Which members of the Sinister Six could we see in Spider-Man: No Way Home and who’s the best of them?
After Spider-Man defeated Doctor Octopus one too many times, the villain came up with a plan. He’d recruit five of Spidey’s worst enemies and they would team up against him. Doc Ock brought Sandman, Kraven the Hunter, Electro, Mysterio, and the Vulture together to defeat their foe. However, they were all defeated by Spider-Man because they decided to fight him individually.
This wouldn’t be the only time a Sinister Six was brought together and there were different members as well over the years. Characters like Rhino, Mac Gargan, and Shocker have all been members. There’s even been a Sinister 12 brought together by Norman Osborn.
It’s been all but confirmed that some variation of the Sinister Six will appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home. We know that Alfred Molina and Jamie Foxx will reprise their roles as Spidey villains from previous Spider-Man movies. It’s looking very likely that Willem Dafoe will return as Norman Osborn and there have also been rumors that Sandman and the Lizard will return as well. That’s five of the Sinister Six. The final spot could go to any number of Spidey villains we’ve seen in the movie. Among them are the Vulture (Michael Keaton), Mac Gargan (Michael Mando), and even the return of Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio.
In every super-team dynamic, there’s going to be a hierarchy. In this article, this writer will rank the members of the Sinister Six that may appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home. They’ll be judged by more than their powers. We’re going by accomplishments in films, relevance, and importance to the team dynamic. Moreover, there will be more than six since we don’t know who will and won’t appear.
9. Rhino
It’s a longshot, but a possibility. Paul Giamatti played Aleksei Sytsevich in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. We didn’t get to see a final fight between him and Andrew Garfield’s Spidey and it’s a shame. Spider-Man: No Way Home may correct that mistake.
The Rhino is one of Spidey’s strongest enemies and prone to causing damage. Having the character appear in any movie means a lot of property damage. The problem with him is that he lacks depth. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, your villains have to have some kind of depth. Rhino doesn’t add much to the movie and added even less in his movie debut.
8. Mac Gargan
Michael Mando made a very brief appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming as Mac Gargan. It was enough to let us know that he was someone to be feared. In the Marvel Comics 616 universe, Mac is never taken seriously. Spidey once described him as someone who throws his butt at you. It’s a different story in the Ultimate Universe. There, he was a man people were terrified of. An enhanced human that used a chain and hook to kill his opponents.
The Ultimate Universe version seemed to be the way this was going. While this writer would love this version, it wouldn’t fit well with the colorful group of monsters that Spidey will face. Seeing Mando in a Scorpion suit would be a waste of his talent. This is someone better suited for the Sony Spider-Man Universe. Especially since he was probably in jail for murder and gang charges.
7. Electro
Electro’s appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was subpar, especially considering the actor who portrayed him. Jamie Foxx is an award winning performer. He could have taken the character to new heights. Instead, the character was just a lackey.
His obsession with Spider-Man wasn’t a bad idea. However, they ruined it by adding the Green Goblin to the mix. He could and should have been a solo villain.
The positives that Electro added was power. Despite not liking how he was used, Foxx’s Electro was good at being a henchman. He did most of the work and kept Spidey on the ropes throughout the movie. This writer fully expects him to be better in Spider-Man: No Way Home than he was in his previous appearance.
6. Sandman
Flint Marko is a sympathetic character in the comic books. Sometimes he’s a villain, but he’s become less of that over the years. Spider-Man 3 did a good job of adding that to the movie. He was actually one of the few things that people didn’t complain about, especially when he turned into sand and fought.
If Sandman is in Spider-Man: No Way Home, he’s going to shine. We’re going to see everything that he’s capable of. This writer wonders how Doc Ock will talk Flint into helping him. Most likely with a lie about getting him back to his own Earth.
5. Lizard
The Lizard is another villain that fans are convinced is in the trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home. There may be no clear picture of him (and Rhys Ifans’ presence in the movie remains unconfirmed), but that dark silhouette did look like the version we saw in Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man.
The Lizard was an interesting choice for a villain in the 2012 film. Nonetheless, he worked. In fact, he was actually portrayed as being somewhat smarter than his comic book counterpart. Because of this, if he does appear in the upcoming Spidey movie, he would add a lot more to the Sinister Six than just being another goon with powers. Plus, when he’s Curt Connors, he’s even smarter.
The combination of Connors and Otto Octavius would be fascinating. Although, we can guess that Otto would likely betray him when he’s outlived his usefulness.
4. Vulture
Without his tech, Adrian Toomes is a senior citizen that can “float” for a short amount of time. Now, with his Vulture gear, he’s vicious. Very vicious. He can seem like a joke, but he’s ripped Spider-Man apart more than a few times. Moreover, the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of him is so much more of a compelling villain.
Michael Keaton turned Adrian Toomes into a villain with a cause. Everything he did was for his family, and thus, he was dedicated. It also caused him to be more ruthless when he was tested.
If he does return in No Way Home, hopefully he returns to help Peter rather than hurt him. That is unless he doesn’t know who he is anymore.
3. Norman Osborn
Norman Osborn is the writer’s favorite Spider-Man villain in both the comic books and the movies. But is he coming back in Spider-Man: No Way Home? Well, it seems that way.
We first saw the pumpkin bomb and heard his classic Green Goblin laugh. For many of us, that was enough to get excited. He then resurfaced on two of the movie’s official poster.
For the Sinister Six, the addition of Norman Osborn is not going to work out well. For fans, though, it’s going to turn out brilliantly.
Norman doesn’t work well with others. If he wasn’t crazy, he’d be a great leader and team-player. Too bad he has the Goblin Serum in his blood. Otto will be in charge for the most part and Norman will follow his lead. That is until Otto comes between him and unhealthy obsession with Spider-Man.
2. Mysterio
Quentin Beck hit Spider-Man and Peter Parker harder than anyone has. And we’re not just talking physically (although, he did). Mysterio didn’t achieve his goal, but he ultimately got the last laugh when he revealed to the world that Peter Parker was Spider-Man. If that wasn’t bad enough, the world now thinks Spidey is a murderer.
It may seem doubtful that Mysterio will appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but it’s possible. The villain is the master of illusions. For all we know, he could be alive. Actually, do we know that the villains we’re seeing are actually real? They could all be created by Beck.
1. Otto Octavius
Otto Octavius was the creator of the original Sinister Six. If the one we see in Spider-Man: No Way Home is anything like the comic books, he’ll be the one who brings the team together. The clip of Alfred Molina’s villain saying, “Hello, Peter” in the trailer was singled out for a reason. They could have gone with Norman Osborn as the Green Goblin. He’s the villain that everyone has wanted to see Tom Holland’s webslinger fight. Instead, they went with Otto.
Doctor Octopus isn’t as accomplished and rich as Norman Osborn. Nor has he accomplished the things that some of the other members of the Sinister Six have in their individual movies. What he has over them is brain and the ability to maintain his sanity.
Despite being controlled by his mechanical arms, Otto always keeps it together. He never lets his emotions get the best of him. He has an objective and strategically completes it. If the version we see here is anything like Molina’s character in Spider-Man 2, then Peter is in more trouble than he’s been since Thanos.
Otto will be the biggest part of the Sinister Six. As this writer mentioned earlier, he and the Green Goblin might clash over their attempts to take down Spidey. Before that happens, though, Doctor Octopus will bring them together to take on their greatest foes: The Spider-Man of each of their dimensions, right?
For all of this, and how formidable a villain he was in Spider-Man 2, Octavius the most important member of the Sinister 6.
What do you think? How would you rank the possible members of the Sinister 6? Let us know in the comments below.