{"id":1038513,"date":"2026-09-02T08:46:43","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T08:46:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1038513\/"},"modified":"2026-09-02T08:46:43","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T08:46:43","slug":"every-spider-man-movie-villain-ranked","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1038513\/","title":{"rendered":"Every &#8216;Spider-Man&#8217; Movie Villain, Ranked"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"article-excerpt \/\/ a-content-link-style a-font-secondary-xl lrv-u-margin-tb-1 lrv-u-margin-t-050@mobile-max\">With the release of &#8216;Spider-Man: Brand New Day,&#8217; The Hollywood Reporter ranks Spidey\u2019s cinematic crooks and creeps \u2014 from worst to best, below.<\/p>\n<p>\tSeptember 1, 2026 11:12am\t<\/p>\n<p>\tPublished on September 1, 2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/sm1_greengoblinmask_9-embed.jpg\" alt=\"The Green Goblin in 'Spider-Man.'\"   height=\"\" width=\"\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\tThe Green Goblin in &#8216;Spider-Man.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tColumbia Pictures\/Sony Pictures\/Photofest<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tWhen it comes to rogues\u2019 galleries, no Marvel superhero has a better one than Spider-Man. Since 2002, web-slingers Peter Parker and Miles Morales have faced no shortage of super-villains across both live action and animation. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/movies\/movie-news\/spider-man-brand-new-day-theaters-box-office-1236684381\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/movies\/movie-news\/spider-man-brand-new-day-theaters-box-office-1236684381\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">release<\/a> of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Tom Holland\u2019s fourth outing as the world\u2019s most popular superhero, adds even more adversaries to the already sizable and sinister list of character adaptations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tWith the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe\u2019s release, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/movies\/movie-reviews\/spider-man-brand-new-day-review-tom-holland-zendaya-1236657988\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/movies\/movie-reviews\/spider-man-brand-new-day-review-tom-holland-zendaya-1236657988\/\">Spider-Man: Brand New Day<\/a>, The Hollywood Reporter ranks Spidey\u2019s cinematic crooks and creeps \u2014 from worst to best, below.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"pmc-fallback-list-items lrv-a-unstyle-list lrv-u-margin-t-2\">\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<p>\t19. Dr. Ashley Kafka \u2013 The Amazing Spider-Man 2<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tIn one of the more curious choices in Marc Webb\u2019s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), Dr. Ashley Kafka (Marton Csokas), who experiments on Electro, entirely deviates from the comic book character. Instead of being portrayed as a woman, whose psychiatric expertise made her an ally to Spider-Man in the comics, Kafa is depicted as a male, crazed German scientist who feels like a leftover from one Joel Schumacher\u2019s Batman films.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<p>\t18. Gustav Fiers \u2013 \u2018The Amazing Spider-Man\u2019 and \u2018The Amazing Spider-Man 2\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tTeased in the post-credit scene of The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), The Man in the Shadows (Michael Masse) who appears in Curt Conners\u2019 cell launched all sorts of fan theories at the time. From Electro, the Chameleon to Norman Osborn, who was pulling the strings was anyone\u2019s guess. It turned out to be someone no one would\u2019ve guessed: Gustav Fiers, a very minor Spider-Man villain known as The Gentleman, from Adam-Troy Castro\u2019s trilogy of Spider-Man novels that began in 1999. When his name was revealed in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, where he really doesn\u2019t do anything, Fiers hadn\u2019t even debuted in the comics yet. Talk about obscure!<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<p>\t17. The Rhino \u2013 \u2018The Amazing Spider-Man 2\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1296\" height=\"730\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Paul Giamatti as The Rhino, 2014\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/The-Rhino-MCDAMSP_EC062-H-2026.jpg\" data-lazy- data-lazy-\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Niko Tavernise\/Columbia Pictures\/Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tPaul Giamatti advocated for himself to play the Rhino for a few years, and he got his wish in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. After being de-pantsed in the movie\u2019s opening, Aleksei Sytsevich returns in the film\u2019s final moments sporting a big, bulky rhino mech. With a hokey Russian accent and a rhino suit that breaks all credibility, the Rhino is both an eyesore and an earsore.