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Despite the fact that they initially had something of a hostile relationship (mostly thanks to J. Jonah Jameson’s anti-Spider-Man stories in The Daily Bugle), Spider-Man and NYPD police captain Jean DeWolff would later become close allies. She was tragically murdered by a villain known as the Sin-Eater and when Peter visited her apartment for clues, he found newspaper clippings of Spider-Man, an indication that Jean had romantic feelings for him.
The previous Spider-Man movies never really touched on the wall-crawler’s relationship with the police, though his interactions with Captain Stacy in Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man at least hinted at that. Having an authority figure of sorts in the NYPD for Spidey to both clash and work with would be something new for the franchise, and makes sense now that Peter Parker is more than likely a wanted man thanks to good 'ol Jolly Jonah Jameson.
Elizabeth Banks had a minor role in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movies as Betty Brant, but she unfortunately failed to make much of an impact on anything that happened in the trilogy.
That’s quite a contrast to the comic book version of J. Jonah Jameson’s secretary (who later becomes a reporter), as she was actually Peter Parker’s first girlfriend. However, they split up when Peter’s activities as Spider-Man led to him being unable to spend enough time with her.
Given how well things are going with MJ, the MCU's wall-crawler doesn't necessarily need a new love interest. However, he could definitely do with a friend, even if it is one who works for Jonah, the man who outed Spidey's identity to world at the end of Far From Home. Oh, and while Peter does go to school with a version of "Betty," we'd much rather meet this classic version or see her overhauled.
Before his powers took on a more mystical nature, Kraven the Hunter was exactly what the name implies – a hunter. With no superpowers, this would certainly be a very different type of foe for Spider-Man, but one that fans are desperate to see. He arrived in New York with the goal to take out its newest hero, a story many fans believe would make perfect sense for the threequel.
It's no secret that a solo movie for this villain is currently in the works at Sony Pictures, but with the lines blurring between these two worlds, he could first appear in the MCU before receiving the spotlight in J.C. Chandor's planned movie (which could potentially adapt "Kraven's Last Hunt").
For those unfamiliar with the tale, it sees Kraven shoots Spider-Man with a tranquillizer dart, bury him, and take on his identity before committing suicide after being beaten by the hero. It’s dark and a bit twisted, but it could certainly work well on the big screen providing it's told the right way.
Scorpion is one of Spider-Man’s classic enemies, but perhaps not as A-List as the likes of Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus. Even so, his story is perfectly suited for the big screen, especially if Marvel now intends to reintroduce The Daily Bugle in Spider-Man 3 as a newspaper or website.
In the comics, J. Jonah Jameson hires private detective Mac Gargan to find out Spidey’s secret identity. When he fails, he agrees to be bonded to a suit which will grant him the abilities to take the hero down and unmask him himself. Unfortunately, it also drives him insane, and a vengeful and crazy Scorpion ends up targeting both Spider-Man and Jameson.
Marvel Studios laid the groundwork for this in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and with rumours swirling that Jonah hires Spencer Smythe to create the Spider-Slayers, perhaps he'll also outfit Mac?
Does Marvel really want to go back down the Goblin route? The Green Goblin’s story was covered in all three of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movies and even factored into The Amazing Spider-Man before Harry Osborn took up the mantle in the sequel. However, despite the similar look and name, the Hobgoblin is undoubtedly a very different kind of bad guy.
A number of men have held the mantle, while the initial mystery of who was beneath the mask could very easily play into Spider-Man 3 and beyond...eventually culminating with a Ned Leeds reveal!
The other option is successful fashion designer, Roderick Kingsley. He became the Hobgoblin when he discovered one of Norman Osborn’s caches of weapons and managed to alter the Goblin formula to avoid going insane. Those ties with the Green Goblin mean that his origin story would have to be greatly retooled, but if anyone can make it work, it's Marvel Studios.
A relatively new character, Cindy Moon was bitten by the same radioactive spider which bit Peter Parker. However, he never knew about this as Cindy was hidden away by a mysterious man known as Ezekiel Sims (more on him later) after her powers emerged, and she spent years locked away from the world. That was to stop a vampiric like being known as Morlun from tracking her down, and some time after Spidey defeated him, she was finally freed.
It was then that Cindy became Silk, embarking an a relationship of sorts with Peter (their connection through that spider means they find each other overwhelmingly attractive, something which would be best left out of a movie). While the decision to have another person bitten by that same spider was controversial with fans, and while some sort of TV show is reportedly in the works, it would be no bad thing for her to make her MCU debut before that launches.
The Osborn family have already had their chance to shine in Spider-Man movies, but if Marvel Studios were to take a slow burn approach, they could definitely be freshened up for this shared world.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 made a huge mistake by having Harry become the Green Goblin before his father, but we wouldn't say no to having him befriend Peter before Norman makes his presence felt. If Harry eventually becomes a Goblin too, that would be fine, especially if his substance abuse issues are explored in some way (a bold move on Marvel's part, for sure).
Ned is a great best friend for Peter, but it would be no bad thing to add Harry to that mix. We definitely wouldn't want to see him portrayed as some sort of antagonist, though, but who knows...perhaps his presence will be what leads to Ned ultimately becoming the MCU's Hobgoblin?
One day out of the blue, Spider-Man was confronted by a mysterious older man who somehow had the same powers as him and knew his secret identity. Ezekiel revealed to Peter that his powers weren’t scientific in nature at all; they had a basis in magic. Despite being sceptical, Spidey found himself up against all sorts of mystical threats and Ezekiel was a good friend to the hero…until it was revealed that he meant to sacrifice Spider-Man to save himself.
Marvel Studios appears intent on giving their version of Peter Parker a father figure or mentor, so Ezekiel is arguably a natural fit for a future Spider-Man movie, especially after Spidey spends some time with Doctor Strange. After all, it's there he could first learn about the Web of Life and Destiny.
The best part about Ezekiel's introduction, however, would undoubtedly be the fact that it would almost certainly lead to Spider-Man facing off with the deadly Morlun...
Not one of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s original creations, Morlun is a fairly new villain (he was introduced in the early 2000s when J. Michael Straczynski took over writing duties on The Amazing Spider-Man). However, despite not having decades worth of history, he’s still one of the Marvel Universe’s most fierce and powerful bad guys, and Peter Parker very nearly failed to survive their first encounter as he was truly pushed to and beyond his limits.
Mystical in nature, Morlun arrived on the scene at the time Peter discovered that his powers may be more magic than science based. He relentlessly tracked Spider-Man through New York and started murdering civilians whenever the hero managed to hide to take a rest. Pitting the MCU's version of the web-slinger against this nigh-unstoppable baddie feels like a natural next step, and we know that Kevin Feige is a big fan of what JMS did during his run.
Initially someone Spider-Man clashed with, cat burglar Felicia Hardy is best known as the Black Cat. She’s been portrayed with and without powers over the years (when she does have them, she can project bad luck on her foes) and at one point became Spidey’s girlfriend. Not Peter Parker’s though. When he unmasked in front of her, she was horrified because she was in love with who he was as Spider-Man, not the "boring" and "ordinary" man beneath the mask.
Introducing Black Cat in the MCU could be tricky. The Ultimate Comics had Felicia recoil at the sight of Spider-Man’s face because he was so young, but their relationship has always been fascinating, and it would be a great shame to miss out on that. Perhaps Marvel’s reboot could shake things up a little by having her be a fellow high school student? Sure, that would be a departure from the comic books, but it’s one which wouldn’t be too tough for fans to accept.
After Silver & Black failed to take off, Sony should definitely let Marvel Studios introduce this anti-hero.
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