Although Jake Gyllenhaal who steals the spotlight as classic Marvel Comics foe Mysterio, the threat posed by an enigmatic group of villains drives much of the first trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home.

As revealed in December with a description of the trailer that screened at Comic Con Experience in Brazil, they're "elemental creatures" widely presumed to be the relatively minor Marvel Comics villains the Elementals. That would seem to leave Mysterio, one of Spider-Man's earliest foes, as a sort of co-protagonist, alongside Tom Holland's Peter Parker. If that feels like a bit of a curve ball, don't worry: Here's what you need to know about the Elementals, and how Spider-Man: Far From Home could dramatically change those obscure foes.

RELATED: Mysterio's Spider-Man: Far From Home Role Mirrors His Comic Book Debut

Introduced in 1974 in Marvel's Supernatural Thrillers #4, the Elementals were extradimensional humanoids that ruled parts of Earth before the rise of the original Atlantis. This quartet of immortal beings represents exactly what its name suggests: the classical elements. Appearing only occasionally throughout Marvel's history, the original group consisted of Hydron, who possesses the ability to control water; Magnum, who can manipulate rocks and minerals; Zephyr, who can control air and the wind; and Hellfire, the team's leader who can, you guessed it, command fire.

Spider-Man: Far From Home

But how, and better yet, why, do the Elementals come into play in Spider-Man: Far From Home? After all, they've fought Carol Danvers, in her original identity as Ms. Marvel, but they're hardly enemies of the wall-crawler. There's a pretty good chance the Elementals are actually a cover, of sorts, for other Spider-Man villains (or maybe just one). They do bear a striking resemblance to some of Spider-Man's better-known rogues.

RELATED: Spider-Man's Passport in Far From Home Hides a Marvel Comics Easter Egg

For instance, the water creature depicted in the trailer could be Hydron, sure, but it could also be Hydro-Man. In the comics, Morrie Bench became Hydro-Man after Spider-Man accidentally knocked him off of a cargo ship during a battle with Namor. Hydro-Man also made appearances in the acclaimed animated series, and was a member of the Sinister Syndicate and the Frightful Four, which included among its ranks Sandman.

Spider-Man: Far From Home

A well-known Marvel villain, in part because of his role in Spider-Man 3, Sandman at one point combined with Hydro-Man to form the Mud Thing. Watching the trailer, one of the monstrous creatures certainly looks as if it could be Sandman, although it could also be a spin on Magnum. There's also the case to be made for Molten Man, another more recognizable bad guy who possesses powers similar to  those of the Elemental Hellfire. There's a lot to unpack here, and plenty of possibilities the film could explore.

RELATED: What Spider-Man:Far From Home's Trailer Tells Us About Avengers: Endgame

But there's also the more likely third option: that they're neither the Elementals of the comics nor an alliance of Hydro-Man, Sandman and Molten Man. Instead, these foes don't exist at all.

In all likelihood, these towering creatures are creations of the master of illusions Mysterio, who's using them further his own agenda. As the trailer description and the trailer itself explains, Mysterio is positioned in the film as an ally of Spider-Man, but that will likely take a turn as the story unfolds, resulting in a climactic showdown.

Opening July 5, director Jon Watts’ Spider-Man: Far From Home stars Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, JB Smoove, Jacob Batalon and Martin Starr, with Marisa Tomei and Jake Gyllenhaal.