Spider-Man: Homecoming - 8 Villains The Sequel Could Introduce To The MCU
The sinister eight.
Most self-respecting Spider-fans will have seen Homecoming by now, so what's left to do besides speculate endlessly about its inevitable sequel?
With the Tom Holland incarnation of Spidey now firmly established in the Avengers universe, it's time to consider what else Marvel Studios has in store for its favourite son.
The comic book giant's celluloid arm recently revealed a five-movie plan for its fledgling web-slinger, and one of the most burning questions on everyone's lips concerns the villains will Peter Parker be facing off against in his next adventure.
Spider-Man has one of the best rogues galleries in Marvel Comics lore - maybe in comic book lore full stop - which means the sequel's creative team is spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting the next big bad.
Homecoming dropped some hints about who Spidey could be facing when he next swings into cinemas, but those in the know will tell you there's a strong chance we'll see multiple threats.
So here are eight of the most likely candidates to fill the bad guy role in the next Spider-Man movie, from familiar faces to comic book classics yet to make their screen debut.
8. The Scorpion
The Scorpion is at odds with this article's title because it isn't so much a case of could feature in the next movie, as bleeding obviously will.
Homecoming's post-credits scene finds Mac Gargan (AKA The Scorpion) confronting Adrian Toomes in prison, his face bearing mean scars following his earlier encounter with Spider-Man.
Enraged by Spidey's role in his incarceration, Michael Mando's character demands to know the hero's secret identity because he has "some friends on the outside" who would like to make his acquaintance.
Ignoring the significance of that line of dialogue for now, the events of Homecoming suggest it's inevitable that Gargan will assume his Scorpion alter ego in the next film.
How much more foreshadowing do we need than the scorpion tattoo on his neck?
In many ways, Scorpion is the ideal bad guy for the next Spider-Man. For starters, he's one of the best known Spidey foes yet to appear on the big screen.
He would also be a natural fit for the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the villain traditionally dons scorpion-like armour with a hefty mechanical tail - this would follow on neatly from the tech-based Vulture in Homecoming.
The Spider-Man reboot appears to be playing fast and loose with Scorp's origin, as the initial version of Gargan was a private investigator hired by J Jonah Jameson to establish how Peter Parker is able to photograph Spider-Man so consistently.
The character is later subjected to experimentation, which infuses him with scorpion DNA and many of the same powers as Spidey, making him a formidable adversary.
Now, about those "friends" of his...