Spider-Man is set to have a massive year in 2026 with some major upcoming projects. Between movies, live-action series, and animation, there’s going to be multiple ways to enjoy the Spider-Man franchise beyond the comics alone.
However, what’s interesting is that all three major Spider-Man projects releasing this year will all have one surprising thing in common: Tombstone, one of the Marvel Universe’s most underrated Spider-Man villains. Here’s our full breakdown on Tombstone’s upcoming Spider-Man appearances in 2026.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Is Set To Give Tombstone His MCU Debut
Releasing on July 31st, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is set to be a far more grounded story compared to the multiversal chaos we saw with 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home and elsewhere in the MCU amid the ongoing Multiverse Saga.
In the first trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, we see Tom Holland’s Peter Parker struggling with the aftermath of the world no longer remembering who he is due to Doctor Strange’s spell (including Ned and MJ).
Throwing himself into being Spider-Man, we’re going to see the MCU’s Webslinger taking on multiple villains, including the return of Mac Gargan’s Scorpion from Spider-Man Homecoming, as well as the sinister ninja cult known as The Hand (first seen in the Netflix era of Marvel shows like Daredevil, Iron Fist, and The Defenders).
However, we’ll also be seeing some brand-new villains in the MCU like Boomerang and Tarantula, both of whom were in the new MCU footage. That said, one confirmed villain who was not featured in the first trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day was Tombstone, the major New York City crime boss who possesses impressive super-strength, durability, and grey skin (the result of the chemicals that gave him his powers).
Nevertheless, we know that Tombstone will be played by Marvin Jones III, who also voiced Tombstone in 2018’s animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. For a street-level Spider-Man movie, Tombstone is a great choice, especially with Marvel Studios unable to use Wilson Fisk’s Kingpin on the big screen due to ongoing rights issues.
Tombstone in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse side-by-side with actor Marvin Jones III
Keeping that in mind, it’s going to be fascinating to learn what role Tombstone will play in the next MCU movie. It’s not hard to imagine a scenario where he might even be bankrolling some of these other villains featured in Brand New Day, perhaps even seeking to establish a greater criminal empire in New York, surpassing Fisk’s now that the Kingpin is currently the city’s mayor (as seen in Daredevil: Born Again).
Nicolas Cage’s Spider-Noir Will Feature A 1930s Version Of Tombstone
Spider-Man Brand New Day Villain Tombstone confirmed for Spider-Noir TV Show
On the television side of things, Amazon and MGM’s Spider-Noir series will be giving us a completely different side of the Spider-Man mythos from an exciting reality apart from the MCU. Starring Nicolas Cage, the series is set in a black-and-white stylized version of 1930s New York, one that’s filled with crime and corruption but also detective vigilantes and superpowers.
Like Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the upcoming Spider-Noir series is set to feature more than a few classic villains from the comics, albeit more grounded versions aligned with the overall 1930s aesthetic.
Sure enough, this includes Tombstone, who similarly wasn’t prominently featured in the first trailer for Spider-Noir but is confirmed to be featured all the same. Instead, Tombstone was first revealed via official badge art for the upcoming CCXP event in Mexico.
Seeing as how Spider-Noir will heavily deal with organized crime in New York and a mystery surrounding one of the city’s biggest mob bosses, Tombstone fits right in, likely acting as an enforcer for Silvermane alongside Spider-Noir’s version of Sandman and more new takes on classic comicbook foes. Then again, perhaps Spider-Noir’s Tombstone could be a younger rival seeking to seize Silvermane’s power.
Despite being the same character, it’s likely that Spider-Noir’s version of Tombstone will be pretty different from the MCU’s most likely portrayal in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Nevertheless, it’s pretty crazy that a character who has rarely seen much of a spotlight outside the comics is now getting two major live-action appearances in the same year (and we haven’t even talked about Tombstone’s third and final major appearance in 2026 yet).
Marvel Studios’ Animated Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2 Will Continue Tombstone’s Origins
In the first season of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Lonnie Lincoln (Tombstone’s real name) was introduced as a key supporting character in this MCU-adjacent reality. Attending the same school as Peter Parker, Lonnie is introduced as a good student and star athlete trying to support his family.
However, Lonnie’s attempts to untangle his brother from the 110th St. Gang get him caught up in their activities instead. Eventually, Lonnie gets drawn into the 110’s ongoing gang war with Mac Gargan’s Scorpions, ultimately becoming their leader with superpowers after coming into contact with Diox-3. This is the same chemical that gave Lonnie his powers in the original Marvel Comics.
While Lonnie did team up with Spider-Man to take down Gargan, the first season of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man ended with the tease that Lonnie was going to continue leading the 110 as Tombstone and abandon school altogether (while also joining Harry Osborn’s new W.E.B initiative). Presumably, the idea is that Lonnie will be trying to keep the different parts of his life separate from each other.
Also, the tips of Lonnie’s fingers were shown to be grey in the final episode, seemingly teasing an even bigger transformation in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man season 2, which will be premiering this year as well.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’s Tombstone has definitely been given some unique and unexpected dimensions, something that will no doubt continue in the upcoming season. By no means should he be considered an outright villain (at least not yet), which is what makes him so interesting in Marvel’s animated series.
Clearly, Marvel has positioned Tombstone to become a major player in 2026, albeit with unique depictions project to project. As such, it’s going to be pretty cool to see each new version of Tombstone as the year goes on, with each new Spider-Man release.