Spider-Man: Brand New Day Set Photos Reveal Return Of Marvel Villain After 8 Years

Few may remember him, but the character Mac Gargan (Michael Mando) was one of the many criminals apprehended in the 2017 Marvel Cinematic Universe film "Spider-Man: Homecoming." Peter Parker aka Spider-Man (Tom Holland) spots him on the deck of a large ship, hoping to engage in an illegal arms deal. According to Peter's in-ear crime computer, Mac Gargan had an extensive criminal record that includes homicide. Mac had hoped to buy some alien-derived weapons tech (left over after the events of 2012's "The Avengers") to use in his criminal enterprises. Peter, of course, interrupts the sale, leading to a fight with the Vulture (Michael Keaton) that results in Mac being foiled, eventually apprehended by the authorities, and then thrown into prison.

One might notice that Mac had a large scorpion tattoo on his neck. This is a playful reference to Mac Gargan in Marvel's comic books becoming a high-tech, super-strong, twisted supervillain called the Scorpion. Mac Gargan doesn't play a major role in "Homecoming," but he is one of the central Spider-Man villains in Marvel canon. He also appears in one of the "Homecoming" credits scenes, in which he confronts the Vulture in prison, demanding to know Spider-Man's secret identity. It's a cute tease, implying that Mac Gargan will evolve fully into the Scorpion in a future "Spider-Man" film.

That promise will finally be fulfilled in Destin Daniel Cretton's upcoming movie, "Spider-Man: Brand New Day." Some photos from the set of Cretton's MCU film (which are available to view on the Twitter/X account @MyTimeToShineH) clearly show Mando at work, sporting the same bald head as he did in "Homecoming." The Scorpion is coming back, as was previously reported.

In light of the multiverse story featured in "Spider-Man: No Way Home," it's unclear if this version of Mac Gargan will be the same one seen in "Homecoming" or some kind of variant. At the end of "No Way Home," the world's memories of Spider-Man were erased, so Gargan should no longer be holding a grudge. Who is to say how the Scorpion will be presented in "Brand New Day." Will he be a criminal with a tattoo? A full-blown supervillain with a high-tech mechanical scorpion suit? At this point, we can only speculate. 

The Mac Gargan character first appeared in Spider-Man comics way back in 1964. There, he was a private investigator hired by J. Jonah Jameson to find out how Peter Parker kept getting such good photos of Spider-Man. Impatient, Jameson also enlisted Gargan to undergo a super-strength procedure that granted him a scorpion's predatory instincts. Outfitted with scorpion armor, he became one of Spider-Man's better known villains; a fellow arachnid for Peter to fight. Since the character is so old, he has gone through multiple iterations over the years, including briefly serving as the host to the Venom symbiote. As a villain, he's proven to be reliable for over 60 years. It makes sense that the character should return to the ever-widening MCU.

Since "Homecoming," actor Mando has appeared in the film "The Hummingbird Project" and the action movie "King Ivory." More notably, he played the character Nacho Varga in the "Breaking Bad" spin-off "Better Call Saul." He'll also play a role in the upcoming Charlie Hunnam TV show "Criminal," itself based on a Marvel/Image Comics series (though it's not part of the MCU).

"Spider-Man: Brand New Day" opens in theaters on July 31, 2026.