Heading into Spider-Man: Far From Home, fans were convinced that the sequel would end by setting the stage for the Sinister Six to assemble in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That obviously didn't happen and, thus far, there are no indications Spider-Man 3 will bring them to the big screen either.
There's nothing to say we won't see them at some point, of course, especially as Sony Pictures once had plans for a standalone Sinister Six movie spinning out of The Amazing Spider-Man franchise.
Regardless of whether it's in their own spinoff or a future Spider-Man adventure, it's about time we see the Sinister Six on the silver screen, and while there can, of course, only be six members, we have ten names Marvel/Sony could choose from in order to put together the perfect band of baddies.
Check out our picks by clicking on the "Next" button below, and then let us know which six villains you would like to see join this sinister team in the comments section.
10. Sandman
Sandman is far from the brightest member of the Sinister Six, but he does provide the muscle! The conflicted Flint Marko has fought on the side of good and evil over the years, but almost always finds himself roped into helping his fellow villains out in their battles against Spider-Man.
The only downside with bringing back Sandman is that Sam Raimi managed to cover all the basics when he brought him to the big screen in 2007, and there isn’t really much more to him than that. Spider-Man: Far From Home also included an Elemental seemingly based on Sandman.
However, recent comics have given him the ability to create multiple versions of himself, and that would at least undoubtedly prove to be quite an interesting challenge for Spider-Man.
9. Rhino
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 introduced us to a terribly disappointing version of Rhino as a Paul Giamatti (with a cringe-worthy Russian accent) donned an exoskeleton for a battle Sony Pictures spoiled in its entirety in the trailers for the sequel. Simply put, Marc Webb dropped the ball in a big way.
Rhino is dumb, but a real brute in terms of sheer raw power. However, in recent years, he's been given a personality rather than being just the villain who Spidey tricks into running into a wall.
Being given the chance to join the Sinister Six would give that side of the character the chance to shine through, and as he's arguably not big bad material, this could be the best place for him.
8. Chameleon
Regardless of whether they face off against Spider-Man in a new take on that Sinister Six movie or a solo adventure for Spidey in the MCU, it’s important that the team isn’t too powerful.
That’s why it’s important that they include someone like Chameleon; a normal human with a power which is still extremely useful to the team. Dmitri Smerdyakov was the first villain that Spidey battled, and uses a combination of masks and image inducer tech to disguise himself for nefarious means.
Chameleon has even disguised himself as Peter Parker, causing chaos in his life without ever realising that he’s actually Spider-Man! That would be fun to explore, though we're guessing the MCU's Chameleon probably wouldn't end up being the "Dmitri" we met in Spider-Man: Far From Home.
7. Electro
Over the years, Electro has been one of the most faithful members of the Sinister Six, appearing in nearly every iteration of the group. Unfortunately, Sony Pictures really f***ed the character up in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, with Jamie Foxx delivering a performance worthy of Batman and Robin.
That doesn't mean Max Dillon can't be redeemed, of course, and if Marvel Studios really wants to shake things up, they could even use Francine Frye as the new, female version of the villain.
This time, it would obviously be great seeing a comic accurate take on Electro's costume (regardless of gender) as we're sure a way could be found to bring that mask to life in a live-action setting.
6. Vulture
The Vulture is another member of the team who has appeared in almost every iteration of the Sinister Six, and seeing Spidey battle him above New York City's skyscrapers would be really quite something (especially as their fights in Spider-Man: Homecoming were relatively grounded).
Vulture has been a formidable foe over the years, at one point capturing an injured Spidey from his hospital bed, unmasking him and realising that he had no idea who the man under the mask was. The MCU's Adrian Toomes has obviously figured that out, and it would be crazy for him not to be part of this group, even if he can no longer lord his knowledge over his fellow villains.
Morbius is going to include Toomes, so Sony Pictures clearly has big plans for him moving forward.
5. Kraven The Hunter
When fans discuss which villain they most wanted to see in Spider-Man 3, Kraven the Hunter's name is one that comes up again and again, while it's no secret that director Jon Watts is a fan.
Of course, the fact that his final battle with the wallcrawler ("Kraven’s Last Hunt") is considered a classic might be a big part of the reason, especially as it ends with him burying Spider-Man alive and later shooting himself dead when he realises that he’s finally beaten his greatest foe. That's a dark story, but one it would be great to see brought to the big screen by Marvel Studios.
The Ultimate Universe added the twist to the character that he enhanced himself genetically in order to try to beat Spider-Man after a previous quick defeat, so perhaps the MCU could do the same?
4. Mysterio
Mysterio may have "died" at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home, but given his mastery over creating illusions, the man who outed the web-slinger's secret identity to the world returning wouldn't exactly be a shocker. In fact, it seems inevitable that he'll be back after what he did to Peter Parker.
Honestly, it wouldn't be overly surprising if the MCU's Mysterio were to actually lead this iteration of the Sinister Six because he definitely holds the greatest victory over the wall-crawler to date.
It goes without saying that there's a lot a villain like Quentin Beck can bring to the table as part of this team, and as if Spider-Man won't already be overwhelmed enough, tackling the illusions Mysterio creates to screw with him would make the challenge of defeating this team of baddies even harder.
3. Venom
Despite there now being some links between the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Sony Pictures' Universe of Marvel Characters, it's hard to say whether Marvel Studios will ever make use of Venom.
Of course, should Sony decide to move forward with their own Sinister Six spinoff, it seems inevitable that Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock will be part of that in some way (even though the character's history with this team is limited). He'd make an undeniably interesting addition to the group, though, and we're sure Venom would have a unique dynamic with his fellow bad guys.
Plus, this could be Sony's opportunity to finally have Spider-Man and Venom cross paths for the first time. There are certainly a lot of fans who want to see that happen, as do Tom Holland and Hardy.
2. Doctor Octopus
For years, the Green Goblin was considered Spider-Man’s greatest villain, but that title arguably now belongs to Doctor Octopus. Why? Well, a few years back, he managed to kill Peter Parker by switching their minds in a Freaky Friday-type scenario which saw the wall-crawler die in the body of the ailing Otto Octavius, resulting in the villain becoming the "Superior" Spider-Man.
It was undeniably controversial, and while it’s not necessarily a storyline which should be adapted for the big screen, it has created a renewed interest in the villain's comic book exploits.
The character may have been portrayed perfectly by Alfred Molina in Spider-Man 2, but that was quite an original take on him, and Marvel Studios now has the chance to pick and choose from both the classic comics and Ultimate Universe to create a very different – and must-see – take on Doc Ock.
1. Green Goblin
Over the years, the Goblin hasn’t had much involvement with the Sinister Six, but did once lead a team which consisted of twelve sinister bad guys all thirsty for Spidey’s blood!
In the Ultimate Universe, however, he led the group of villains in his quest to kill Peter Parker (even forcing him to join them at one point) and the tension between the Goblin and the rest of the team has often been fascinating to see. That's definitely something a future movie could play on, and while this baddie has received a lot of screentime, a fresh interpretation is needed.
With any luck, that would involve a comic accurate costume, but there's no getting around the fact that this is a villain who could have a future on screen - and in the MCU - beyond just this team.