Spider-Man: No Way Home featured 5 major villains from previous Spider-Man films: Green Goblin from Spider-Man (2002), Doctor Octopus from Spider-Man 2 (2004), Sandman from Spider-Man 3 (2007), Lizard from The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), and Electro from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). Fans have speculated about who a 6th villain could have been if the movie had included one more. Here are some quick potential answers:
- Venom – Popular Spider-Man villain who appeared in Spider-Man 3 and got his own film Venom (2018)
- Vulture – Main villain in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) led by Michael Keaton
- Rhino – Had a small role in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, could have had expanded role
- Mysterio – Main villain in Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
- Kraven the Hunter – A classic Spider-Man villain from the comics who has yet to appear in the films
These are some of the prime candidates for who could have been a 6th villain in No Way Home if the filmmakers had chosen to include one more bad guy. Let’s take a deeper look at the top options and why they could have worked.
Venom
Perhaps the most likely choice for a 6th villain in No Way Home would have been Venom. After first appearing as a twisted version of Eddie Brock in Spider-Man 3, Venom got his own solo film in 2018 which was a box office hit. So the character was already established in this universe.
The post-credits scene of Venom: Let There Be Carnage already showed Venom being transported into the MCU due to the rift caused by the multiverse spell Doctor Strange casts in No Way Home. So it would have been easy enough to have him appear as an additional villain Spider-Man needs to face.
As one of Spider-Man’s most iconic and powerful adversaries in the comics, seeing Tom Holland’s Spider-Man square off against Venom would have made an epic showdown. Especially if both Venom and Spider-Man had needed to team up against the other villains. The special effects for Venom could have been amazing as well.
The only potential downside is Venom as a character is arguably big enough to warrant being the main villain if he were included. Having him share the spotlight with 5 other bad guys may have not done him justice. But the fight scenes between Spider-Man and Venom could have been legendary.
How Venom Could Have Fit into the Plot
Rather than just having Venom appear through a portal at the end to quickly join the Sinister Five, there are ways his inclusion could have been woven into the plot earlier as well:
- Eddie Brock could have been an acquaintance Peter Parker already knew from school or the Daily Bugle.
- Peter could have sought out Eddie for help with investigating the multiverse villains once they started appearing.
- Venom could have entered earlier but stayed hidden at first, only to be revealed at a climatic moment.
Any of these approaches could have made Venom’s inclusion feel more organic rather than tacked on. And it would have set up more story time with Eddie Brock and Venom before he joined the battles at the end.
Having Peter seek Eddie out either for help or to try to stop him from joining the other villains could have also added more emotional drama. Overall, while Venom may have stolen some of the thunder from the other villains, he still would have been a great addition to round out the Sinister Six lineup.
Vulture
While not necessarily as big a marquee name as Venom, Vulture could have also been an interesting choice to bring back as a 6th villain in No Way Home. Played by Michael Keaton, Vulture was the lead antagonist in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
He was one of the better-received Marvel movie villains in recent years, thanks to Keaton’s nuanced performance. Bringing his Vulture into the stacking odds against Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in No Way Home could have made narrative sense as well.
At the end of Homecoming, Vulture is still alive and sent to prison. So it would have been feasible for him to get pulled into the multiverse chaos caused by Doctor Strange’s spell. Vulture’s high-tech winged flight suit would have also led to exciting aerial fight sequences with Spider-Man.
Since Vulture was a blue-collar criminal who never fully became a homicidal supervillain, there’s also room for his character arc to go in different directions. He potentially could have been an antagonist who ultimately turns into an uneasy ally against the truly dangerous villains like Green Goblin.
Overall, while including Vulture may not have had the same fan service impact as say Venom or Doc Ock, it could have been a refreshing surprise to bring back this villain who many enjoyed from Spider-Man’s previous solo movie.
How Vulture Could Have Fit into the Plot
Michael Keaton’s Vulture could have factored into the No Way Home plot in a few possible ways:
- Strange’s spell could have pulled Adrian Toomes out of the prison where he was being held at the end of Homecoming.
- Vulture could already be free/in hiding when plucked into the world of No Way Home.
- Peter Parker could have sought Toomes out upon learning of the multiverse situation to try and reform him.
Either way, Vulture showing up could have been a nice callback to Homecoming that reminds viewers Spider-Man’s adventures didn’t start with Thanos and the Avengers.
A plotline of Peter attempting to sway Vulture from the path of evil and vengeance could also have dovetailed nicely with him trying to steer the other villains onto a better path. Vulture reforming at the end and helping take down villains he sees as truly evil like Green Goblin could have been a satisfying arc for his character as well.
Rhino
Rhino is arguably the villain on this list with the least established background in the movies so far, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have worked in an expanded role for No Way Home.
Paul Giamatti had a brief but memorable appearance as the Rhino in the climax of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. While the battle scene of Spider-Man fighting him was underwhelming due to it being entirely CGI, the casting of Giamatti was intriguing.
The character was clearly set up to return for future sequels before Sony rebooted the franchise by having Tom Holland join the MCU. But No Way Home provided the perfect opportunity to revisit Giamatti’s Rhino without needing to continue The Amazing Spider-Man series directly.
Having Rhino get pulled through the multiverse along with the other villains from those films would have allowed Giamatti to flesh out the character more. And it would add another visually distinctive bad guy for Spider-Man to battle using his enhanced strength and Rhino suit.
