A very exciting MCU theory suggests one Spider-Man: Brand New Day actor might be playing two different villains. The start of a second trilogy for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, Brand New Day is the next MCU film to be released. While plot details are currently slim, some recent reveals have led to some pretty exciting theories.
One big theory involves the confirmed return of actor Michael Mando as Mac Gargan. Despite not making an appearance since 2017, it seems the MCU is finally going to pay off Spider-Man: Homecoming’s post-credit scene, where Gargan was planning revenge against Spider-Man. However, the MCU supervillain Mando’s Gargan is expected to become may only be part of the equation.
Michael Mando Is Set To Return As Mac Gargan, The Scorpion
In 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, Michael Mando played Mac Gargan, an unhinged and violent criminal seeking to buy advanced Chitauri and Ultron-based weapons from Michael Keaton’s Vulture and his crew.
Thanks to the reckless intervention of Spider-Man, the weapons deal was interrupted, and Gargan himself received significant injuries to the side of his face. Ending up in the custody of the FBI and ultimately imprisoned, the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming confirmed that Gargan was planning revenge on Spider-Man from behind bars.
Now, Gargan is set to return 9 years later in 2026’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the big presumption being that Spider-Man will be his number-one target.
Likewise, it’s also assumed that Gargan will finally adopt his classic “Scorpion” alias from the original Marvel Comics, utilizing a dangerous set of armor with a deadly prehensile tail. However, it’s possible that Mando’s role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day may be bigger than just an evolution into Scorpion.
Why Mando’s Role May Go Beyond Scorpion In Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Following the confirmation that Michael Mando would be returning in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Mando himself teased his Scorpion return via a handful of images on Instagram.
Beyond posting some images of his classic Mac Gargan look from the makeup chair, Mando also posted a couple of images of Scorpion from the original comics. The first was a close-up of the comics’ Mac Gargan in his classic green Scorpion suit, albeit with Venom’s black symbiote tendrils preparing to envelop him.
The second comic image features both Mac Gargan as Scorpion, but also his version of Venom. In the comics, the Venom symbiote left Eddie Brock and briefly chose Gargan as its new host due to their shared hatred for Spider-Man, just before the Webslinger’s big continuity reboot that coincidentally took place in the One More Day/Brand New Day storylines.
Keeping that in mind, the teaser images posted by Michael Mando do make one wonder if the MCU’s Mac Gargan may also become an all-new live-action Venom in Spider-Man: Brand New Day (not just Scorpion alone).
What A New Venom Could Mean For Spider-Man: Brand New Day (And The MCU’s Future)
There had long been hopes that Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures would eventually bring Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and Tom Hardy’s Venom together on screen. However, perhaps they’re now looking to use the Mac Gargan version of Venom instead with Michael Mando.
An evolution from Scorpion to Venom halfway through Spider-Man: Brand New Day could be very exciting. However, the fact that Avengers: Secret Wars is on the horizon in 2027, could make things even more exciting if Venom is indeed involved.
The original 1984 Secret Wars comics event ends with Spider-Man’s discovery of a black substance that becomes his new suit. Taking it home with him, this was ultimately revealed to be the origin of the Venom symbiote. This led to Spider-Man’s rejection of the suit after it corrupted him, Eddie Brock bonding with Venom, and a series of alternate hosts like Gargan.
When and if the MCU’s Gargan becomes both Scorpion and Venom in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it could easily fulfill two big dreams.
The first would be an epic Spider-Man/Venom fight in the MCU, their first live-action brawl since 2007’s Spider-Man 3. The second would be Tom Holland’s Peter Parker potentially getting his hands on the Venom symbiote suit in Brand New Day’s aftermath, allowing him to don his iconic black suit in Avengers: Secret Wars, just like in the original comics.
The fact that two of the comic images posted by Mando featured both Scorpion and Venom feels like more than a mere coincidence.
It would be pretty incredible if Spider-Man: Brand New Day opens with Gargan wearing deadly green armor, rather than just having a scorpion tattoo on his neck. Then, we could see him gradually evolve into Venom, becoming far more dangerous to Spider-Man by the movie’s end, while also serving as some very exciting setup for the next two Avengers movies.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day releases July 31st, 2026 from Marvel Studios.
