Michael Mando is officially back for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and now the actor is fueling speculation that this time around, he’ll be suiting up as Scorpion.
On Instagram, Mando posted a series of teases that strongly suggest his villainous turn is about to get serious.
Scorpion Teased in New Instagram Stories
One image shows Mando in a black-and-white mirror selfie, highlighting a prominent tattoo on his neck, similar to the scorpion ink seen in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Another story featured a close-up of a classic Marvel Legends Scorpion action figure still in its retro Spider-Man animated series packaging.
He also shared comic artwork showing Scorpion and Venom trapped in webs, and capped it all off with a bold red “ST!NG” graphic. No captions were added, but the message seems clear: Mac Gargan is going full Scorpion.
First Introduced in Homecoming
Mando first appeared as Mac Gargan in Homecoming back in 2017.
Fans speculated he was being set up as a future villain in a Sinister Six-style arc after his prison encounter with Michael Keaton’s Vulture, but nothing ever materialized—until now.
With Brand New Day embracing a darker, street-level direction, and with multiple villains already tied to the plot, it looks like Marvel is finally pulling the trigger on Gargan’s transformation.
Villain Roster Building
The movie is shaping up to feature an intense roster of grounded characters.
Jon Bernthal is back as the Punisher, Mark Ruffalo returns as what’s rumored to be Savage Hulk, and there’s heavy speculation about other villains showing up, including Lady Chameleon, Tombstone, Boomerang, and Tarantula.
Steven Yeun and Sara Snook are also rumored to be playing unknown roles.
Release Info
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is currently filming in Glasgow and at Pinewood Studios.
The film is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Sadie Sink, and Liza Colón-Zayas. It hits theaters July 31, 2026.
