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The Internet Is Guessing The Spider-Man: Brand New Day Villains
- Chris Olson
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
Film Feature by Chris Olson
If there is one thing that fuels the engine of the film industry more than caffeine and blockbuster budgets, it is the glorious, chaotic, and often contradictory world of internet speculation. We are currently staring down the barrel of 2026, and the anticipation for Spider-Man: Brand New Day has reached a fever pitch that would make even J. Jonah Jameson’s blood pressure spike.
I must admit I am finding an almost childlike joy in the sheer variety of "leaks" and "confirmed" reports floating around the digital ether. I’ve been happily drowning in the sea of theories. From street-level mobsters to reality-warping goddesses, the internet seems convinced that Peter Parker isn’t just facing a villain; he’s facing an entire phone book of them.
The Seven-Year Itch: Michael Mando’s Scorpion
The most persistent—and frankly, most satisfying—rumour involves the return of Michael Mando as Mac Gargan. We first met him in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, and the internet has never forgotten that mid-credits scene. Collider and various scooper sites have been buzzing about Mando finally donning the stinger. He also currently sits on the film's IMDb page.
There is a delicious irony in the "Brand New Day" title if the film reaches back nearly a decade to settle an old score. Rumours suggest he might be the "big bad" or perhaps an enforcer funded by a certain angry newsman. After Mando’s powerhouse performance in Better Call Saul, the consensus online is that we are long overdue for a bit of Scorpion-themed mayhem.
The Crime Boss: Marvin Jones III as Tombstone
One of the more concrete "leaks" that has sent fans into a frenzy comes from Flickering Myth and several production trackers, claiming that Marvin Jones III has been cast as Lonnie Lincoln, better known as Tombstone.
What makes this so delightful is the meta-layer: Jones already voiced the character to chilling effect in Into the Spider-Verse. The internet is currently debating whether he will be a hulking, street-level rival to the Kingpin or a supernatural force. Either way, the idea of a monochromatic mob boss terrorising a post-memory-wipe Peter Parker fits the "back to basics" tone Kevin Feige has been teasing.
The Nicole Kidman Mystery: Chameleon or Spider-Queen?
This is where the speculation gets truly wild. Heroic Hollywood and several Reddit sleuths have been dissecting a rumour that Nicole Kidman is being eyed for a major antagonistic role.
The guesses here are all over the map. Some think she’s a gender-swapped Chameleon, a master of disguise who could explain how a "mysterious force" begins to unravel the city. Others are holding out hope for the Spider-Queen, suggesting a more horrific, "Man-Spider" mutation plotline inspired by the 90s animated series. There’s even a vocal minority wondering if she’s a multiverse-hopping threat like Shathra. It’s the kind of high-profile casting rumour that keeps the forums alive at 3 am.
The Anti-Hero Antagonists: Punisher and Savage Hulk
While not strictly "villains" in the traditional sense, the internet is convinced that Frank Castle and Bruce Banner will be giving Spidey a very hard time. Screen Rant and GamesRadar have highlighted set photos (reportedly from the Glasgow shoot) showing Jon Bernthal’s Punisher pointing a firearm directly at our web-slinger.
The prevailing theory is that Spidey will be caught in the crossfire of a brutal gang war, with Bernthal’s Punisher acting as a lethal foil to Peter’s "no-kill" rule. Add to that the whispers from The Cosmic Circus about Mark Ruffalo returning as a "Savage Hulk"—triggered by trauma or perhaps the mental manipulations of a hidden foe—and you have a recipe for a film that feels less like a solo outing and more like a street-level "Civil War."
The Mister Negative Debate
For a few weeks, the internet was certain that Mister Negative and his Inner Demons were the primary threat, sparked by set photos of an armoured truck bearing a very familiar "demon" logo. However, in true internet fashion, the tide has recently turned.
The Cosmic Circus recently suggested that Martin Li might not appear at all, or that the "demon" imagery was a misdirection. This has led to a fascinating split in the fanbase: half are mourning the loss of a live-action Steven Yeun as Li, while the other half are pivoting to the idea that the "demons" are actually enforcers for Tombstone or Hammerhead.
Whatever the truth may be, the joy is in the guessing. Whether we get a grounded crime thriller or a supernatural nightmare involving Nicole Kidman as an insect goddess, the internet has ensured that Spider-Man: Brand New Day is already the most talked-about enigma of 2026.
