Just when it seemed Spider-Man: Brand New Day‘s villain roster couldn’t get more crowded, a new official TV spot has added another name, and it’s a deep cut.
The footage gives a brief first look at Ramrod, an obscure cyborg villain, in a shot that recreates a classic Spider-Man comic cover.
A Blink-And-You’ll-Miss-It Comic Homage
The spot shows Spider-Man, in his classic suit, sending a metallic-armed man crashing headfirst into a brick wall, a scene that lasts barely a second but is unmistakably a recreation of the cover of The Amazing Spider-Man #221 (1981), “The Rage of Ramrod.”
It continues director Destin Daniel Cretton’s pattern of staging villain moments as direct homages to classic Spider-Man comic covers, following similar nods to Tarantula and Boomerang in earlier footage.
Who Is Ramrod?
If you don’t recognize the name, you’re not alone. Ramrod is one of Spider-Man’s more obscure foes.
In the comics, he’s a former construction worker who was transformed into a powerful cyborg enforcer after an accident, originally introduced as a Daredevil villain. He’s a brute-force type with superhuman strength, speed, and durability, which explains how he can crack a brick wall with his own head. No elaborate schemes, just smashing.
As for who’s under the cyborg exterior, that’s still unconfirmed. Reports have suggested Billy Clements may be playing Ramrod, but Marvel and Sony have not officially announced the casting.
Part Of The Movie’s Opening Villain Montage
Ramrod almost certainly isn’t a major threat.
The prevailing expectation is that he’s part of a fast-paced opening montage showing how Spider-Man has kept New York safe in the four years since No Way Home, a sequence packed with quick fights against lower-tier villains like Boomerang and Tarantula, each staged as a comic homage.
It’s a clever way to show time passing and Peter’s experience growing, while packing in fan-favorite deep cuts.
Just How Many Villains Are In This Movie?
Ramrod’s addition underscores just how stacked Brand New Day‘s rogues’ gallery is.
The confirmed and reported lineup now includes Michael Mando’s Scorpion, Marvin Jones III’s Tombstone, the rumored Tarantula and Boomerang, the street-ninja army of the Hand, and the all-important mystery villain played by Sadie Sink — the “threat no one can even see” at the center of the plot.
That’s before factoring in Jon Bernthal’s Punisher and Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, who sit on the morally gray side of the ledger.
It’s an enormous amount to juggle, but the montage structure helps: deep cuts like Ramrod get their one-shot comic-accurate moment, while the real story stays focused on the hidden villain and Peter’s own transformation.
For everything we know about the movie, check our Spider-Man: Brand New Day guide. The film swings into theaters July 31, 2026.
