10 Spider-Man characters that Marvel Studios cannot legally use in their films

Marvel Studios is not permitted to employ any of these 10 Spider-Man characters, antagonists, or supporting cast members in any MCU or live-action productions.

It’s ironic to consider that Sony Pictures paid a bleeding Marvel on the verge of bankruptcy just $7 million for the film rights to Spider-Man back in 1998. The company has made billions of dollars from the several films that have been released in the 25 years since.

Unfortunately, a bargain made out of desperation still plagues Marvel many years later, preventing the company from freely using 10 Spider-Man characters in the MCU.

However, an agreement struck in 2015 between Sony and Marvel Studios permits Spider-Man to appear in the MCU on occasion in return for the superhero powerhouse helping to produce Tom Holland’s wall-crawler films. Some of its more well-known characters are contained within them.

The Use of 10 Spider-Man Characters by Marvel Studios Is Illegal

10 Spider-Man characters that Sony Pictures holds the sole theatrical rights to are listed on the studio’s website, making it illegal for them to be utilized in Marvel Studios films without Sony’s consent.

The internal list omits figures like Kingpin and Jessica Drew’s Spider-Woman. The rights to them are practically split between Sony and Marvel Studios due to several stipulations, with the latter being forbidden from using 10 Spider-Man Characters.

Certain aspects may have changed since the material was made public due to agreements Sony and Marvel Studios signed to bring Spider-Man to the MCU in 2015 and to keep him there in 2019.

Here are 10 Spider-Man characters from the lengthy list of 684 characters that Marvel Studios is forbidden from using in its live-action films and television shows.

1.) Jessica Drew (Kind Of)

Jessica Drew has used several names throughout the years, and three of them are listed: Archane, Dark Angel, and Ariadne Hyde. Curiously, her Spider-Woman alter ego is not included.

Drew developed her spider abilities as a small child as a result of her father’s frantic attempt to save her life. Years later, she would join HYDRA for a while, then rebel against them, spending time with the New Avengers, SHIELD, and SWORD in the process.

Drew is one of the characters shared with Marvel Studios because of her ties to these organizations, and based on past rumors, they are only permitted to utilize her without any Spider-Man-related features. Although it’s unclear from this list, she may be able to play Spider-Woman.

2.) Mary Jane “MJ” Watson

The conventional Mary Jane Watson had some significant alterations thanks to the MCU, and Zendaya’s love interest is now known as Michelle Jones-Watson.

It especially refers to MJ’s time spent as Spider-Woman. Since that tale was brief and took place in a different reality, it is unlikely that Marvel Studios or Sony will ever touch it in any way.

Many people conjectured that MJ and Ned might appear in Disney+’s Ironheart since Riri Williams attends the same university as they did in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which ended with the two on their way to MIT to study. Even while it would be nice, Sony’s sole ownership of these characters makes that idea all but impossible.

Zendaya is such a significant star that Marvel Studios would likely love to have her appear in additional projects, like something like Ironheart, so the inability to use Michelle Jones is undoubtedly a bummer.

3.) Kaine

Kaine was an unsuccessful Peter Parker clone who struggled with slow genetic aging and created his suit to halt the terrible process. He rapidly grew to despise his clone brother Ben Reilly, the Scarlet Spider, a persona he eventually assumed following Ben’s passing.

Kaine just appeared in Across the Spider-Verse and made his big-screen debut, but the role has not yet been brought to live-action. It’s unlikely that Tom Holland will be playing a large on-screen part soon given that there is no indication that Sony is planning to revisit the Clone Saga any time soon, and certainly not in his upcoming trilogy.

4.) Black Cat

Black Cat, a villainous cat thief who later bonds with Spider-Man and becomes a close comrade, is comparable to Catwoman in many ways to Batman. Black Cat and Peter Parker’s romance broke down because she was more interested in the superhero than the person wearing the mask.

As a prelude to her Black Cat future, Felicia Hardy made her live-action debut in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (played by Felicity Jones). Now that Peter Parker from the MCU is living on the streets and has forgotten everything about Zendaya’s MJ, it could be appropriate for him to run into Black Cat.

5.) Norman & Harry Osborn

Regrettably, Marvel Studios cannot use Norman, Harry, or Oscorp because of their connections to the Spider-Man mythos. This is especially regrettable in the case of Norman and Oscorp, who frequently find themselves entangled in the plots of the Avengers and the larger Marvel universe.

