6 Old-School Marvel Villains Spider-Man Should Fight In Prime Video’s Live-Action Show

Even though Spider-Noir is a newer character in Marvel’s history, the upcoming show will likely feature familiar faces and stories from classic Spider-Man eras – the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.

The new Prime Video series will star Nicolas Cage as an older, more rugged version of Ben Reilly, also known as Scarlet Spider. The show is anticipated to include a variety of Spider-Man characters, featuring both familiar faces and new additions.

The trailer for Spider-Noir and other promotional materials have revealed a lot of exciting characters who will appear in the show’s eight episodes. Expect to see unique, noir-style versions of familiar faces like Black Cat, Sandman, Electro, Tombstone, and Silvermane. Molten Man and Mister Negative might also make an appearance.

Most of Spider-Man’s classic enemies featured in this story – everyone except Mister Negative – first appeared decades ago, going all the way back to the 1980s or even earlier. Some of these villains haven’t yet made successful appearances in live-action movies or TV shows.

Considering the characters we already know about, and the fact that we won’t have a complete list until the series comes out, it’s interesting to think about who else might meet Ben Reilly in 1930s New York City.

6. White Dragon

A great villain for Spider-Noir to fight would be White Dragon, a gang leader from Chinatown who first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #184 back in 1978. White Dragon mainly used an old Chinese mask that could shoot flames.

Given the show’s classic, film-noir style – think 1940s detective movies or old pulp novels – it’s likely Spider-Noir will investigate a case from Ben Reilly’s time as a private investigator that leads him to 1930s Chinatown. This would be a perfect chance to introduce the Dragon Lords, the notorious gang led by White Dragon from the Marvel comics.

As a huge Spider-Man fan, I’m really excited about Spider-Noir! From what I’ve gathered, characters like Tombstone and Silvermane will be involved, and it looks like gang warfare is going to be a major part of the story. It seems the creators are building a really detailed criminal underworld, showing all the different kinds of organized crime operating in New York City – it’s going to be fascinating to see how they portray that!

One good approach would be to introduce the Dragon Lords and the White Dragon, as they could be powerful allies against Silvermane in the story.

5. The Enforcers

Spider-Noir’s criminal world could be enriched by including the Enforcers, a group of three hired thugs Spider-Man has battled since their first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #10 back in 1964. Each member brings a unique skill to the team: Fancy Dan is a martial arts expert, Montana is a cowboy who uses a lasso, and Ox provides the brute strength.

Okay, let me tell you about the Enforcers. They’re so Silver Age comic book – all bright costumes and pretty one-dimensional characters. Honestly, they scream the era they were created in. But here’s the thing: I think they have potential. With a little tweaking, they could really thrive in a grittier, more modern setting. It helps that each of them has a counterpart in the Spider-Man Noir universe, and they all work for Norman Osborn, which gives you a fantastic starting point for a darker take on these guys.

Spider-Noir could encounter Montana, Ox, and Fancy Dan as Silvermane’s henchmen. When Ben Reilly inevitably clashes with Silvermane, these thugs – known as the Enforcers – could be sent to stop him. Or, Spider-Noir might find himself helping someone else who is being pursued by the Enforcers.

4. Kangaroo

Okay, so Spider-Noir is doing something really interesting with its villains. It’s not just pulling in the usual suspects with complicated criminal backgrounds – look at Sandman and Electro, they work despite not being classic mob bosses. It got me thinking, they could really play with the rogues gallery and reimagine almost anyone to fit this gritty, noir aesthetic. Seriously, even a character like Kangaroo could be surprisingly effective in this world if they just approached it right.

Frank Oliver, also known as Kangaroo, was an Australian martial artist who trained his legs to be incredibly strong by studying kangaroos. He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #70 and became a regular villain before being killed off in the 1990s and succeeded by a new character using the same name.

As a film buff, I think Kangaroo’s backstory could really use a refresh if they ever brought him to life on screen. But the idea of the character? Totally fits the vibe of something like Spider-Noir. I can easily picture a Spider-Noir version of Kangaroo being an Aussie immigrant struggling to make it in New York, and turning to his amazing kicking skills to work as muscle for a gang. It’s a cool concept that would fit right in!

I’m really excited to see Ben Reilly take on classic Spider-Man villains like Molten Man and Sandman, but I’m hoping his cases aren’t always about super-powered threats. A fight with someone like Kangaroo would be a fun change of pace and a nice break from the usual, you know? It’d show a different side of his detective work.

3. Grizzly

Grizzly, a villain first appearing in The Amazing Spider-Man #139 in 1974, is similar to characters like Kangaroo. Max Markham gained a bear-like armored suit surgically attached to his body, giving him the power to fight Spider-Man – a backstory with parallels to those of villains like Rhino and Scorpion.

You know, as a movie fan, I’ve always found Grizzly to be a really interesting case. While characters like Rhino and Scorpion have stuck around as consistent threats, Grizzly’s story took a different turn. He’s basically become known as a supervillain who just… didn’t make it. Even Marvel seems to acknowledge that! His time with the Legion of Losers feels like a nod to how ineffective he’s been, and honestly, it’s kind of sad – but makes him a compelling character in his own way.

Grizzly isn’t naturally a bad guy, and he’s not solely focused on being a villain. He’s actually helped Spider-Man escape before and has even tried being a hero himself at times. This means he’s played the roles of villain, hero, and something in between.

Nicolas Cage is playing Ben Reilly as a detective who used to be a superhero, but those days are over. This opens the door for Grizzly to appear as an old foe who’s trying to live a normal life after years of losing to Reilly. It would fit with the comic books, where Grizzly is one of Reilly’s past enemies.

2. Carrion

There are several ideas about why Spider-Man is known as Spider-Noir, and it might be more than just a way to separate him from the original Peter Parker. In Marvel comics, Ben Reilly is another hero known as Scarlet Spider – he’s actually a clone of Peter Parker. Created years ago by a villain called the Jackal, Ben eventually became a respected superhero himself.

Given the show’s chosen name for this version of Spider-Man, Nicolas Cage might be playing a Spider-Man clone. This idea seems plausible, especially after the Spider-Noir trailer revealed a heavily disfigured character, likely Cage. That brief shot could be hinting at a cloning storyline.

If Spider-Noir joins Marvel’s Clone Saga, it could bring in a lot of related characters, including Carrion. Carrion isn’t a clone of Spider-Man himself, but of the Jackal – the villain originally responsible for the whole Clone Saga. Because Carrion is decaying, he looks frightening and zombie-like, which would fit perfectly with the shadowy, gritty world of Spider-Noir.

1. Hammerhead

When considering which Marvel Comics villains could appear in Spider-Noir, Hammerhead would be a natural fit. First appearing in The Amazing Spider-Man #113 back in 1972, Hammerhead is a mob boss with a uniquely shaped and incredibly durable head – a head he actually uses as a weapon against Spider-Man.

Hammerhead gains his power through connections and influence within the criminal world. Following a conflict with Doctor Octopus – which Spider-Man got caught in the middle of – Hammerhead became a frequent villain in stories about crime, often battling Spider-Man and Daredevil.

Spider-Noir makes a lot of sense as a character, particularly given his setting. In the comics, Hammerhead develops a 1920s gangster persona—including his clothing and speech—after suffering amnesia. He adopted this style from a poster he saw for an Al Capone film.

Since the Spider-Noir story is set in a time period where Hammerhead’s look and behavior actually fit better than in the original comics, it makes perfect sense that he appears in it.

2026-03-22 18:14