The MCU’sSpider-Man 4is currently undergoing a complete overhaul, as fans are left waiting for Tom Holland to return to the big screen as Peter Parker. One of the big questions on the minds of fans is:who will be the film’s villain(s)?
Spider-Man: HomecomingintroducedMichael Keaton as The Vulture— arguably one of the best MCU villains to date.Far From Homethen upped the ante withJake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio.No Way Homerounded out the trilogy by jumping the shark and sticking the landing, as Holland’s Spider-Man wasjoined by Tobey Maguire andAndrew Garfield’s versions of the character,along with their respective villains.Spider-Man 4has the tall task of beating that, and rumors about the scrapped script suggest it struggled to do so the first time round.
According to aPatreonpost by industry insider Daniel Richtman (DanielRPK),Spider-Man 4would have featured two minor villains from Peter Parker’s past, and given them a much bigger role. “They are still rewriting the script for [Spider-Man 4],” Richtman began, before revealing:“The original version before they scrapped it had Scorpion and Shocker.“While Marvel Comics fans might be excited by the prospect of Scorpion and Shocker being the main villains, casual MCU viewers would be forgiven for forgetting them.
“The original version before they scrapped it had Scorpion and Shocker.”
Shocker and Scorpion both appeared inSpider-Man: Homecoming, Tom Holland’s first standalone Spider-Man movie. Shocker was the unofficial alias given to Vulture’s right-hand-man, Herman Schultz, played by Bokeem Woodbine.
Meanwhile, Scorpion, played by Michael Mando, appeared in the movie’s end credits, andteased the arrival of the Sinister Six. Richtman’s scoop hasn’t been confirmed by anyone from Marvel Studios. He also didn’t reveal which villain Marvel Studios has chosen to replace them asSpider-Man 4’s main villain(s).
‘Spider-Man 4’ Is Being Overrun by Rumors
Whenever a new movie is announced, “insiders” and “scoopers” spread dozens of rumors and reports, in the hope of being right about one of them. In the case of major superhero movies, this is expanded tenfold. Just like howJames Gunn’sSuperman,and almost every MCU movie to date, have been at the center of casting, delay, and early-reaction rumors,Spider-Man 4is being unofficially re-written by these scoopers, who are dropping “bombshell” after “bombshell”(note the sarcasm).
‘Spider-Man 4’ Plot Rumors Point to Another Jam-Packed Sequel That May Upset Fans
Fans hoping ‘Spider-Man 4’ would be a ground-level story may be disappointed.
Richtman is also behind another major rumor surroundingSpider-Man 4. According to the insider,FuriosastarAnya Taylor-Joy is being eyed for a role inSpider-Man 4.Reports also came out last year that Taylor-Joy was being tapped to play Silver Surfer inFantastic Four: First Steps. However, the role ultimately went to Julia Garner.
Other rumors suggest thatSpider-Man 4will continue the MCU’s journey into the multiverse. Fans have becomeslightly sick of the consequence-less multiverse storylines of later Marvel movies, and were hoping that Spider-Man would return to his friendly neighborhood. But, the latest report suggests that isn’t the case.
Spider-Man 4is currently slated to be released on June 29, 2025.
