Just One Marvel Villain Changed The Entire Trajectory For Spider-Man in The MCU, And Not Who You Think
Spider-Man’s villains are easily among the most iconic and recognizable in comics and movies alike. Despite the fierce competition, the Green Goblin stands above the rest as his most personal and deadly nemesis. The archnemesis title might be considered the highest esteem for a super villain and Norman Osborn has secured that spot with his litany of depraved crimes. The Green Goblin cemented his place among the pantheon of greatest villains with The Death of Gwen Stacy, a groundbreaking comic that changed comics and super heroes forever. A defining villain across multiple mediums for Spider-Man, The Green Goblin has always been Spider-Man’s most deadly and persistent foe. Willem DaFoe and Tobey Maguire famously portrayed this dynamic in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, and captured a near perfect rendition of the two: a mentor turned villain, and a hero who stands to lose everything he cares about. However, in the MCU, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man doesn’t have a Norman Osborn, not one from his own world at least. Instead a different villain has claimed arch nemesis role by ruining the MCU Spider-Man’s life, causing the death of his loved ones, and betrayed his trust as only a mentor could.
At the start of Spider-Man: Brand New Day Peter Parker’s life was in shambles. We see a Peter Parker with no friends, no family, nothing in his life but Spider-Man. His friends had forgotten him and the most important person in his life, Aunt May, was dead. This dark period was even taking a serious toll on his health. All that suffering and loneliness began with the actions of one manipulative villain: Quentin Beck, Mysterio. A master of illusion, Mysterio has always been one of Spider-Man’s most iconic and long running villains. However, his actions in Spider-Man: Far From Home elevate the MCU version of the character to the highest echelons of villainy.
Mysterio Is Spider-Man’s Archenemy in the MCU
What separates an arch-nemesis from an ordinary super villain is the personal stakes involved. Norman Osborn wasn’t just a costumed villain; he was Peter Parker’s best friend’s father. In many stories, Peter looks up to Norman, inspired by the man he considers a fellow scientist. When Spider-Man learns the truth about the Goblin, he isn’t just fighting against fists and bombs; he is fighting the very sense of betrayal that comes from learning someone you care about has turned their back on you. This relationship makes every battle between the two a deeply personal clash, one where Spider-Man’s very faith in humanity is at risk.
There is no question how well Quentin Beck fits into this role. When Mysterio first appears, he uses his illusions to trick the world into seeing him as a hero, positioning himself as the next Iron Man. His deception is so successful that he even fools SHIELD into helping him partner with Spider-Man. This is simply a ruse to gain Spider-Man’s trust and steal dangerous Stark tech. To achieve his goals, Quentin Beck plays the mentor and steps into the late Tony Stark’s role as a superhero role model for Spider-Man. He presents himself as an experienced hero from another dimension who sees the promise in the young hero. In response, Peter not only reveals his identity, but bears his soul to Mysterio. It’s a gut-wrenching moment when the twist is revealed and Peter learns the truth. This type of betrayal directly parallels Peter learning Norman Osborn is the Green Goblin. Just like Osborn, Beck lies to Peter’s face and uses the boy’s trusting nature against him. Even Mysterio’s powers of illusion are a metaphor for these lies and manipulations, making Peter forever doubt his own judgement.
Mysterio Directly Changed Peter’s MCU Story
Mysterio dies at the end of Far From Home, shot by one of his own malicious drones. The mid-credit scene that follows shows one last trick that the villain had in store: leaking footage to news outlets revealing Spider-Man’s secret identity to the world. The repercussions of this are immediately picked up in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Peter’s attempts to undo what Mysterio did lead to a cadre of supervillains being set loose, ultimately culminating with Doctor Strange casting a spell making everyone forget Peter Parker, including MJ and Ned.
Ned is Spider-Man’s biggest fan and Peter’s closest friend. MJ is not only his love interest, but she’s the rock that keeps him centered when being a hero overwhelms him. In order to save the world and fix what Mysterio had done, Peter has to sacrifice all of that and allow them to forget he ever existed.
In Brand New Day we see the devastating effect this has had on Peter, turning him into a depressed recluse. The isolation is so severe that it impacts Peter’s health, and he begins a terrifying transformation that he must struggle against throughout the film. While it’s easy to blame this on Peter or Doctor Strange for using magic in the first place, this all stems from Peter trying to undo the damage that Mysterio did. The damage Mysterio dealt to Peter was so profoundly life-altering that he is still battling the fallout two films later. This is the kind of torment the Green Goblin could only dream of inflicting on Spider-Man. While Brand New Day ends on an optimistic note, Peter still has a long way to go to rebuild his relationship with his loved ones.
With Great Power Comes Great Loss
It’s worth addressing the goblin in the room. In No Way Home, Green Goblin himself enters the MCU. Before the final act he has killed Aunt May and irrevocably changed Spider-Man’s life forever. It’s a shocking and devastating moment, and for most would cement Norman as Peter’s arch-enemy. While it’s true that Norman is responsible for his own actions, it can’t be ignored that he would never have been there to begin with if it wasn’t for Mysterio. Mysterio’s actions knocked over the first domino that would build up to Goblin’s arrival and Aunt May’s death. The Green Goblin may have her blood on his hands, but this version of Norman Osborn was a wild dog, ready to bite at any hand that fed him; and notably, he’s not even from this universe. This Norman never would have found himself present if Mysterio had not unleashed Spider-Man’s identity to the world.
At worst, Goblin and Mysterio share responsibility for Aunt May’s murder. Compound her death with how Mysterio altered Spider-Man’s entire life’s trajectory; not a single other MCU villain has come close to impacting the hero to this degree. The Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming has kept Peter’s secret to himself, and Brand New Day’s villain ended the film as a friend of Peter’s, not an enemy. Even when considering the death of Aunt May, it’s clear that Mysterio is the MCU Spider-Man’s arch-nemesis.
