Who Is the Villain of Spider-Man: Brand New Day? It Could Be These Marvel Characters

The confirmation that Spider-Man 4 will be titled Brand New Day not only solidified the MCU release schedule through 2027 but also got the speculation rolling on what we can expect from the new entry. We know that the film will be set after the events of Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, so it should be a glimpse of the rumored soft reboot of the MCU. All that is left to learn is the villains, characters, and plot that Tom Holland’s Peter Parker will have as a new status quo. That includes the open-ended questions from the end of No Way Home and whatever aftermath there will be from Secret Wars.

At the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Parker’s identity is erased from everyone’s memories, including his friend Ned and Zendaya’s MJ. He seems to have given up the Spider-Man role at first, but gets some inspiration at Aunt May’s grave and puts on a new suit. There is also some of the Venom symbiote left behind in the MCU by Eddie Brock when those worlds crossed over during the film. Tom Hardy confirmed his Eddie Brock won’t be facing off against Holland, which means the piece of symbiote could have a different host, a different story, and a different trajectory going forward. But does that mean it’ll play a part in Brand New Day?

We’ve put together a short list of the rumored baddies and allies Spider-Man could face in the fourth movie. Taking cues from what fans have witnessed in the MCU, past comic book stories, and the rumor mill, we’ve compiled some names we could see and why they’re important.

Scroll down to see the list and weigh in with what choices you’d make differently in the comments. We’ve got two years to get it right and clear.

Chameleon

For a movie called Brand New Day, wouldn’t it be fitting for Spider-Man to face off with the very first villain he battled in the comics in 1963? Chameleon is the half-brother of Kraven the Hunter, and he made an appearance in the recent Sony live-action movie near the end. If he appears in the MCU, it will be a different version, so it’s not clear if any similar details will make the jump.

An interesting aspect of the Chameleon’s inclusion in the film would be his ties to one of the most infamous Spider-Man stories in history – not “One More Day”
or “Brand New Day”, but the hulking mess that is the Clone Saga. Chameleon pushes Spider-Man too far and drives him insane after bringing his parents back to life. Chameleon was also part of the post-One More Day storylines, which are fertile ground for adaptation in this fourth sequel.

Mephisto

He’s been teased time and time again in the MCU, including in Wandavision, Agatha All Along, and even the events of No Way Home. So, could we finally get Mephisto in Spider-Man: Brand New Day? Do we want him to show up? There are rumors Sacha Baron Cohen’s mystery character in Ironheart is supposed to be Mephisto.

Personally, I wanted to include him on this list as a “just in case” choice for the villain of Brand New Day. But the expectation for the fourth film is a more grounded, classic Spider-Man story that leaves behind world-changing storylines for something more street-level. Mephisto is not a threat that would just get handled by Spider-Man and the police.

Mister Negative

Mister Negative is my favorite to appear in the “Brand New Day” storyline, as well as his major role in the Marvel’s Spider-Man video games. Mr. Negative, real name Martin Li, is a Chinese immigrant who built a large fortune and founded the F.E.A.S.T. center in Chinatown, a soup kitchen where Aunt May volunteered in the comics. His Martin Li persona is the face of the charity, while his alter-ego is a brutal crime boss.

Negative uses his powers, acting as a sort of yin and yang between his good side and criminal side. His powers include super strength, black electrical energy, and the ability to corrupt others and control them. He also has a connection to Spider-Man’s allies Cloak and Dagger through the experiment that gave him his powers. Director Destin Daniel Cretton will take on Brand New Day, and he’s the right person to deal with Mr. Negative on the big screen.

Venom/Symbiote

The symbiote is out there in the MCU Spider-Man’s world, so it’s a possibility. However, it’s more likely that the black suit will play a part in the story, setting the stage for a later movie after Brand New Day. That said, having the MCU Venom show up and potentially become the Anti-Venom due to Mr. Negative’s influence is an exciting thought. So this one is possible, but not exactly high on the list.

It does seem like the MCU will introduce its version of Venom in the future, so this would be a nice opportunity to plant seeds.

[RELATED – These Spider-Man Villains Still Haven’t Been in a Movie (& the MCU Should Use Them)]

Hobgoblin

The introduction of the Hobgoblin is a long shot, but it would be a good one. A big reason would be the mystery behind the identity of the villain – something the movie could play with due to Parker’s friendship with Ned Leeds. Now that Leeds doesn’t know Peter Parker, there could be a path for him to become the villain without betraying his best friend. He could even be inspired by the Green Goblin after his appearance in No Way Home.

It might be too soon to say Leeds is Hobgoblin, and it’d likely be expected. But the interesting dynamic here would be a mystery that Spider-Man would have to uncover. It could be a superhero detective story, like a brighter version of a Batman tale.

Black Cat

Finally, the Black Cat could indeed be the villain and later an ally for Parker in Brand New Day. Felicia Hardy has had a long connection to Spider-Man in both a villainous role and later as an antihero ally. She has also been one of Parker’s love interests in the past, meaning she would bring an extra layer to Brand New Day and his feelings toward Mary Jane.

Fans on social media have already guessed she will be at least one of the villains in the movie, and a different character than Sadie Sink’s mysterty character. The villain of Spider-Man 4 has also been teased to be a female baddie, so Black Cat would fit the role. She hasn’t appeared in a Spider-Man film to this point, so that’ll be another welcome detail.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is set for release on July 31, 2026.