There has been plenty of speculation about what the potential 4th installment of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man might include. Currently, owing to the sheer uncertainty surrounding the MCU, instead of official updates, a range of rumors have shown face with respect to the upcoming iteration.
One such rumor stated that Mister Negative, a familiar supervillain who has often been found fighting Spider-Man in the comics, will be a part of the movie. However, one theory, which has been fueled by fans on Reddit, states exactly how another very familiar villain, who has already been a part of a previous project in the form of Far From Home, might also be in contention.
Rumors have stipulated two ways in which Chameleon might end up being a part of Spider-Man 4, in whatever form it is eventually released.
Chameleon offers MCU bosses a realistic option instead of Mister Negative for Spider-Man 4
Even as Mister Negative is currently rumored to be a part of the script for Spider-Man 4, there is another supervillain who has already made his MCU debut in Far From Home who must be considered. The character of Dmitri Smerdyakov, better known as the Chameleon, was grossly underused in the 2019 release, where he was played by Numan Acar. The character deserves salvation simply because of its importance with respect to the comics.
🚨 Mister Negative is in the current script for SM4
— Rejected Scooper (@rejectedscooper) July 6, 2024
Often depicted as a major villain in Spider-Man arcs, Chameleon is actually the first-ever antagonist of Peter Parker and made his debut via The Amazing Spider-Man #1, which released in March 1963.
According to a theory trending on Reddit, there are two foolproof ways in which Chameleon can be a part of Spider-Man 4. The character, who was shown to be a part of Nick Fury’s team in Far From Home, can either undergo surgery to give him Skrull body parts, or can be revealed to be a Skrull in disguise all along.
Dmitri Smerdyakov, part of Nick Fury’s* crew in SM:FFH, will likely become the Chameleon by one of the following avenues: He’s a Skrull or gains some Skrull DNA or bodyparts from one of his fellow agents or he managed to get his hands on Mysterio’s holographic tech (BARF) to simulate shapeshifting
byu/ghostrider8303 inMarvelTheories
This will not only give the creators a supervillain to considering adding in Spider-Man 4, even if it comes alongside a Mister Negative appearance, it will also allow them to give salvation to Dmitri Smerdyakov, who was grossly betrayed in Far From Home.
Of course, alternatively, Chameleon can also be introduced in the MCU by giving the character access to Mysterio’s BARF technology, which also featured in Far From Home.
Dmitri Smerdyakov need not become a Skrull to emerge as Chameleon in Spider-Man 4
Skrulls were introduced in Captain Marvel, and already boast the kind of powers Chameleon has traditionally boasted of. In most comic arcs, the supervillain ends up gaining his powers via the use of a serum, which converts him into a mutagenically altered human being.
However, taking such an ambitious route is not the only way in which the MCU can salvage Chameleon. This can also be done by giving Dmitri access to the Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing (BARF) technology which was used by Mysterio to create convincing illusions. This is a much less ambitious option that can spurn simply off of his access to the BARF technology, as he could simulate shape-shifting abilities without the need for actual physical transformation.
Of course, this will also represent a route which is unique, and has not been taken up in the comics, considering the fact that Chameleon in his comic arcs undergoes a range of biological changes in order to gain his powers.
Regardless, that was hardly the only way in which Far From Home moved past the comic-inspired character, considering the fact that Dmitri himself was shown to be a part of Nick Fury’s crew and has already met Peter Parker.
Still, both methods have plenty of potential and can be used in Spider-Man 4 to give a semblance of familiarity to a supervillain who was drastically reduced in Far From Home.
While Spider-Man 4 has no official release date yet, Far From Home can be watched on Disney+.