The main issue with including Rhino is lack of familiarity mainstream viewers have with him. But that could also have made it exciting to see a lesser-known character get time to shine against the better-known baddies like Green Goblin.
How Rhino Could Have Fit into the Plot
Paul Giamatti coming back as Aleksei Sytsevich, AKA Rhino, could have worked in No Way Home a few ways:
- Rhino could have escaped from prison when pulled into the new universe.
- He may already be free but in hiding following the events of Amazing Spider-Man 2.
- Spider-Man interrogates him for info once learning of Rhino’s existence in this world.
Regardless of specifics, leaning into Rhino more could have tied No Way Home back more strongly to the Andrew Garfield Amazing Spider-Man era along with Electro and Lizard.
Showing Tom Holland’s Spider-Man initially being overpowered by Rhino’s immense strength before eventually outsmarting him could have also made for an engaging underdog conflict. Overall, while Rhino may have been the most obscure possibility, he still could have fulfilled an entertaining role in the film.
Mysterio
Out of the villains featured in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Mysterio would have been the most fitting choice to return as a 6th antagonist. This is because Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio served as the main villain in Spider-Man’s previous solo superhero adventure in Spider-Man: Far From Home.
The groundwork was already laid in Far From Home’s ending for Mysterio to come back. While he appeared to die at the end of the movie, there were hints it may have been a deception. Having Mysterio get sucked through the multiverse cracks along with the other Spider-Man movie baddies would have tied together Tom Holland’s two solo films perfectly.
Seeing Spider-Man have to take down Mysterio yet again, even an alternate version of him, could have brought perfect narrative continuity. It also could have set up the character returning again in a future movie, keeping Gyllenhaal as part of the ongoing Spider-Man film franchise.
Mysterio’s unique set of powers and high-tech illusion abilities would have made exciting fight sequences as well. Outsmarting Mysterio’s tricks a second time to defeat him could have showed real character growth for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man too.
How Mysterio Could Have Fit into the Plot
There are a few routes the No Way Home writers could have gone to weave Mysterio into the movie’s story:
- Reveal the Mysterio from Far From Home didn’t actually die.
- Have a Mysterio variant from another universe cross over into the MCU.
- Maybe both options happen – doubling the trouble!
No matter how it happened, including Mysterio could have tied the overarching story together more tightly.
Given the illusion abilities of the character, he also could have tricked and confused the other visiting villains as part of his larger manipulative schemes. Sequences of Spider-Man desperately trying to figure out which characters or scenarios are real and which are Mysterio illusions could have made exciting scenes as well.
Overall out of the options, Mysterio seems like the most natural choice for a 6th villain based on his established role in the previous Spider-Man movie.
Kraven the Hunter
While all the previous options are villains from past Spider-Man movies, there’s also the possibility a 6th villain in No Way Home could have been one yet unseen on film. And Kraven the Hunter stands out as a prime candidate.
Kraven is one of Spider-Man’s most legendary foes from the comics who has been rumored for years to be getting a live-action movie. So using No Way Home as the debut of Kraven in the MCU could have been an exciting surprise.
As a big game hunter who sees Spider-Man as the ultimate human prey, Kraven could have entered the movie tracking down Spider-Man from another universe. Especially if aspects of the multiverse story allowed for Kraven to retain memories of fighting a Spider-Man variant from his own realm.
This approach could have sidestepped the need for lots of backstory explanations for Kraven, allowing him to fulfill the menacing hunter role right away in No Way Home. And it would set the character up nicely to return as a major antagonist in his own solo Kraven movie.
The only downside to debuting Kraven in No Way Home is lack of familiarity mainstream fans have with the character. But his visually fierce design and savage fighting style could have let Kraven make his mark even without needing lots of introductions.
How Kraven Could Have Fit into the Plot
Kraven showing up in No Way Home could have happened a few possible ways:
- He’s pulled from another universe where he’s already encountered Spider-Man.
- The effects of the spell transform a human from the MCU into Kraven.
- Kraven is simply attracted to the multiverse energy signals and follows them like a predator.
Any of these scenarios or combinations of them could have explained Kraven suddenly appearing in Tom Holland’s world. His singular drive to hunt Spider-Man could have made him a wild card antagonist not allied with the other villains.
Having Kraven show up earlier than the other baddies could also have allowed for great action of him and Peter fighting while Peter doesn’t yet realize the scope of the multiverse fractures.
Kraven’s savage physical and tactical fighting skills could have posed a real threat even without enhanced powers. Overall, using No Way Home to introduce a fan favorite comic villain like Kraven in a prominent way would have been exciting and could have set up a spinoff.
Conclusion
While Spider-Man: No Way Home was already packed with 5 villains, introducing a surprise 6th antagonist could have taken the movie to an even greater level. Venom, Vulture, Rhino, Mysterio, and Kraven the Hunter stand out as the top contenders.
Any of these options could have made sense from a narrative perspective while also raising the stakes even higher for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. Five vs. one were already imposing odds, but jumping to six-on-one could have pushed Peter Parker to his absolute limits.
It’s unlikely any 6th villain would have gotten quite as much character development or screen time as the main five. But even in supporting roles, Venom, Vulture, Rhino, Mysterio or Kraven could have become even more ingrained in the MCU and fans’ minds.
Ultimately, the writers chose to focus on developing the key antagonists they already had. But if No Way Home gets a sequel dealing with the multiverse again, that’s always an opportunity to bring back more of Spidey’s rogues’ gallery in surprising ways!
