Including Spider-Man: Far From Home, there have been a total of seven live-action Spider-Man films in all. And while we’ve seen a lot of major supporting characters adapted for the big screen, there’s still a whole ensemble of characters that have yet to debut in the big screen. It’s interesting to note that the filmmakers have only scratched the surface in terms of the types of storylines that can be done with the character. So not counting characters who are supposed to appear in their own movies in a separate movie universe, here’s a few comic book characters (i. e. Morbius, Black Cat, and Silver Sable), both good and bad, who could make Spidey’s life a whole lot more interesting in his next movies:
- Miles Morales aka Spider-Man – Made famous in the Spider-Man: Into The Spider-verse animated feature, this teenage Spider-Man has similar powers to the original Spidey but with added invisibility and “electric shock” powers as well. He’s proof that it’s possible to have two Spider-Men exist in the same world. In Mile’s case, he fills in the teenage perspective void that Peter Parker left behind when he grew up. In the MCU we know that the character exists as seen in Spider-Man: Homecoming when Peter Parker encounters Aaron Davis. Davis makes mention that he has a nephew. So it’s possible that Miles may eventually be introduced into the MCU someday…
2. Hobgoblin – Years after Norman Osborn aka the Green Goblin died, Roderick Kingsley discovered a warehouse filled with all of the Goblin’s weaponry and gadgets. In a bid to take over the underworld, he became the Hobgoblin. What was most interesting about the villain when he was first introduced was the whole mystery behind his identity. Spider-Man spent years trying to figure out who he was. Hobgoblin made it appear that Peter’s friends (at different times) Flash Thompson and Ned Leeds were him. He’d be a good character to bring into the movies without having to go into the Osborn storyline that’s been done already in the prior movies.
3. Ezekiel – A billionaire with spider powers just like Peter’s. He becomes a mysterious mentor to Spider-Man and explains to him that his abilities have a mystical layer to them. His power actually comes from a “Spider-Totem” that taps into magical energies. Ezekiel warns Peter that he’s in danger and that he can protect him from the threat that’s coming. This brings us to our next character…
4. Morlun – He’s the threat that Ezekiel warns Peter about. Morlun comes from a race of immortal energy vampires called the Inheritors. They crave the energy that comes from people who possess spider-abilities. Spider-Man’s first encounter with Morlun nearly kills him. The second actually does (Spidey gets resurrected so don’t worry). And the third reveals that Morlun and his family of vampires travel to alternate Earths hunting for different versions of Spider-Man. This culminates in an event called Spider-Verse where Spidey leads the alternate versions of himself against the Inheritors. We’ve already watched a version of that in the animated movie Into The Spider-Verse but wouldn’t it be wild if they made a live-action version of this?
5. The Jackal – Miles Warren is a mad scientist who has messed up Peter’s life in several ways. He was a college professor who was obsessed with his student, Gwen Stacy, Peter’s girlfriend at the time. Warren perfected cloning and genetics technology and used it to make clones of Peter and Gwen. Months after the real Gwen’s death, her clone appears to Peter to make him think that Gwen survived. Blaming Peter for her death, Warren is determined to make him suffer. He turns himself into a human-like jackal and tries to have his clone replace the real Spider-Man! The scheme fails but it makes Peter question if he’s the real Spidey or the clone. This seed of doubt leads to a controversial 90s event that circles around this issue…
6. Ben Reilly – This is the name the Peter Parker clone gives himself after discovering he’s the clone. Thought dead by Peter, Reilly thinking he’s the genuine article gets the shock of his life when he sees from afar the real Peter having dinner with his girlfriend MJ. Depressed, he leaves town and stays away for years. Hearing that Aunt May is dying, he comes back and assumes the identity of the super hero identity Scarlet Spider. This all leads to the big revelation that Ben is the real Peter Parker, which turns out to be a plot by the Green Goblin to destroy Spider-Man.
7. Kraven – AKA Sergei Kravinoff is one of the few human Spider-Man villains. One of the best game hunters in the business, he is hired by Daily Bugle Editor-In-Chief J. Jonah Jameson to hunt Spider-Man down. Repeatedly defeated by Spider-Man, Kraven is deemed more a nuisance than anything else. This all changes when Kraven discovers he’s dying of cancer and goes insane. He successfully drugs Spider-Man and buries him alive for two weeks while pretending to be him. Spider-Man eventually escapes his tomb but thinking himself victorious, Kraven commits suicide.
About the author:
JV Tanjuatco, comic book writer/editor/publisher, founded Comic Book Lab that publishes the comic book titles Mythopolis and War of Whispers (co-created and co-written by him). Comic Book Lab’s most recent project was the graphic novel anthology Stay: 21 Comic Stories authored by Palanca Award winner Angelo R. Lacuesta and illustrated by a stellar line-up of artists including Trese’s Kajo Baldisimo. He has also written articles/reviews for Spot.ph and Ain’t It Cool.
