Every Spider-Man fan should absolutely watch one incredibly slept-onMCUshow beforeSpider-Man: Brand New Day. Releasing next year in 2026, the fourthSpider-Manmovie and first chapter of a whole new MCU trilogy for Tom Holland’s Peter Parker has just begun filming. As such, some very recent reveals have made one show very important for the Webslinger’s next adventure.
We don’t yet knowthe full plot ofSpider-Man: Brand New Day, though key cast members have been confirmed including Zendaya, Jon Bernthal’s Punisher, Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, Sadie Sink, and more.It’s also been confirmed that Michael Mando will be reprising his role as Mac Gargan aka Scorpion inSpider-Man: Brand New Day, making a recent MCU show a must-watch.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Features Its Own MCU Scorpion
In 2017’sSpider-Man: Homecoming,Michael Mando’s Mac Garganwas arrested after making a deal for weapons made from Chitauri and Ultron-based tech created by Michael Keaton’s Vulture and his crew. Thanks to Spider-Man’s ill-advised intervention and the FBI already conducting a sting, Gargan received some serious injuries to his face before he was placed into custody and imprisoned.
Gargan then began planning his revenge on Spider-Man from behind bars, as seen inSpider-Man: Homecoming’sfirst post-credits scene. However, Mando’s Gargan hasn’t been seen since in the primary MCU timeline, nor has he been equipped with any armor to make him The Scorpion, as seen in the original comics.
That said, this year’sYour Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Mandoes have a Mac Gargan who becomes a full-fledged Scorpion in the MCU, albeit animated and in an alternate timeline.
In this alt-reality featuring key differences like Norman Osborn being Peter Parker’s mentor rather than Tony Stark, Gargan is outfitted with tech by Doctor Octopus, including a green armor rig with a deadly prehensile tail, one powered by unstable gamma energy that ultimately fused the armor to his body.
Despite not being voiced by Michael Mando, this alternate MCU Gargan is clearly inspired by the one seen in live-action, and is just as unhinged while his crew engages in a major gang war with the 110th St. Gang.
Thanks to his upgrades,Gargan nearly kills Spider-Man inYour Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, a brutal victory that forces this timeline’s Peter Parker to truly question if he’s ready and willing to lead the life of a superhero in light of this first major failure.
While Spider-Man does eventually beat Scorpion with help from Tombstone,Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’sScorpion is the perfect testament to how intimidating and dangerous Mando’s Scorpion can be next year inSpider-Man: Brand New Day.
Earth-616’s Scorpion Will Likely Be Different In Spider-Man: Brand New Day
It remains to be seen how the main MCU timeline’s Mac Gargan will get out of jail, or what his plans will be for Spider-Man.
While it’s likely that the Mac Gargan of Earth-616 will finally get Scorpion armor of his own, it’s doubtful that it’ll be coming from Doc Ock as seen inYour Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. That said, the gamma element could still play a factor, and could perhaps be the reason forBruce Banner/Hulk’s involvement inSpider-Man: Brand New Day.
At any rate, Scorpion being such a great villain in the MCU’s recent animated series is a very great sign for Mando’s live-action version, while also being a great show to hold fans over untilSpider-Man: Brand New Day’srelease next year.
All episodes of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man season 1 are streaming on Disney+.Spider-Man: Brand New Dayreleases July 31st, 2026.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Cast
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the first sequel to the MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy starring Tom Holland as the titular wall-crawler. After wiping his identity from the public’s memory in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker continues his crime-fighting adventures without the aid of Iron Man technology or the support of his former allies.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man follows Peter Parker as he navigates the complexities of heroism, facing a series of extraordinary challenges.
