Tom Holland’s Spider-Man films have been huge successes and have resonated with audiences in a very big way. All his solo films in the MCU have built up the character’s maturity through the events and tragedies that he comes across. By the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, the character has evolved vastly since his introduction in Captain America: Civil War.
A fourth Spider-Man film is currently in development and fans are looking forward to where they carry forward the character in the multiversal era. Word on the street was that Kingpin would be the main antagonist of the film. It has now been reported that the film will have a bigger scope and will set up Avengers 5 in a big way.
Mister Gryphon Reportedly The Main Villain in Tom Holland’s Spider-Man 4
Sony and Marvel Studios are currently figuring out how to go forward with Tom Holland‘s Spider-Man after the huge success of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Some time ago, it was rumored that both studios wanted different approaches for Spider-Man’s future. With Kingpin now in the MCU, fans wanted to see him take on Spider-Man just like in the comics.
However, it seems the fourth Spider-Man film will now have to be a direct setup for the upcoming Avengers 5. MCU News and Updates posted on X claiming that instead of Kingpin, Kang variant Nathaniel Richards who goes by the name of Mister Gryphon will be the main antagonist of the film. In the comics, Mister Gryphon brought Stark Tower and similarly, the post further posits that Mister Gryphon will take over Avengers Tower in the MCU.
He predicts that Peter Parker will be working under Mister Gryphon in the film and he will eventually learn about his true identity. Even with this exciting possibility, fans are not enthusiastic about this direction and instead want a grounded street-level film with Kingpin as Spider-Man’s adversary. Here are some of the reactions on X,
Meh. I'd rather have Kingpin or another Spider-Man central villian. Then have a post credit scene of Spidey meeting the Fantastic Four to setup the next Avengers
— Sean Kelly (@SeanKel63125653) February 19, 2024
I thought you said Kingpin was the main villain?
— Natedizzy (@NathanMaloney1) February 19, 2024
Nah, I’d rather have the whole street level story everyone wants, maybe he works at Qeng Enterprises and at the end of the movie he finds out who he truly is and goes to warn the Avengers
— DarkStars (@drk_stars) February 19, 2024
Maybe have Kang in the credit scene for spider man 4 but use kingpin as the main villain.
— liam_s_r (@Liam79095937) February 19, 2024
Hope this is fake. I want either kingpin or scorpion as the villains
— Hailee Steinfeld’s fiancé (@worldofHailee) February 19, 2024
The introduction of Nathaniel Richards is interesting as it will also be a wise choice for the studio to continue with the Kang storyline if they want to with a different actor. However, most fans want Kingpin as the villain of the film and introduce Mister Gryphon at the end. It remains to be seen who they ultimately chose to be the villain of the much-anticipated film.
Tom Holland Wants the Next Spider-Man Film To Be Worthwhile
After the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Sony and Marvel Studios are taking it slow with the next film and it is expected that the character will have a different treatment and tone compared to the previous trilogy. Holland talked to Collider about the conversations he has been having with the studios in trying to take the right step for the character in the fourth installment.
He stated that he is incredibly protective of the character and is grateful for the trilogy becoming a huge success. He does not want to make another film just for commercial reasons but wants it to be worthwhile with a great story. He said,
“All I can say is that we have been actively engaging in conversations about what it could potentially look like for a fourth rendition of my character. I feel very protective over Spider-Man. I feel very, very lucky that we were able to work on a franchise that got better with each movie, that got more successful with each movie, which I think is really rare, and I want to protect his legacy. So, I won’t make another one for the sake of making another one. It will have to be worth the while of the character.”
The next Spider-Man film is rumored to come out before the upcoming two Avengers films. It remains to be seen what direction the MCU decides to take the character and the extent of his role in the two epic films.