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<p>\t16. The Tinkerer \u2013 \u2018Spider-Man: Homecoming\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1296\" height=\"730\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"(l to r) Bokeem Woodbine, Michael Keaton, Michael Chernus and Christopher Berry in Columbia Pictures' Spider-Man Homecoming\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DF-15938ra_r-H-2026.jpg\" data-lazy- data-lazy-\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Sony Pictures\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tThere\u2019s really nothing wrong with the depiction of The Tinkerer in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), and I honestly feel a little bad ranking him this low. Michael Chernus delivers some great deadpan humor and the idea of a guy using alien technology from the Battle of New York in The Avengers (2012) is a great application of the character. But given how little screentime he ultimately has, and the fact that the character has yet to return \u2014 although he should \u00b1 makes it difficult to justify him being listed any higher.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<p>\t15. The Shocker \u2013 \u2018Spider-Man: Homecoming\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1296\" height=\"730\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Spider-Man battles it out with Shocker (Logan Marshall-Green) in Columbia Pictures' Spider-Man Homecoming\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/DF-06834_rv7-H-2026.jpg\" data-lazy- data-lazy-\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Sony Pictures\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tHere, we have another great reinvention saddled by too little screentime and no returning appearances. Logan Marshall-Green plays Jackson Brice, the film\u2019s first iteration of the Shocker (who, in the comics, is an all-together different character: the lasso-wielding Enforcer named Montana). After Brice is handily dispatched, Bokeem Woodbine\u2019s Herman Schultz, the Shocker of the comics, takes on the role and has a brief but memorable encounter with Spider-Man in the school bus lot. Woodbine\u2019s an incredible actor and it\u2019s about time to get Shocker back in the mix as a low-level adversary.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<p>\t14. Venom \u2013 \u2018Spider-Man 3\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1296\" height=\"730\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Spider-Man 3, Topher Grace as Venom, 2007.\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Venom-MCDSPID_EC178-H-2026.jpg\" data-lazy- data-lazy-\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Sony Pictures\/Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tSam Raimi introduced one of Spider-Man\u2019s most famous enemies, under duress, in Spider-Man 3 (2007). I\u2019ll argue that the film itself is quite good, albeit overcrowded, largely due to the Eddie Brock\/Venom plotline (Topher Grace). The addition of Venom was a studio note, and it feels like one that Raimi\u2019s heart wasn\u2019t fully in, given his affinity for Spider-Man classic \u201860s adversaries. The film presents a pretty comic-accurate depiction of Venom\u2019s origin, and it\u2019s not hard to see what the filmmakers were going for in terms of casting Topher Grace as the dickish alternative to Peter Parker. But Venom never feels entirely convincing in his revenge plot. He disappears for a long stretch of the movie and, while the stakes are personal, at least on the page, Venom never feels like a true threat to Spider-Man as he\u2019s dealing with Uncle Ben\u2019s killer and best friend-turned-enemy.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<p>\t13. The Lizard \u2013 \u2018The Amazing Spider-Man\u2019 and \u2018Spider-Man: No Way Home\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1296\" height=\"730\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"The Amazing Spider-Man, Rhys Ifans as The Lizard, 2012.\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/The-Lizard-MCDAMSP_EC042-H-2026.jpg\" data-lazy- data-lazy-\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Jamie Trueblood\/Columbia Pictures\/Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tRhys Ifans imbues Doctor Curt Conners with a cautious humanity and calculating lizard brain in The Amazing Spider-Man. In his effort to regrow limbs, as reptiles do, Conners, experiments on himself and becomes The Lizard. He provides a significant physical threat in both TASM, and No Way Home, though the design choice has never wowed me. Todd McFarlane\u2019s Lizard design has always been the best version to me. Still, he serves his purpose and making him Spider-Man\u2019s first villain in The Amazing Spider-Man franchise works quite well narratively and thematically.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<p>\t12. Olivia Octavius\/Doctor Octopus \u2013 \u2018Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1296\" height=\"730\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Dr. Olivia Liv Octavius (Kathryn Hahn) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/SpiderVerse_ehv753.1134_lm_v1-H-2026.jpg\" data-lazy- data-lazy-\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Sony Pictures\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tThe magic of the Spider-Verse is that it allows for a myriad of interpretations for Spider-Man\u2019s major and minor enemies. In Into the Spider-Verse (2018), Olivia \u201cLiv\u201d Octavius (Kathryn Hahn) makes for a memorable antagonist as Kingpin\u2019s chief science advisor, equipped with her own set of technologically advanced arms. A formidable threat to both Miles Morales and his Spider-verse friends, her mad science threatens to destroy the entire universe and, most alarming, she doesn\u2019t really seem to care.