6 Villains We Know Are Returning to Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Why

What Happened to Green Goblin in the Spider-Man Movies?

The Green Goblin is one of Spider-Man's most iconic villains, so it's no wonder he was chosen as the very first on-screen antagonist in the Sam Raimi/Tobey Maguire Spider-Man series back in 2002. In his civilian life, he's Norman Osborn, the morally murky industrialist and head of Oscorp, a science research and chemical company, as well as the father of Peter Parker's best friend, Harry. After testing a serum on himself, the Green Goblin personality develops and takes over, turning him into a supervillain who battles Spider-Man in a quest for pure power. He accidentally causes his own death during a battle with Spider-Man, but his death drives his son Harry to eventually take on the Green Goblin mantle and seek revenge, especially after discovering that Peter is Spider-Man.

A version of the Green Goblin also appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man series with Andrew Garfield, with Dane DeHaan playing a version of Harry, who became the supervillain after taking an experimental serum.

Why Is Green Goblin in Spider-Man: No Way Home?

In the trailers for No Way Home, Dafoe's voice is clear as the Green Goblin addresses Tom Holland's version of Peter Parker. "Peter, you're struggling to have everything you want while the world makes you choose," he taunts. While the Dafoe version of the character is visible (and audible), there's also a blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot of another Green Goblin zooming in on a hoverboard — so perhaps one of the Harry Osborns is making a secret return too?

What Happened to Doc Ock in Spider-Man 2?

Arguably the most iconic of the on-screen Spidey villains so far, Doc Ock made his first appearance in Spider-Man 2. Dr. Otto Octavius actually starts as an ally and mentor to Peter Parker, encouraging him in science. However, when a lab accident fuses robotic tentacles to his body, their artificial intelligence turns him into a man obsessed with completing his research at all costs. Spider-Man tries to stop him as his research becomes more and more dangerous, and in the end, Octavius overcomes the tentacles' power and puts an end to his own villainy.

Why is Doc Ock in Spider-Man: No Way Home?

Judging by the trailers for No Way Home, it certainly looks like Doc Ock will have a particularly large role to play in the story. The second trailer shows him seemingly captured by Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and their friends, and he almost immediately realizes, when he's fighting this Spider-Man, that this isn't the same hero he battled before.

What Happened to Sandman in Spider-Man 3?

Sandman, aka Flint Marko, showed up as one of three villains in Spider-Man 3, the last of the Tobey Maguire trilogy. In that continuity, he's revealed to be the petty criminal who killed Uncle Ben during a carjacking gone wrong. On the run from police after escaping, he falls into a particle accelerator that fuses his body with sand, giving him the ability to reform his body as literal sand. Peter goes after him after discovering his link to Uncle Ben's death, and although he's nearly killed, he survives and allies with Venom to take down Spider-Man.

After the final battle, Marko apologizes to Peter and explains that Uncle Ben's death was an accident; Marko had become a robber to pay for his young daughter's surgery, and he never meant to hurt anyone. Peter forgives him and allows him to escape.

Why Is Sandman in Spider-Man: No Way Home?

Sandman is only seen briefly in the No Way Home trailers, most visibly as a gigantic, sentient cloud of sand with a face. It's unclear how this fits into his story or why he's back as a villain after his exit in Spider-Man 3.

What Happened to the Lizard in The Amazing Spider-Man?

The Lizard was the antagonist for Andrew Garfield's first movie as Spider-Man, The Amazing Spider-Man. Initially, he's Dr. Curt Connors, an Oscorp scientist specializing in cross-species genetics who allows Peter to help him on a regenerative serum project. Unfortunately, Connors is forced to rush the serum, and in testing it on himself, he accidentally transforms himself into a violent human-lizard hybrid. Spider-Man tries to stop him. They repeatedly battle until Peter and Gwen Stacy release an antidote that returns him to normal, but not before the Lizard kills Gwen's father. He's sent to prison, where he encounters a shadowy figure asking if Peter knows the truth about his parents.

Why Is the Lizard in Spider-Man: No Way Home?

The fact that the Lizard is back in fighting, villainous form isn't the surprising part about his appearance in No Way Home. What's notable is that Doctor Strange tells Peter that all of the returning villains were fated to die at Spider-Man's hands. The problem is, as far as we know, the Lizard was defeated and imprisoned alive, not killed, making Strange's statement especially intriguing.

What Happened to Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2?

Electro begins as a mild-mannered electrician named Max Dillon, who Spider-Man saves before he becomes one of his most dangerous foes. Like so many of Spider-Man's villains, he works for Oscorp, where an accident transforms him into a human generator. After he accidentally causes a blackout, Spider-Man stops him, and he gets sent to a German institute to be "studied." Harry Osborn breaks him out before he slowly transforms into the Green Goblin, and they team up against Spider-Man. Peter and Gwen defeat Electro by overloading him with electricity.

Why Is Electro in Spider-Man: No Way Home?

Electro is seen in the No Way Home trailer, but with a noticeably different appearance. Instead of his electric-blue appearance from The Amazing Spider-Man 2, he looks just like his normal, human self, just with radiating bolts of lightning.

What Happened to J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man: Far From Home?

To be fair, Jameson isn't exactly a "villain" in the traditional sense of the word, but in his latest iteration in the MCU version of Spider-Man, he's definitely more of an antagonist than he's ever been. Originally appearing in the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man trilogy, the Daily Bugle editor and general anti-superhero guy arrived in the MCU in the stinger of Spider-Man: Far from Home. Now revamped in the vein of real-life polarizing media figures, he's the one who shares Mysterio's doctored "death" video and reveals that Spider-Man is Peter Parker.

Why Is J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man: No Way Home?

Jameson is definitely in No Way Home, although he probably won't be nearly as big a threat as the literal supervillains from other timelines.