In any case, studio head Kevin Feige has made it plain that the Osborn family will not be used, and Spider-Man: No Way Home confirms that neither Harry nor Oscorp are present in the MCU.

Since Ned Leeds now serves as Peter’s best friend in Tom Holland’s Spider-Man films and he just faced Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, there is currently minimal need for new iterations of the characters.

6.) Hammerhead

In the Spider-Man mythos, the evil Hammerhead is a notorious mobster who had his head filled with steel following an incident. He has a more flattened shape and is nearly indestructible in this game, making him a difficult opponent for Peter Parker.

Hammerhead, one of Spider-Man’s more street-level characters, may appear in his upcoming trilogy and might have connections to Kingpin. But regardless of any connection he might have to the MCU’s Kingpin, his position won’t be able to extend outside of the Spider-Man films that Sony and Marvel Studios have produced together.

7.) Ned Leeds

Ned Leeds, played by Jacob Batalon, and Marissa Tomei’s Aunt May are the only two Spider-Man characters introduced to the MCU so far to appear in a production outside of the trilogy. Both the beginning of Infinity War and the conclusion of Endgame included a brief cameo from Peter Parker’s best pal.

Batalon has only fueled the flames since Leeds was put on the list of forbidden characters due to his malevolent reputation as the third Hobgoblin, whom he was even teased to eventually become in No Way Home. It’s not yet known if Ned Leeds will ever experience this villain arc in the MCU.

8.) Mister Negative

Before gaining control over the Darkforce and Lightforce through an experiment, Martin Li was a Chinese mobster and human trafficker. As a result, Mr. Positive and Mr. Negative, the criminal boss of the Inner Demons gang, were created. Mr. Positive is a humanitarian philanthropist and the founder of FEAST.

Mister Negative has entered the mainstream to join the ranks of the wall-crawler’s most well-known adversaries after serving as the primary antagonist of Insomniac’s Spider-Man game for the PlayStation 4 exclusively. Many people are now excited to see Martin Li in a live-action role, so maybe he may appear in the upcoming Spider-Man trilogy in the MCU.

9.) Silver Sable 9

Silvija Sablinova is a mercenary and skilled martial artist whose work frequently pits her against superheroes, such as Spider-Man. However, she frequently appears as the wall-crawler’s ally; in fact, she once paid him to operate alongside her as a mercenary.

Once upon a time, Silver Sable and Black Cat were set to star in Silver and Black, a film that even had a finished script. After Venom‘s release in 2018, the team-up movie was abandoned, and it was decided that both female anti-heroes would instead have their spin-offs, the status of which is now unknown.

Silver Sable has yet to appear in a live-action movie, despite being in the Spider-Man DLC from Insomniac. She wouldn’t be able to be used in any Marvel Studios projects, but she might appear in Tom Holland‘s upcoming Spider-Man trilogy.

10.) Flash Thompson

Flash Thompson, a bully for Spider-Man, is specifically named along with his “Black Ops” Venom persona, which he adopted after losing both of his legs while serving in the US Army and becoming enslaved to the symbiote. This version of Flash has yet to be adapted into a film, having adopted the Agent Venom persona for the first time in 2011.

Flash Thompson, played by Tony Revolori, featured in all three MCU Spider-Man films, but never in another Marvel Studios film. Flash openly admired the wall-crawler throughout the trilogy, even as he continued to harass Peter Parker as a more contemporary version of the rich boy bully.

Fans shouldn’t hold their breath for Revolori to join the next iteration of the science fiction team, the Guardians of the Galaxy, even if Agent Venom has spent some time with them in Marvel Comics due to the rights being withheld at Sony.

Why Sony Won’t Return Spider-Man to Marvel

Sony Pictures is now synonymous with Spider-Man and his cast of characters, and Spider-Man is by far the studio’s biggest franchise. It is almost assured that Sony Pictures will never cede those rights to Disney. Even if the idea of repurchasing the Spider-Man picture rights were to be considered, the cost would probably be too expensive to be acceptable.

The primary live-action Spider-Man films were produced in conjunction with Sony and Marvel, and as a result, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man has been able to participate in the larger MCU. A deal with Sony to bring its Marvel films to Disney+ was just recently reached.

There is little doubt that the collaboration between the studios is strengthening, and possibly in the years to come, agreements will be reached that will enable more of the enormous cast of Spider-Man characters to appear in the MCU more frequently and in even greater numbers.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Sony’s most recent film from the world of wall-crawlers, is currently showing in theatres all around the world.