Could the Elementals of Spider-Man: Far From Home eventually combine to create one final villain for Peter Parker to defeat? The world is still very much wrapped up in the thrills and excitement of Avengers: Endgame, as Marvel Studios' latest offering looks on course to become the highest-grossing movie of all time but, already, thoughts are beginning to turn to the MCU's next adventure. The second solo Spidey film after 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming will pick up in the wake of Avengers: Endgame, as Peter and his pals embark on a school trip to Europe. Needless to say, things don't go entirely to plan.
As shown in the two Spiderman: Far From Home trailers released thus far, the vacation is hijacked by the appearance of Nick Fury, who decides to enlist the friendly neighborhood wall-crawler's superhero services against a new emerging threat. The epic battle against Thanos has damaged the fabric of the universe, and Elementals based on comic book villains Sandman, Hydro-Man and Molten Man have appeared. Luckily, a hero from the Multiverse has also arrived to help the forces of good: Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio. Since Mysterio is usually a villain in the Marvel comic books however, many fans are wondering whether the Elementals are really the main antagonists or whether there's something deeper at play.
Producer Eric Carroll has instead presented an alternative possibility: that the fourth and final Elemental villain will be a combination of the other three. Speaking during an on-set visit, Carroll was asked whether a main antagonist would eventually become clear in Spider-Man: Far From Home and the producer answered:
"No, there is - basically, it's about these Elementals being defeated when they're on their own, so, once that happens they sort of come together at the end."
Carroll's comments can be taken in a number of different ways. Firstly, he could simply mean that after being individually defeated by Peter Parker and Mysterio, the three Elementals will team up for one big climactic showdown. Alternatively, the comments could be taken more literally, with Carroll hinting that Sand, Water and Fire will physically merge into one big CGI creature, and that'll be the film's final baddie.
However, the third, and possibly most likely, explanation is that Carroll is playing Marvel Studios' usual game of keeping all cards very close to the chest. Many fans suspect Mysterio to be the real villain not just because that's his moral alignment in the comics, but also because he's a master of deception and illusion that uses trickery and showmanship to achieve his dastardly ends. Gyllenhaal's character has so far been presented as a heroic outsider coming to our world and selflessly saving the day. If this is, as many suspect, all part of some elaborate act, then no one involved in the film (apart from possibly Tom Holland if pressed hard enough) is going to give away the twist at such an early stage.
On the other hand, if Carroll's suggestion turns out to be true and the final battle in Spider-Man: Far From Home will be against a mass of co-joined Elementals, some sections of the audience may feel slightly underwhelmed. The MCU movies have generally employed real actors as villains, acknowledging that the giant CGI monstrosities seen in The Incredible Hulk, Green Lantern and Suicide Squad rarely make for a compelling spectacle. Surely Spider-Man: Far From Home won't head in that same direction?