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<p>\t11. Harry Osborn\/Green Goblin \u2013 \u2018The Amazing Spider-Man 2\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1296\" height=\"730\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Dane DeHaan as Harry Osborn aka Green Goblin, 2014.\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Green-Goblin-2-MCDAMSP_EC088-H-2026.jpg\" data-lazy- data-lazy-\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Columbia Pictures\/Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tThe second Spider-Man franchise didn\u2019t waste much time bringing Harry Osborn back into the fold. It wasted even less time on his transformation into the Green Goblin. Foregoing Norman Osborn\u2019s time on the glider, Marc Webb\u2019s Spider-Man sequel dives right into Harry\u2019s descent. There is something quite compelling about Dane DeHaan\u2019s depiction of Harry. No longer cool in all the ways Peter wasn\u2019t, this depiction of Harry is also a nerd, whose wealth doesn\u2019t change that or the fact that he\u2019s dying. His ensuing rage over Spider-Man not giving him a sample of his blood, which could cure his rare disease, is somewhat understandable, and does kind of put Peter in bad light. While Harry\u2019s ultimate transformation, after being injected with venom from genetically altered spiders, has been the source of much discussion, his toothy, Kewpie Doll visage is rather creepy despite being ever so slightly goofy. And however one might feel about the death of Gwen Stacy, Green Goblin certainly came through on his promise of revenge and villainy in this film.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<p>\t10. Electro \u2013 \u2018The Amazing Spider-Man 2\u2019 and \u2018Spider-Man: No Way Home\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1296\" height=\"730\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Jamie Foxx as Electro, 2014.\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Electro-MCDAMSP_EC089-H-2026.jpg\" data-lazy- data-lazy-\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Columbia Pictures\/Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tAdmittedly, I\u2019m of two minds about Electro. The pre-transformation Max Dillon that we are first introduced to in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a pretty cringeworthy nerd caricature, with buck teeth, broken glasses and slicked down hair smoothed over a bald patch. Initially, it feels like Jamie Foxx\u2019s character stumbled out of a Nutty Professor movie. But after falling into a tank of experimental electric eels, the new blue Dillon is a neat take on the character. There\u2019s no subtly in how he fits into the film\u2019s theme of great power, but Electro makes for some of the film\u2019s most visually arresting action sequences and soundtrack moments. When he returns in No Way Home, no longer blue, Foxx makes Electro an immensely likeable smooth criminal behind some of the film\u2019s funniest lines.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<p>\t9. Kingpin \u2013 \u2018Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1296\" height=\"730\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Liev Schreiber Kingpin as Kingpin in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Kingpin-Spider-Verse-Spider-People-Voice-Talent-H-2026.jpg\" data-lazy- data-lazy-\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animations\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tOne of the most memorable designs of any onscreen Spider-Man villain, Into the Spider-Verse\u2019s Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin, is depicted simply as mass \u2014 a blot on New York, a tumorous, seemingly immovable stain of humanity. He fills up the frame, and the anatomical incorrectness of his tiny head on his massive body speaks to the freedom that animation allows in its depiction of characters as ideas. Voiced by Liev Schreiber, Kingpin, the force behind the multiverse collider, the death of Peter Parker and Aaron Davis on Miles\u2019 world, is the central villain of the film. What\u2019s great about the Kingpin, despite his lack of superpowers, is that in his efforts to be seen as a man rather than a monster, he only becomes more monstrous and irredeemable in the eyes of the family he wants to rebuild with multiversal variants.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<p>\t8. The Sandman \u2013 \u2018Spider-Man 3\u2019 and \u2018Spider-Man: No Way Home\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1296\" height=\"730\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Spider-Man 3, Thomas Haden Church as The Sandman, Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man, 2007.