Spider-Man: Brand New Day may have temporarily halted production due to Tom Holland’s on-set injury, but the movie is still announcing some exciting new developments. Spider-Man: Brand New World is the fourth solo adventure in the MCU for Holland’s Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man, and the movie has just announced the casting of a new villain he will be facing off against.
Deadline reports that Marvin Jones III has been tapped to play the mob villain Tombstone in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Tombstone, whose real name is Lonnie Lincoln, is a recurring villain in the Spider-Man comics, having made his first appearance in 1988. He is one of New York City’s top crime bosses, with filed, sharp teeth and nearly indestructible skin. This marks the first time the character has appeared in a live-action movie.
This is not the first time Jones has played this role, as he also provided the voice of Tombstone in the animated movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Jones is probably best known for playing a similar role of a crime boss in a comic book story, as Tobias Whale in the superhero series Black Lightning.
Jones joins the growing cast of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is led by Holland as Spider-Man. Zendaya and Jacob Batalon will also reprise their roles as MJ and Ned Leeds, respectively, while Michael Mando will return as Mac Gargan aka Scorpion, last seen in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Jon Bernthal is set to appear as The Punisher, and Mark Ruffalo is rumored to appear as Hulk. Sadie Sink (Stranger Things) and Tramell Tillman (Severance) have also been cast in undisclosed roles.
Tombstone’s role suggests a street-level Spider-Man movie
While there is still a lot about Spider-Man: Brand New Day that remains a mystery, the addition of Tombstone does give more of a hint of the very different direction the movie is heading in. Spider-Man: Brand New Day will take place in the aftermath of Spider-Man: No Way Home, as Doctor Strange was forced to cast a spell to make the universe forget Peter Parker, thus leaving the young hero alone in the world.
Spider-Man has certainly been part of some big adventures in the MCU, from his solo movies to the Avengers movies. However, Tombstone’s involvement suggests that this sequel might go back to the hero’s street-level origins. Tombstone is not a villain who looks to take over the world, but rather a New York City criminal. Adding the fact that The Punisher is also street-level, it seems like the story could be a smaller-scale one this time around.
As fun as it is to see Spider-Man going into space to battle Thanos or dealing with the multiverse, a smaller street-level take on the hero would be a refreshing change of pace. Spider-Man: Brand New Day has teased a departure from the movies that came before, and this could be an exciting new phase for the franchise.
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