Marvel Studios’ upcoming Spider-Man 4 could be the perfect opportunity for Wilson Fisk’s Kingpin to form an iconic villain team from Marvel Comics that has been missing from the MCU. Tom Holland is set to return as Peter Parker’s Spider-Man in a new trilogy, after Spider-Man: No Way Home marked the end of his MCU origin story. After the tragic events of No Way Home, Spider-Man is now operating as an anonymous hero in the MCU, with nobody remembering his identity of Peter Parker. This creates some wild opportunities for Marvel Studios in the MCU’s upcoming Spider-Man 4 and beyond.
While there is speculation that Peter Parker’s Spider-Man will cross paths with other street-level superheroes in Spider-Man 4, including the likes of Daredevil and Ant-Man, powerful villains have also been teased for Spider-Man’s new MCU trilogy. In his previous Marvel Studios adventures, Spider-Man has faced terrifying adversaries, such as the Vulture, Mysterio, Thanos, and a plethora of villains from other realities in the MCU’s multiverse. Spider-Man 4’s most significant foe may have already been teased, however, and he may not be alone in his attack against Queens’ Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.
Kingpin Could Bring Together A Team Of Villains In Spider-Man 4
Since his return in 2021’s Hawkeye, Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin, has been expanding his influence in the MCU. D’Onofrio first appeared as Kingpin in Netflix’s Daredevil series, and while his future as the iconic Marvel villain was in jeopardy after Daredevil’s cancelation, D’Onofrio has since reprised the role in the MCU proper in Hawkeye and Echo. These projects have set Kingpin up as a major player in the MCU’s street-level stories, especially by teasing his evolution into the Mayor of New York, which could lead to him outlawing vigilantism in the city, inspired by Marvel Comics’ Devil’s Reign.
In Marvel Comics’ Devil’s Reign, Kingpin establishes teams of Thunderbolts to enforce his anti-vigilante laws, impacting many street-level heroes, including Daredevil, Moon Knight, Luke Cage, and the Fantastic Four. It seems as though Marvel Studios is setting up this massive Marvel Comics storyline for a live-action adaptation in the MCU, with Daredevil: Born Again and Spider-Man 4 expected to bring this narrative to life. If this is the case, Kingpin could bring together a team of iconic MCU villains to enforce his controversial laws, perhaps allowing past Spider-Man villains to form a version of Marvel Comics’ legendary Sinister Six.
Which Villains Could Be In The MCU’s Sinister Six?
Luckily, Spider-Man’s previous trilogy included or teased six powerful villains that could come together to form Kingpin’s Sinister Six team in the MCU. This would include Kingpin himself, who is a significant Spider-Man villain in Marvel Comics, though the pair haven’t yet crossed paths in the live-action MCU. Five villains from Spider-Man’s past may join him, including Herman Schultz’s Shocker, Mac Gargan’s Scorpion, Adrian Toomes’ Vulture, Aaron Davis’ Prowler, and whoever becomes the host of Venom. There are some issues with this surviving line-up, but Spider-Man 4 could easily bring these powerful villains together to form the Sinister Six.
While Schultz and Gargan are still in the MCU, albeit imprisoned, the other members of this team will need some explaining. The Vulture was sent to Sony’s Spider-Man Universe in Morbius, but as this was controversial, he could be returned to the MCU. Donald Glover debuted as Aaron Davis in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and was revealed as the Prowler in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, presumably getting ready to be sent home. A piece of the Venom symbiote was left behind in Spider-Man: No Way Home’s post-credits scene, so Spider-Man 4 needs to show it finding a host before joining this team.
