I was very excited to see Marvel Studios’ upcoming Spider-Man 4 finally get a release date, and I think I’ve worked out which villain will be featured in the sequel because of its placement in Phase 6 of the MCU. Tom Holland’s Peter Parker has become one of the most important figures in the MCU since his debut in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. I’ve loved watching him grow into an independent and mature hero, especially after the emotional events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which set up exciting new stories for the titular wall-crawler.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton has been hired to direct Spider-Man 4, which is now scheduled to be released on July 24, 2026. These huge updates have me full of anticipation for Spider-Man 4, particularly since it’s now been three years since Tom Holland’s Peter Parker was seen in the MCU, which is the longest time we’ve gone without Spider-Man on our screens since his debut. I reckon Spider-Man 4 will be Peter Parker’s biggest MCU adventure yet, thanks to the possible appearance of one formidable supervillain.

Spider-Man 4’s Release Date Makes Me Think Doctor Doom Will Return As The Villain

Spider-Man 4 Will Release In The MCU’s Phase 6

Spider-Man 4’s new release date means that it will be premiering only two months after the release of Avengers: Doomsday, which is set to debut Robert Downey Jr. as the MCU’s Doctor Doom. I can’t wait to see Downey Jr. back in the MCU, and I would love for him to appear in more projects that just Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars a year later. While some have speculated that Doctor Doom will be appearing in The Fantastic Four: First Steps in 2025, I would also love to see him battle Peter Parker in Spider-Man 4.

There are several villains that have already been rumored to be appearing among Spider-Man 4’s upcoming cast. While I’d appreciate Spider-Man 4 pitting Peter Parker against Kingpin or Norman Osborn in a street-level story, I reckon a multiversal project featuring villains such as the Spot, Spider-Man 2099, or No Way Home’s returning foes could also be great. Doctor Doom’s inclusion would strike the perfect balance between these two opposing narratives, telling an intimate and personal villain vs. hero storyline while also advancing the MCU’s Multiverse Saga.

Doctor Doom & Spider-Man’s Marvel Comics History Explained

Spider-Man Has Battled Doctor Doom Many Times In Marvel Comics

Somewhat surprisingly, the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has battled Victor Von Doom on many occasions in Marvel Comics, setting a huge precedent for Doctor Doom to appear in Spider-Man 4 opposite Tom Holland’s Peter Parker. Doctor Doom and Spider-Man first crossed paths in 1963’s The Amazing Spider-Man #5 after Doom watched a documentary on Spider-Man’s criminality that had been bank-rolled by J. Jonah Jameson. It’s possible this hilarious storyline could actually be adapted for the MCU, as Jameson has a vendetta against Spider-Man in live-action, too.

Both Spider-Man and Doctor Doom made their Marvel Comics debuts in 1962. Doctor Doom appeared first in July 1962’s The Fantastic Four #5 , while Spider-Man appeared in August’s Amazing Fantasy #15 .

Since it’s obvious to everyone that Doctor Doom is an Avengers-level threat, Spider-Man has made various attempts over the years to actively avoid getting into conflict with the Latverian ruler. Much to everyone’s entertainment, however, this hasn’t stopped them from sparring many times. These occasional battles have mostly downplayed Doom’s power, and have seen him show little more than annoyance in the face of Spider-Man’s witty and sometimes-childish comments. I’d love to see this dynamic play out in Spider-Man 4.

Doctor Doom tried to recruit Spider-Man to his cause in the 1960s, fought alongside him against the amalgamation of Professor X and Magneto’s darkest sides, Onslaught, in the 1990s, and plays a major role in 2007’s Spider-Man: One More Day event, as Peter Parker approaches him for help in saving Aunt May. I’m mainly reminded of Marvel Comics’ Secret Wars from 2015, however, which saw Spider-Man battle Doctor Doom on Battleworld after incursions ravaged the multiverse. It seems very likely this story will be explored in the MCU’s Phase 6, which is a thrilling prospect.

Why Doctor Doom Would Be A Great Villain For Spider-Man 4

Robert Downey Jr. & Tom Holland Could Reunite In Spider-Man 4

There has been some dispute about whether it would be better for Marvel Studios and Sony to tell a street-level or multiversal story in Spider-Man 4. As part of the Multiverse Saga, I assumed the latter would be the better option, while Spider-Man: No Way Home actually set up a more intimate and lower-stakes adventure for the newly-anonymous Spider-Man. I think bringing Doctor Doom into Spider-Man 4 as an antagonist would be a fantastic way to bridge this gap and explore both stories, as Doctor Doom may pose a small-scale problem for Spider-Man while advancing his multiverse-reaching plans.

Perhaps the best reasoning I can think of for Doctor Doom to appear in Spider-Man 4 is to reunite Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Holland on-screen. The pair previously brought the strong bond between Tony Stark and Peter Parker to life, contributing to some of the MCU’s most emotional moments, and I’m one of many who would love to see this revived, though now with the twist of Downey Jr. portraying a terrifying villain. Spider-Man 4 has the perfect opportunity to connect Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, while developing a new connection between Spider-Man and Doctor Doom.