\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Sandman-MCDSPID_EC149-H-2026.jpg\" data-lazy- data-lazy-\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Sony Pictures\/Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tThere\u2019s an earnestness in Spider-Man 3\u2019s depiction of Sandman, and Thomas Haden Church brings layers to the character. There\u2019s no attempt to try to make him bigger or more threatening than Ock or Goblin, or a genius scientist, or failed father figure. Flint Marko is simply a crook, not even a particularly good or ill-intentioned one, whose bad choices result in bad consequences. Even in the decision to retcon Uncle Ben\u2019s death from the first film, by making Marko the man who fired the shot that killed Ben, there\u2019s a simplicity and matter-of-factness about it. The revelation doesn\u2019t feel like a gamechanger in the way that Jack Napier\/The Joker being behind the murder of the Waynes does in Batman (1989) but rather a means to explore the cycles of hurt that every single character, including Peter Parker, takes part of in this film. Marko\u2019s desire to save his ailing daughter makes him empathetic, a trait that continues into No Way Home in which all Marko wants to do is get back to his daughter Penny. Obviously, the Sandman\u2019s powers make him a great visual adversary, but it\u2019s the character\u2019s humanity that proves to be the strongest foundation.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<p>\t7. Harry Osborn\/Nu Goblin \u2013 \u2018Spider-Man 3\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1296\" height=\"730\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Spider-Man 3, James Franco as Harry Osborn aka Nu Goblin, 2007.\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Harry-Osborn-Nu-Goblin-MCDSPID_EC169-H-2026.jpg\" data-lazy- data-lazy-\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Sony Pictures\/Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tBuilt up across Raimi\u2019s Spider-Man trilogy, Harry Osborn\u2019s fall is both inevitable and heartbreaking. Yes, the snowboarder design of the Nu Goblin leaves a lot to be desired. But much like Willem Dafoe, James Franco is just as, if not more, effective out of the costume. Harry\u2019s quest for revenge against Peter for the death of his father takes an abrupt turn in the first act when Harry crashes during a fight with Peter and gets amnesia. It\u2019s a classic soap opera trope that feels right on par with \u201960s and \u201970s Spider-Man comics. But the amnesia allows Franco to find new shades to Harry, from a dopey sweetness to a knowing, almost fourth-wall breaking, smirking menace. After being disfigured by the symbiote corrupted Peter throwing a pumpkin bomb in his face, he becomes an almost gothic monster, reduced to the shadows. That is, until he returns in the third act to save his friends and sacrifice his life in a well-earned emotional beat.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<p>\t6. The Spot \u2013 \u2018Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1296\" height=\"730\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, from left: Miles Morales (voice: Shameik Moore), The Spot (voice: Jason Schwartzman), 2023.\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/The-Spot-MCDSPMA_SP046-H-2026.jpg\" data-lazy- data-lazy-\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing\/Marvel Entertainment\/Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tWhile typically considered a joke of a character who ranks among Spider-Man\u2019s D-list comic villains, The Spot is given both menace and purpose in Across the Spider-Verse. Jason Schwartzman voices the vindictive scientist-turned-supervillain who seeks to become Spider-Man\u2019s (Miles Morales) nemesis by opening dimensional portals and wreaking havoc across the Spider-Verse. The Spot\u2019s power set and monochrome design make him the perfect choice for Across the Spider-Verse\u2019s groundbreaking animation. And with The Spot set to return as the major adversary Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, his status among Spider-Man movie villains will only grow.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<p>\t5. The Prowler \u2013 \u2018Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse\u2019 and \u2018Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1296\" height=\"730\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Prowler (Mahershala Ali) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/SpiderVerse_mkp285.1010_lm_v1-H-2026.jpg\" data-lazy- data-lazy-\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Sony Pictures\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tIn a twist on Peter Parker\u2019s relationship with the saintly Uncle Ben, Miles Morales\u2019 uncle, Aaron Davis, leads a double life as the mercenary, The Prowler. Mahershala Ali provides voice of Miles\u2019 Uncle Aaron and imbues the character with a streetwise toughness that\u2019s only softened by his nephew. He\u2019s both likeable as Aaron Davis, and terrifying as the ruthless Prowler. Davis\u2019 role as the Prowler is the result of losing contact with family and community, rather than an outright desire to be a supervillain. Into the Spider-Verse makes it clear that he\u2019s not a bad guy, but the result of bad choices. In his dying moments, he teaches Miles the importance of moving forward and remaining grounded by the people who care about him. The impact that moment has on Miles makes his encounter with a variant version of Aaron Davis, who has passed his mantle of The Prowler on to his world\u2019s Miles Morales, all the more traumatizing for the young hero who believed that part of his past was behind him.