Top 5 Spider-Man Villains That Should Hit The Big Screen

The Spider-Man comics have run since the 1960s, and in that time the webhead has faced up against many great (and not so great) villains. With the recent reboot to the film franchise, there is the possibility to add in some of Spidey’s greatest but perhaps less appreciated foes.

5. Carnage

Carnage is perhaps Spider-Man’s most psychotic enemy, and was dangerous long before becoming host to the alien symbiote (and spawn of Venom) that gave him his powers. Before even becoming Carnage, Cletus Kasady had killed his own family and others, racking up a significant body count which resulted in his imprisonment. In prison he met Eddie Brock, otherwise known as Venom, and this resulted in Cletus getting a symbiote of his own. This just enabled him to perfect the art of killing, and Carnage has lived up to his name since.

His ‘father’, Venom, appeared in Spider-Man 3 and was played by Topher Grace, but the reboot of the franchise would mean that a new Venom would need to be created before Carnage could be a possibility. With rumours that Venom may at least be mentioned in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, seeing Carnage in a film may not be far off.

Who could play him?: Robert Knepper

4. Shocker

Preferring extortion and theft to world domination, Herman Schultz AKA Shocker, is not one of Spider-Man’s ‘classiest’ villains. So it’s no surprise he normally ends up being quickly defeated by Spider-Man, unsurprisingly making him very frustrated with the wall crawler.

Shocker would work well in a film as he requires very little explanation. He is a fairly generic villain; an unlikely genius who invented a pair of shockwave-blasting gloves that he used to crack safes. While perhaps not meaty enough to work as a main villain, as a supporting character he could work, especially in a potential Sinister Six story.

Who could play him?: Kevin Durand

3. Kraven the Hunter

Kraven the Hunter has forever had his eyes on the greatest prize: Spider-Man. And yet his quarry has always been out of reach, even after increasing his strength using secret jungle potions.

Spider-Man is often seen as a villain in the media of New York, pushed in part by Daily Bugle editor James Jonah Jameson and his militant hatred of the hero. The addition of Kraven and his public hunt for Spider-Man could set the theme of the hero’s relationship with the people of New York.

It also reflects the very real relationship with reality television that people have these days, and the fascination with the macabre. With Kraven trying to hunt and kill Spider-Man on live television, the film could be about the wall-crawlers fight to save New York from themselves, and to show them the error of their ways.

Kraven is also related to another villain, Chameleon, as well as Calypso, so there is the potential to weave more villains into the same film.

Who could play him?: Mads Mikkelsen

2. Scorpion 

Scorpion represents what Spider-Man could be if he embraced the villainous side of superpowers. Mac Gargan was engineered under J.J Jameson’s orders to ultimately kill Spider-Man. Scorpion aimed to do just that, but also wanted revenge against Jameson for making him a monster. This forced Spider-Man to protect the editor despite being one of his enemies. It was yet another test of Spider-Man’s conscience, and his constant refusal to give in to revenge is what makes him a hero.

A film involving Scorpion could highlight the relationship between Jameson and Spider-Man, and show the extremity of Jameson’s hatred for him. Spider-Man saving Jameson from his own creation would cause the editor to reflect on his feelings towards the hero.

Mac Gargan also later becomes the third Venom, so there is a potential to tie him into that storyline too.

Who could play him?: Gerard Butler

1. Mysterio

Of all the villains on this list, Mysterio is the one that would be most difficult to get right, but also has the most potential. The villain uses a range of equipment to create illusions and hallucinations that make him more of a mental adversary rather than a physical one. This makes him particularly interesting, as it would force Spider-Man to fight very differently, showing his resourcefulness and intelligence.

Mysterio’s costume however, might not translate very well to the Amazing Spider-Man film universe without being changed. Marc Webb’s first film set a somewhat dark tone for the series, and Mysterio’s somewhat camp appearance would clash with that. However, the Ultimate comics version depicted a more modern version of the character that might work better.

Who could play him?: John Malkovich