself of a rare blood disease, only to turn into a vampire. While the film's plot is currently unknown, trailers have shown Adrian Toomes appearing to recruit Morbius into the Sinister Six, while Jared Leto has dropped several hints that Morbius will be part of a team-up in the near future. The Living Vampire has never had an affiliation with the Sinister Six in any of his other appearances over the years, so he is sure to bring an interesting dynamic to the team should he end up among its ranks.
Mysterio
Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio was a highlight of 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home, so it would make sense to bring him back in a Sinister Six solo film, especially considering the fact that he was one of the team's founders in the comics. While the villain seemingly died at the end of his debut, he has notoriously faked his death several times in the comic book source material, making his potential survival fairly believable. Mysterio's dramatic tendencies and arsenal of advanced illusion technology would certainly make him a dangerous threat, and a worthwhile addition to the sinister team.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is now in theaters.