Much has been said about the recent costume reveal for Spider-Man's next big screen outing. Although many of us are ecstatic that Tom Holland is returning for one more web-swinging adventure as our favorite wall-crawler, another question rears its head.
Every great superhero needs a diabolical supervillain to duke it out with, and many Marvel buffs are wondering who comes next. We've seen Peter hold his own against The Vulture, Mysterio, and even Willem Dafoe's ghastly Green Goblin, but who will ruin Spider-Man's brand new day in the next film? We already have our suspicions.
Getting back to basics in Spider-Man: Brand New Day
We recently shared a piece on the upcoming Spider-Man film and why, like Superman and The Fantastic Four, it seems like the character is being pulled back to his classic comic book roots. The main tell is the new suit, which appears to be a modernization of his traditional outfit. Pair that with the theming set by the subtitle, Brand New Day, and it suggests a back-to-basics Spider-Man story.
Although rumors surrounding Mr. Negative's MCU debut have floated around for a while, it might make more sense to push this idea further and introduce Spidey's first major villain, the Chameleon. If he is indeed going back to square one, what better way to usher that era in than with a near-forgotten foe.
As described by WatchMojo, the Chameleon is a dangerously clever master of disguise who has been everything from a shapeshifting spy to a hitman of a thousand faces, and he's long overdue for an upgrade. While the character was seen in Sony's Kraven the Hunter film, he doesn't exactly match the classic comic aesthetic Marvel seems to be pushing these days.
The MCU's Chameleon has perhaps the most potential out of any of Spider-Man's potential foes. As much as we'd love to see the Sinister Six hit the big screen, there is simply far too much to play with by including this highly adaptable foe.
At the time of writing, rumors suggest that the new villain will be one we haven't seen before, so the field is still wide open for who it might be. However, (at least based on what we've gathered), it feels like the Chameleon fits the bill the best.
In this writer's opinion, this current generation of superhero movies (for both Marvel and DC) seems to favor the more obvious and over-the-top supervillains. After all, we've already had Galactus right out of the gate with The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Why should Spider-Man's next movie be any different?
While there is still a lot left to be revealed, revisiting Spidey's debut supervillain feels like the most logical and natural step. All we can do right now is wait until someone pulls off the mask.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theatres in July 2026.