The Spider-Verse continues to grow across film and television as more Spider-Man characters, friends and foes, make it to screens, big or small. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse set the standard by introducing the once and future Spider-Man Miles Morales to five of his extradimensional counterparts. Spider-Man: No Way Home did the impossible by uniting Tom Holland with his Spider-predecessors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.
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In that spirit, I decided to list five Spider-Man characters who could carry their own film or television series. The criteria for this list was simple: the character had to be primarily associated with Spider-Man, whether it was a hero with arachnid abilities or one of the many allies Peter Parker or his fellow web-slingers have encountered over the years. With that in mind, here are the five Spider-Verse characters I’d like to see on the silver screen one day.
The Prowler
Hobie Brown was an ordinary window washer who invented special gadgets to make his job easier. After losing his job, Brown modified his gadgets and set out on a life of crime as the Prowler before reforming. Brown has helped Peter Parker on multiple occasions, even forming a group known as the Outlaws with several of Spidey’s former foes. Though most Spidey fans are used to seeing Miles Morales’ uncle Aaron as the Prowler, Brown was the original and definitely deserves his time on screen. An alternate version of Brown, the Anarchic Spider-Man/Spider-Punk, would also make for a great film as well.
Silver Sable
Silvija Sablinova, better known by her nickname of Silver Sable due to her silvery-white hair and matching clothing, is one of the most interesting figures in Spider-Man’s life. Silver’s father was a well-renowned Nazi hunter, and she joined him as a teenager to avenge her mother’s death. When her father passed, Silver inherited leadership of his Wild Pack—a group of mercenaries who hunt down international criminals. Silver has appeared in other Spider-Man media, including Spider-Man: The Animated Series and Marvel’s Spider-Man for the PS4, and was even slated to appear in the Silver & Black film helmed by Gina Pryce-Bythewood (The Old Guard). However, I still feel that she could carry her own movie, especially as the spy genre is popular in film.
The Slingers
Spider-Man was framed for murder in the Identity Crisis storyline, leading Peter Parker to adopt four different identities. Ricochet made use of his arachnid agility; Dusk was a mysterious hero who dwelled in the shadows; the Hornet boasted hi-tech weaponry and a jet pack; the Prodigy was a paragon of virtue. After Peter cleared his name, four teenagers—Cassie St. Commons, Eddie McDonough, Ritchie Gilmore, and Johnny Gallo—discovered the costumes and became the crime-fighting team known as the Slingers. Recently, Hobie Brown took up the mantle of the Hornet after McDonough’s death. Honestly, a team of heroes inspired by Spider-Man could be an Avengers-level hit for Sony.
Scarlet Spider
The Clone Saga is arguably one of the most infamous storylines in Spider-Man history, but it yielded two of the most interesting characters. Ben Reilly, the clone of Peter Parker, would eventually forge his own identity as the Scarlet Spider and even take up the mantle of Spider-Man—a mantle he currently holds. Another Parker clone, Kaine, swore vengeance upon Reilly but eventually turned to the side of the angels and even picked up the mantle of the Scarlet Spider himself. With fan fervor mounting for Andrew Garfield to lead another Spider-Man film after No Way Home‘s success, I feel that a loose adaptation of the Clone Saga would be a neat way to piggyback on that and let Garfield flex his dramatic chops.
Araña/Spider-Girl
Anya Corazon was drawn into a battle between the secret societies known as the Spider Society and the Sisterhood of the Wasp and ended up receiving arachnid-based abilities after a near-fatal incident. She would end up taking the mantle of Spider-Girl and played a major role in the original Spider-Verse comic book event. A film focused on Anya would not only find a new angle on the Spider-Man mythos (magic instead of science), but it would also provide some much-needed Latinx representation in the superhero genre. Hopefully, if Blue Beetle is a success, Sony will pay attention and greenlight a Spider-Girl film.
Other Spider-Man characters are slated for adaptation over the years, including a series on Amazon Prime Video for Cindy Moon/Silk and the Disney+ original series Spider-Man: Freshman Year. With the characters on this list, as well as other heroes and villains, the possibilities for the Spider-Verse in film and television are endless.