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<p>\t4. Mysterio \u2013 \u2018Spider-Man: Far From Home\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1296\" height=\"730\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Spider-Man: Far From Home, Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio, 2019.\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Mysterio-MCDSPFA_EC012-H-2026.jpg\" data-lazy- data-lazy-\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Columbia Pictures\/Marvel Studios\/Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tQuentin Beck takes center stage in Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019). This adaptation of the character forgoes the Hollywood special effects background. Instead, Beck is a former Stark Industries employee fired by Tony Stark because of his extreme behavior. In gaining access to the drone system Stark left to Peter Parker, Beck as Mysterio, positions himself as a multiversal hero who can fill the void left by the Avengers by stopping threats that he creates. Despite the lack of a Hollywood background, Mysterio isn\u2019t lacking in theatrics as Jake Gyllenhaal based his performance off director Dan Gilroy. Gyllenhaal imbues Mysterio with a pedantic level of expectations for his employees, and a tightly wound attempt at creating the charisma that Stark had, which he obviously lacks. Most importantly, Mysterio puts Spider-Man through the ringer, first pretending to be his mentor and manipulating him, and ultimately revealing his secret identity, an act with ramifications that are still playing out and impacting Peter\u2019s life.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<p>\t3. Vulture \u2013 \u2018Spider-Man: Homecoming\u2019\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1296\" height=\"730\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Spider-Man: Homecoming, Michael Keaton, as The Vulture, 2017.\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Vulture-MCDSPMA_EC033-H-2026.jpg\" data-lazy- data-lazy-\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Columbia Pictures\/Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tMichael Keaton portrays a different kind of Birdman in the first installment of the MCU\u2019s Spider-Man series. As Adrian Toomes aka the Vulture, Keaton creates a working-class villain with a grudge against Stark for putting himself and his crew out of work. With wings put together from alien technology and Stark Industries assets, Vulture steals from Stark\u2019s inventory of weapons, selling to the highest bidder. That is, until Spider-Man interferes. What\u2019s great about the Vulture is that he\u2019s from the same neck of the woods as Peter, scrapping for what he can, and relying on Stark tech to get an edge in a world that doesn\u2019t care about the little guy. There\u2019s a cool, blue collar vibe to him and he certainly has a point about the collateral damage Stark leaves in his wake. Vulture\u2019s standout moment in the film comes when Peter picks up his date, Liz, for homecoming, only to realize that Toomes is her father. On a tense car ride to the dance, Toomes pieces together that Peter is Spider-Man, giving the Vulture a frightening edge and creating a personal stakes for Peter.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<p>\t2. Doc Ock \u2013 \u2018Spider-Man 2\u2019 and \u2018Spider-Man: No Way Home\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1296\" height=\"730\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Spider Man 2, Alfred Molina as Doc Ock, 2004\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Doc-Ock-MCDSPID_EC102-H-2026.jpg\" data-lazy- data-lazy-\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Columbia\/Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tSam Raimi introduced Spider-Man\u2019s second most iconic villain in Spider-Man 2 (2004). Eschewing the bowl cut and inferiority complex, Alfred Molina\u2019s Otto Octavius is a good man, driven mad by his own creation. Rather than controlling the metal arms that are bonded to him in an explosion, the damaged inhibitor chip allows for the artificial intelligence in the extra appendages to take control of him, driving him to crime. But it\u2019s not just money for the sake of money that Ock is after, but money to complete his renewable energy project and prove that his equation wasn\u2019t wrong. In arguably one of the most interesting angles for a cinematic Spider-Man villain, what Otto wants to create through science isn\u2019t a thing of evil, but of ultimate good. Ock speaks directly to Spider-Man 2\u2019s theme of sacrificing, even dreams, to save those around you and live with nobility. But before Otto can achieve redemption, he pushes Spider-Man like never before during the film\u2019s standout train battle and the climatic battle at the wharf. When he returns in No Way Home, he quickly goes from adversary to ally, aiding the Spider-Men in their climatic battle at the Statue of Liberty. While there\u2019s still a desire to see a fully, morally corrupt version of Doc Ock, Molina gives a conscience to one of Spider-Man\u2019s oldest villains.