With the announcement that The Amazing Spider-Man will be part one of a trilogy, Spidey fans are already trying to predict who will be the next villain. Of course, all the classics are being discussed but director Marc Webb is toying with the possibility of inventing a new villain or re-inventing a lesser known one.
To assist Mr. Webb with his decision, we’ve put together a list of ten villains that we feel would be well suited for the director’s re-imagining of the webslinger. Join us as we take a look at the ten best villains for The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Please note that the following article does contain spoilers for The Amazing Spider-Man.
The Green Goblin
I’ve included The Green Goblin mainly because that’s what most of the speculation, in regards to the shadowy figure in the post-credits scene of The Amazing Spider-Man, has concluded.
That being said, I think Webb and Marvel would be wise to leave the massive battle with The Green Goblin until the third installment. The fact that Norman Osborn held such a strong presence in the first movie without being seen is one step towards the reveal of his alter ego as the Goblin. The next step, in my opinion, would be to introduce him in the second movie as just plain old Osborn.
Don’t get me wrong, The Green Goblin is a great villain, I just don’t think it’s his time to shine yet.
Jack O’Lantern/Hobgoblin
I think the Hobgoblin would be an exceptional way to further build towards The Green Goblin, especially if they chose to use the Jason Macendale version. Macendale was trained by the CIA before being kicked out for being violent and having a strong lack of morals. He originally worked as Jack O’Lantern before becoming the Hobgoblin.
He was then hired as an assassin by Norman Osborn, before Osborn became the Green Goblin. He craves power, not caring who he double-crosses in order to get it and his total lack of loyalty makes him a perfect foil to Spider-Man. It is also accepted that he was mentally ill for the majority of his time working as the Hobgoblin.
Macendale has masters degrees in both mechanical engineering and physics and used those to improve the Goblin Glider. Even though Raimi’s version of Harry Osborn didn’t please many fans, the scenes where he was on the Goblin Glider were certainly spectacular.
Who knows? Maybe they could even talk Mark Hamill into playing the part.
Shocker
Despite being a high school dropout, Herman Schultz was a brilliant inventor and engineer who made his suit (which can shake off Spidey’s webs) in a prison workshop.
Shocker defeated Spider-Man in their first encounter and using him in the movie would be a great way to show weakness in Spidey. Shocker was also notorious for teaming up with other villains, which could lead to a impressive villain combo that would be very difficult for Spider-Man to deal with.
Scorpion
Formerly a private investigator, Mac Gargan was hired by J. Jonah Jameson to undergo experimental animal-mutation therapy in an effort to defeat Spider-Man. The result of this mutation was Scorpion, a creature with superhuman strength, speed, agility, and reflexes. He can even scale walls. Sounds a lot like Spider-Man when you just list the powers.
Scorpion was stronger than Spidey too, (an acid-shooting tail can do a lot more damage than web-shooters), which would cause Spider-Man to have to be more cunning than he was with the Lizard. Gargon also wants to rid himself of his mutation, providing an extra layer that many villains don’t have.
The main problem with trying to use Scorpion is the fact that Webb hasn’t introduced Jameson into the story yet, so the back story of Scorpion would potentially have to be altered.
Chameleon
Famous for being the first super-villain Spider-Man ever faced, it’s a shame that Chameleon hasn’t been featured in any of the 21st century Spidey movies.
Dmitri Smerdyakov initially uses makeup and costumes to change his appearance but eventually, after becoming the Chameleon, he uses a holographic belt in order to change his appearance at will.
The fact he can change into anyone at any time could lead to some very cool scenes, reminiscent of the Polyjuice Potion scenes in the Harry Potter movies. He can also appear differently to two different people at the same time, upping the ante even more.
Most importantly though, adding in the Chameleon would give Webb a chance to bring back either Martin Sheen or Dennis Leary as one of the Chameleon’s many disguises.
Scorcher
A jet pack and a flame thrower? It’s every 12 year-old boy’s dream and would make for an exceptional foe for Spider-Man.
Steven Hudak was accused of embezzlement when working as a research chemist. He became Scorcher in an effort to get revenge on his former company. This scientific background would make Scorcher a great fit for Webb’s Oscorp-dominated universe. It was also revealed at one point that Scorcher worked as an agent for Norman Osborn.
His costume not only protects him from his own fire, but it makes him more durable against the attacks of Spider-Man. Scorcher also isn’t one of the classic villains (his debut was in 1995) which would allow Webb much more creative control over what the villain would be.
I personally would love to see the direction Webb could take Scorcher.
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