SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY is Reportedly Packed With Even More Villains Than Expected
Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures are clearly swinging for something big with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and the scale of this next chapter is starting to come into focus.
The film is shaping up to be the most ambitious Spider-Man story yet for Tom Holland, and not just because of its crossover potential. The growing list of villains is quickly becoming the movie’s biggest talking point, and now it sounds like what we know so far is only scratching the surface.
The production has already confirmed a stacked ensemble. Mark Ruffalo is back as the Hulk, while Jon Bernthal returns as the Punisher. Then there’s Sadie Sink, who’s playing a still-unrevealed role that many believe could introduce a new version of Jean Grey into the MCU.
All signs point to this film acting as a bridge toward Marvel’s next era, using Peter Parker’s story as connective tissue.
Then there’s the number of enemies headed Spider-Man’s way. Reports indicate appearances from Scorpion, played by Michael Mando, along with Tombstone portrayed by Marvin Jones III. They’re joined by Tarantula, Boomerang, and the cybernetic Ramrod. That’s already a crowded rogue’s gallery for one movie, and now a new report suggests there are more.
According to industry insider Daniel Richtman, Spider-Man: Brand New Day will include even more villains beyond those already announced or leaked. Richtman didn’t name names, so a little caution is warranted.
Brand New Day signals a full reset for Peter Parker, who’s now operating in a world that’s completely forgotten who he is. That blank slate gives Marvel and Sony plenty of room to flood the streets of Manhattan with classic comic threats.
The most sensible way to handle this influx is through a fast-moving opening stretch or a stylized montage. That kind of approach would neatly bridge the gap between the end of the previous trilogy and the start of this new one, showing Peter’s evolution as a masked, street-level hero.
Marvel has pulled this off before with The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which used a montage to establish history and drop quick references to villains like Mole Man, the Mad Thinker, and Red Ghost without slowing the story down.
Applying that same idea here would let audiences see how Peter’s been surviving post-2021 without Avengers resources, Stark tech, or public recognition.
This version of Spider-Man is back to basics. He’s scraping by with homemade gear, relying on intelligence and grit instead of billion-dollar gadgets. Showing him clean up the city through brief encounters with familiar villains could be a cool way to reinforce that grounded direction while honoring decades of Spider-Man comics.
That said, the creative risk here is real. Juggling the Hulk, the Punisher, a potential Jean Grey, and a small army of street-level criminals isn’t easy. Even if some villains only appear briefly, there’s a chance the narrative could feel overcrowded or lose its emotional focus.
There’s also the risk of frustrating fans who’ve waited years to see certain characters get their moment, only to watch them flash by in cameo form.
Still, if Marvel finds the right balance, Spider-Man: Brand New Day could end up feeling like a living, breathing slice of the MCU’s New York, one where danger lurks on every block and Spider-Man is constantly in motion.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters on July 31st, and if these reports hold up, Peter Parker is about to have his hands very full.