Fans of the friendly neighborhood web-slinger rejoiced when some of the character’s greatest villains returned to the silver screen in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The film saw Tom Holland return to the role as the MCU’s Peter Parker, alongside Zendaya and Jacob Batalon as MJ and Ned Leeds. When it came to Spidey’s adversaries, the film’s reach spanned the two decades of live-action Spider-Man movies. The franchise brought back fan favorites like Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus, and Jamie Foxx’s Electro, to name a few.
Many of Spider-Man’s villains are as beloved as the quipping wall-crawler himself. Some are tragic and sympathetic, while others are sadistic and crave destruction. The MCU is doing its best to bring Spider-Man’s most compelling nemeses to film, but some villains are so unfathomably weird that it is unlikely they will ever see the light of a live-action adaptation.
Screwball
Screwball is a relatively recent addition to Spider-Man’s rogues’ gallery, first appearing in 2008’s Amazing Spider-Man #559. Her identity remains unknown in the Marvel comics, though Marvel’s Spider-Man revealed that its version of Screwball was none other than Liz Allen, a character played by Laura Harrier in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming.
While she was translated well to Insomniac’s 2018 Spider-Man game, it’s doubtful that Screwball will appear in a live-action movie. Screwball is a villain-slash-streamer, a troublemaker who likes to broadcast her crimes and confrontations with Spider-Man to a (strangely) loyal online audience. Though quirky and modern to a T, Screwball is too much of a low-stakes adversary to serve as a primary antagonist of an MCU film.
Human Fly
Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider, giving him an array of arachnid powers. Cool, right? Oh, without a doubt. Meanwhile, small-time criminal Richard Deacon had his DNA infused with the genetic code of a housefly. Is it awesome? Not so much. Created in 1976, the Human Fly is a strange villain, to be sure. Aside from turning him into one of the least impressive codenames known to comics, the experiment Deacon underwent had other, somewhat uncomfortable effects.
Deacon developed wings and, consequently, the power of flight, multi-faceted eyes, corrosive vomit, and a fondness for consuming garbage. Some modern reincarnations even depict the Human Fly as a half-bug mutant. Unless the MCU is heading in the direction of body horror and the grotesque, it’s unlikely that future films will bring the Human Fly to life.
Stilt-Man
Modifying stolen designs for revolutionary hydraulics, scientist and inventor Wilbur Day’s brilliant idea was to fashion himself a pair of telescopic legs that he could employ in robberies. Day debuted as a Daredevil villain, with Netflix’s Daredevil even going to reference Day’s iconic stilt suit in its first season.
Stilt-Man’s suit is objectively hilarious, even more so when you consider how he regularly butts head with the web-slinging wall-crawler who, let us not forget, made his MCU debut in Captain America: Civil War by referencing the tripping up of the long-legged walkers in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.
White Rabbit
White Rabbit’s real name is Dr. Lorina Dodson. Obsessed with Alice in Wonderland and mariticidal, Dodson developed her criminal persona after the playful characters from her favorite book. She wields odd (but effective) weaponry, such as carrot bombs and jet boots, and pilots a rabbit-themed mech equipped with an array of deadly armaments. Good luck translating all of that to the MCU!
Though fun and humor are central to Marvel’s films, Dodson’s colorful appearance and zany personality might be too much for a live-action portrayal.
Videoman
The entity known as Videoman emerged from an arcade game. In his first appearance in the animated series Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends, he served Electro as a digital henchman. Brought formally into the comics in 2006, Videoman is a titan capable of blasting energy beams from his pixilated hands.
Amusing origin story aside, Videoman’s lovable 8-bit appearance would make him unique among the villains currently active in the MCU. Unfortunately, his far-fetched beginnings mean that films will likely fail to have this arcade abomination face off against the franchise’s heroes in the future.
Overdrive
As a former racecar driver and supercriminal with the ability to modify and enhance any vehicle through nanites, Overdrive, also known as James Beverley, seems like the perfect candidate for an MCU villain at first glance. Starting as a henchman working under more powerful villains like Mister Negative, Beverley made a name for himself as a capable goon and getaway driver.
But don’t get too excited – like how Beverley positively swoons during every run-in with his favorite web-slinger – because Overdrive happens to be Spider-Man’s number one fan. The first time Spider-Man apprehended Beverley, he begged police to let him keep the note left at the scene by “your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.”
Hypno-Hustler
Hypno-Hustler is not only a character who could only exist in the 70s but also one that can only exist in Marvel comics. Antoine Delsoin is a singer-turned-criminal who uses the power of hypnosis to aid him in his crimes. His goggles and musical instruments are modified to alter the brain functions of others, allowing him to soothe his victims and induce hallucinations.
While hypnosis and music make a compelling combo, the only real battle taking place in a film featuring Delsoin would be the one between the audience and their sides as they refrain from bursting into laughter at the sight of Hypno-Hustler and his disco-themed appearance.
Kangaroo
There is no way that the Kangaroo, more specifically Frank Oliver, could ever work in a live-action film. A former boxer, he studied and lived among kangaroos in the Australian outback, developing jumping skills that mimicked the movements of his animal friends. A second Kangaroo, also known as Brian Hibbs, wears a kangaroo-themed suit of armor that allows him to move like the Australian marsupial it was modeled after. Still, Oliver’s baffling origin story should speak plainly for itself.
The MCU is lovably fantastical and out-of-this-world, but if Marvel decides to adapt this particular Aussie, trying to sell a villain who kangaroo-hops to and from the scenes of his crimes might be asking a little too much of future audiences.
Doppelganger
This fearsome-looking beast is a dark reflection of Spider-Man with six arms, organic web-shooters, and a horrifying maw. It’s hard to imagine seeing the Doppelgänger popping up in a live-action film. His terrifying appearance makes it all but impossible to market for a franchise friendly to audiences of every age. That being said, Marvel’s What If…? managed zombies well enough, though rendering an eight-limbed, Tom Holland-looking demon remains quite the challenge.
Debuting as a demonic reflection of Peter Parker in the original Infinity War comic storyline, Doppelgänger possesses super strength, agility, and the ability to stick to walls and solid surfaces. It is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with, but not one that audiences should expect to see pop up in the MCU.
Big Wheel
Big Wheel, real name Jackson Weele, is a white-collar criminal turned supervillain who commandeers a giant wheel armed with an array of ballistic weapons. Weele’s death machine came courtesy of the Tinkerer; a technological genius brought to the MCU as an underling to Michael Keaton’s Vulture, portrayed by Michael Chernus. The Tinkerer’s invention allowed Weele to face off against Spider-Man and Rocket Racer during his comic debut in 1978.
Though Weele possesses no other notable abilities when deprived of his comical vehicle, there’s a part of every Spider-Man fan who would secretly love seeing his character taken to the silver screen. That being said, it is unlikely that audiences will see Big Wheel take on a live-action Spider-Man anytime soon.