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<p>\t1. Green Goblin \u2013 \u2018Spider-Man\u2019 and \u2018Spider-Man: No Way Home\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1296\" height=\"730\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-hollywoodreporter-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Spider-Man, Willem Dafoe as Green Goblin, 2002\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Green-Goblin-MCDSPID_EC045-H-2026.jpg\" data-lazy- data-lazy-\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Columbia\/Courtesy Everett Collection\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n\tThe OG Spider-Man movie villain is still the best. Willem Dafoe\u2019s Norman Osborn aka Green Goblin set a precedent for comic book movie villains. And while the genre has exploded since 2002, Dafoe\u2019s Osborn remains one of the best portrayals. From disappointed father, and strained industrialist to mad man, Dafoe gives every side of Norman a layered portrayal that\u2019s impossible to look away from. I\u2019m not the first to point out that Dafoe\u2019s facial expressions and distinct voice changes are so great that he didn\u2019t even need the mask, something Spider-Man: No Way Home took to heart. Take the Thanksgiving scene for example. Norman carving the turkey is a sweat-inducing experience. While his loftier plans to rule the city in Spider-Man doesn\u2019t really make much sense, Dafoe\u2019s portrayal of Norman, which feels part schizophrenic and part dementia-addled, erases most concerns about how a costumed villain could logically take over NYC. He\u2019s so good at posing as a mentally feeble elder that you almost believe him when he begs Peter to help him in the film\u2019s finale. In No Way Home, Dafoe escalates Norman\u2019s seeming mental deterioration as well as his manic evil. Right after he sabotages Peter\u2019s plan to cure him, Norman engages Spider-Man in one of his most visceral fights, one in which he laughs while being repeatedly punched in the face. It\u2019s the unexpected nature of Dafoe\u2019s Green Goblin performance that makes him feel truly dangerous and like a threat that Spider-Man can\u2019t reason with in an attempt to bring out his better nature. Cure or no cure, it\u2019s Norman Osborn that feels like the mask and Green Goblin the true face.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\t\tTHR Newsletters<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-tagline  a-font-secondary-italic-s lrv-u-margin-a-00 lrv-u-margin-b-150@mobile-max\">Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day<\/p>\n<p>\t<a class=\"c-button larva  lrv-a-unstyle-button lrv-u-cursor-pointer lrv-u-padding-tb-075 lrv-u-padding-lr-150 lrv-u-border-color-brand-accent lrv-u-border-a-1 a-font-accent-bold-s lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase lrv-u-color-brand-accent u-margin-l-150@tablet\" href=\"https:\/\/cloud.email.hollywoodreporter.com\/signup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\tSubscribe\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\tSign Up<\/p>\n<p>\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t<a class=\"c-logo  lrv-a-glue a-glue--t-n35 u-width-55 u-height-55 u-color-black\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/e\/heat-vision\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tLogo text<br \/>\n\t<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\t\tWEEKLY NEWSLETTER<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-tagline  a-font-accent-s lrv-u-text-align-center\">A scoop-driven, insider view of Hollywood&#8217;s genre and blockbuster movie landscape, led by Borys Kit and Aaron Couch.<\/p>\n<p>\t\tBy providing your information, you agree to our <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.com\/terms-of-use\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Terms of Use<\/a> and our <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.com\/privacy-policy\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tWe use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. \/\/ This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.google.com\/privacy\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.google.com\/terms\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Terms of Service<\/a> apply.\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With the release of &#8216;Spider-Man: Brand New Day,&#8217; The Hollywood Reporter ranks Spidey\u2019s cinematic crooks and creeps \u2014&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1038514,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[9],"tags":[171,65165,415452,71091,415453,887,415454,415455,238444,67,132,68],"class_list":["post-1038513","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-entertainment","tag-spider-man","tag-spider-man-2","tag-spider-man-4","tag-spider-man-across-the-spider-verse","tag-spider-man-brand-new-day","tag-spider-man-far-from-home","tag-spider-man-homecoming","tag-spider-man-no-way-home","tag-united-states","tag-unitedstates","tag-us"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/117200578854483029","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1038513","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1038513"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1038513\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1038514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1038513"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1038513"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1038513"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}