The MCU’s iteration of Spider-Man was great. Tom Holland was so fantastic in his portrayal that he became known as THE Spider-Man; they introduced the character while successfully skipping the “great power-great responsibility” bit and have even introduced him to the now-collapsing MCU multiverse. However, the MCU then failed miserably; the most recent releases and announcements paint a picture of a franchise whose previously roaring engine is now dying due to its creative tanks running empty of fuel, which could end up affecting Spider-Man.
That’s why Disney+ decided to reimagine Spider-Man’s origins in the new series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, where Peter Parker navigates a world in which Norman Osborn is his mentor, instead of the MCU’s Tony Stark. We got a sneak peek of the show earlier this week. This fresh take provides a unique opportunity for Spider-Man to finally create his own story while being detached from Tony Stark and the Avengers, but also to showcase overlooked supervillains that haven’t received their due in other adaptations, thus introducing the fans to new threats and on-screen dynamics.
By highlighting underrepresented foes, the series can breathe new life into the Spider-Man mythos, expanding the rogues’ gallery beyond the usual suspects while staying true to Marvel’s legacy of storytelling. Here are five overlooked supervillains Disney’s new Spidey series should feature:
Silvermane
One of the things that make Spider-Man so appealing is the fact that he’s often featured in fantastic stories, like fighting Thanos on Titan, and in more ground-level stories in which he fights typical criminals, such as Kingpin, Tombstone, and often overlooked Silvermane.
Known as Silvio Manfredi, Silvermane is actually a famous figure in a crime family, a ruthless and influential leader of the mafia obsessed with power and immortality. At some point in the comics, he even becomes a cyborg that’s criminally underused despite his massive potential. Who wouldn’t like to see Spider-Man going up against a cyborg mafia boss?
Swarm
Animation is a perfect medium for introducing supervillains whose appearance on screen would be costly to produce, especially if they’re done with CGI. For example, Swarm is comprised entirely of a Swarm of bees whose controlling consciousness belongs to an evil Nazi scientist. The villain has the ability to change shape, disperse if necessary, and infiltrate any space that’s small enough for a bee to crawl through.
This is what makes Swarm potentially scary, as you can’t just shoot or punch through a swarm of bees. Well, technically you can, but it has no effect. However, most of his appearances in the comics are borderline ridiculous, so he’s not a really scary villain, as much as he’s peculiar and interesting, while his unnerving powers make him memorable and perfect for Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.
The Spot
Doctor Jonathan Ohnn is a rather unique villain, as his entire body is covered in black spots that are actually portals he can use to teleport himself and others. Of course, this also allows him to teleport and dodge various attacks. Though he’s mostly white with black spots, the Spot looks like a humanoid Dalmatian, so fans of the comics don’t actually take the characters seriously.
However, his powers lend themselves to inventive fight sequences and unpredictable tactics, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse has shown the fans just how terrifying the Spot can be when he uses the full extent of his powers. In fact, his powers have potentially near-apocalyptic ramifications, so Disney should really look into giving this guy an episode or two in the upcoming series.
Big Wheel
Big Wheel, also known as Jackson Weele, is a corrupt businessman who turned into a full-blown villain after he acquired the Big Wheel, a weaponized vehicle that’s just that: a giant, weaponized, mechanical wheel capable of navigating nearly any urban environment.
While he may seem a bit outlandish, Big Wheel’s origin as a corrupt businessman who has been wronged by another villain can provide a foundation for a more morally complex character. The character, one of Spider-Man’s lesser-known villains, can easily be reimagined as a street-level threat that explores how desperation can drive people to villainy.
The Chameleon
Though assuming other people’s identities isn’t as impressive as the genius-level intellect or divine powers some supervillains wield, being able to become someone else at a whim can have devastating consequences. Thus, Chameleon might not be as cool as his older brother Kraven the Hunter, but his ability to disguise himself as anyone makes him equally, if not even more dangerous.
Sadly, the villain has been overlooked in Spider-Man comics, primarily because he can’t throw buildings or hasn’t merged with an alien symbiote. But he is an excellent chessmaster villain who has plenty of potential for more cerebral stories in the upcoming series.
End Note
It would seem that the massive success of X-Men ’97 has pushed Disney to explore other IPs that might be better suited for the animated format, especially since Spider-Man already has his own animated series — Spider-Man: The Animated Series — that aired from 1994 to 1998 on Fox Kids. In fact, Spider-Man has appeared in both X-Men: The Animated Series and in a recently released X-Men ’97. It would seem that the new X-Men series carried over more than just its iconic theme song from the original.
Following through with their plan, the new series could provide Disney and Marvel with the opportunity to introduce younger Spider-Man fans to a plethora of villains that have often been overlooked in recent media and even go as far as to provide them with their own origin stories and anti-hero narratives, just like Marvel and Sony did with Venom or Deadpool. The latter was actually introduced as a villain in The New Mutants comic, and went on to earn more than $1.3 billion in his most recent bid budget appearance. Why not repeat the recipe?