Every Spider-Man Villain Rumored For No Way Home

Rumors are swirling about who will appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and here are all the Spider-Man villains rumored to appear. The third solo film for Tom Holland in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is shaping up to be the biggest one yet, and it isn't even close. The long-awaited Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer confirmed that the movie would deal with Peter Parker's identity being revealed and the complications of the multiverse.

The multiverse story for Spider-Man: No Way Home has meant ramped rumors about what Marvel characters will make an appearance. The biggest and most persistent casting rumor for the movie is that Holland won't be the only Spider-Man to appear. Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield have been heavily linked to Spider-Man: No Way Home despite consistent denials. There is also heavy speculation that Charlie Cox will appear as Matt Murdock aka Daredevil. Meanwhile, the only other MCU heroes confirmed to appear are rumored imposter Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Wong (Benedict Wong). The rest of the movie's ensemble includes the usual supporting characters from Holland's Spider-Man movies.

The possibility of other Marvel heroes appearing in Spider-Man: No Way Home builds on the expectation that it will feature many villains. The first trailer confirmed the returns of a few villains from the non-MCU Spider-Man movies. Several other antagonists, both familiar and new, are rumored to appear too. Here's every Spider-Man villain rumored to appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Doc Ock

The Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer confirmed the not-so-secret return of Alfred Molina's Doc Ock. He appears at the end of the trailer and greets Holland's Spider-Man. Molina previously played Doctor Octopus in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2. Although that movie ended with the character's death, Spider-Man: No Way Home will use the multiverse to bring him to the MCU. Molina's Doc Ock has been de-aged so he can look the same here as he did in the 2004 superhero movie, and he's teased Otto Octavious' story begins almost immediately after Spider-Man 2's ending.

Green Goblin

Green Goblin's return was also effectively confirmed in the Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer. Willem Dafoe has long been rumored to be playing Norman Osborn again after bringing the character to life in each installment of Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. The evidence to support this rumor came when Goblin's recognizable Pumpkin Bomb rolled through the No Way Home trailer. Viewers can also hear Dafoe's Green Goblin laugh during the footage. It is not yet confirmed what Dafoe will look like in his Spider-Man return. If he is a variant of Green Goblin from Tobey Maguire's films, then the Green Goblin suit should return. However, Marvel Studios could also redesign the character to bring him closer to his comic counterpart.

Electro

It is also no secret that Jamie Foxx's Electro appears in Spider-Man: No Way Home. His casting was widely reported in 2020, and Foxx even took to social media to confirm his return - before he deleted the posts. In these since-deleted posts, Foxx revealed that Electro wouldn't have the blue skin from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in this next appearance. Marvel has yet to show Electro's return outright, but the No Way Home trailer still teased Electro's redesign by repeatedly showing yellow lightning. This is a direct match for how Electro's lightning powers are displayed in the comics, which could indicate this isn't the same version of Max Dillon that Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man faced.

Sandman

There are also rumors that Thomas Haden Church will return as Sandman in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Church played the villain in Spider-Man 3 and is widely seen as one of the film's better parts. Church hasn't been confirmed to appear, and the marketing for No Way Home hasn't provided definitive proof of his return. The trailer does potentially tease Sandman's involvement and him possibly using himself to protect Spider-Man from Electro's attacks. There is no word on which version of Flint Marko that Church could be playing. Sandman survived Spider-Man 3, so Church could play this exact iteration of the villain.

The Lizard

Also rumored to return in Spider-Man: No Way Home is The Lizard. Curt Connors appeared in both the Maguire Spider-Man trilogy and Garfield's first Amazing Spider-Man movie, but the latter version of the character is expected to show up again. Rhys Ifans is reportedly playing The Lizard again, and he could be the same version from The Amazing Spider-Man since Connors survived. There is great speculation that his inclusion in the movie was teased through the No Way Home trailer, but the moment is too quick and dark to know for sure.

Rhino

Audiences might also see Rhino again in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Paul Giamatti played the Russian mobster Aleksei Sytsevich in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and debuted the character's giant Rhino-shaped mechanical suit at the very end. If Rhino is in No Way Home, it remains to be seen if it will be this exact version of the villain. Marvel Studios could give the character a redesign after the poor reception to Amazing Spider-Man 2's version of the character.

Hobgoblin

There is also a lot of speculation that Ned Leeds' return in Spider-Man: No Way Home could come with a twist and make him Hobgoblin. Some fans wonder if the Pumpkin Bomb shown in the trailer was meant as misdirection and belongs to Hobgoblin instead of Green Goblin. Ned Leeds' transformation into Hobgoblin could happen multiple ways in No Way Home. Peter could glimpse or meet this version of his best friend through the multiverse. It is also possible that erasing Ned's knowledge that Peter is Spider-Man could somehow change his past and lead him down the path to becoming a villain instead.

Venom

One of the biggest rumors surrounding Spider-Man: No Way Home is that Tom Hardy's Venom will appear in some fashion. Fans have wanted to see a Spider-Man and Venom crossover happen ever since Sony announced that Hardy would play the iconic Spider-Man villain. Hardy has fueled such dreams in the leadup to No Way Home, especially after a photo of him wearing a No Way Home hat surfaced online. The likelihood of Venom appearing could change once Venom: Let There Be Carnage is finally released. Even if it doesn't happen here, it seems like only a matter of time before Holland's Spider-Man and Hardy's Venom share the screen.

Mysterio

There has also been plenty of rumors about Mysterio returning in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The trailer already confirmed we'll see Jake Gyllenhaal's Quentin Beck again in the movie, thanks to replays of his video revealing Spider-Man's identity. However, there is the possibility that Mysterio will return at another point in the film too. This could give the MCU a chance to confirm Mysterio's death at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home was his most elaborate illusion yet. Of course, Mysterio could also return thanks to the multiverse.

Vulture

Michael Keaton's Vulture is also among the villains rumored to return in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Adrian Toomes was the main villain of Spider-Man: Homecoming and his story ended with him going to prison. Since Vulture already exists in the main MCU timeline and knows Spider-Man's secret identity, he would be a natural fit in this story. His appearance here could even help explain how Vulture shows up in Morbius.

Kraven the Hunter

One of the other Spider-Man villains rumored to appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home is Kraven the Hunter. Before the multiverse story developed, it was widely expected that Kraven would be the main villain of Holland's third solo film. Instead, Sony has plans for a Kraven the Hunter movie starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the famous foe. Taylor-Johnson was cast for the solo project while Spider-Man: No Way Home was still filming, so it is possible that Sony convinced Marvel Studios to include him as a multiverse tease.

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