Scorpion’s MCU Timeline Before ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’, Explained
Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) finally sees the return of Mac Gargan, aka the Scorpion. He first appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and was immediately pushed to the back burner for seemingly no real reason. Even still, audiences have been waiting patiently for a payoff nearly a decade later.
Even still, with so much time having passed in-universe, there’s a lot about the character we don’t know and a lot that has been forgotten. Thankfully, we have a comprehensive look at the character, how he ended up being arrested, and why now is the perfect time for the Scorpion to finally start stinging in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ Introduced Gargan Then Pushed Him Aside
Spider-Man: Homecoming is already famous for being the first Spider-Man movie set in the MCU, but it also has a massive roster of villains from the comics. Shocker, The Tinkerer, Prowler, and Vulture all appear in some capacity, but Mac Gargan was the one to get the biggest draw.
When confronting Aaron Davis, he mentioned to Spider-Man that the reason he stopped working with Gargan was that he was far too dangerous in his methods. When Spider-Man interrupted a weapons deal between Gargan and Vulture on a ferry, Spidey easily subdued Gargan.
In prison, Gargan confronted the Vulture, prying him for information on Spider-Man’s identity and teasing that he had friends who wanted the hero dead, too. All we saw that teased his future was a Scorpion tattoo on his neck. In the end, though, that was the last we saw of him since, considering The Infinity Saga and The Multiverse Saga began and ended in that time.
Scorpion’s Origin In ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Could Borrow From Marvel Comics
As of now, we have no idea how Mac Gargan will become the Scorpion, but there’s no denying that his suit looks very high-tech from what we’ve seen in the trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. But there are two reasons why Gargan would get his hands on a suit and mechanical tail that turn him into the Scorpion.
The first ties more heavily to the comics, where Jameson hired Gargasn, who was a private investigator, to figure out why Peter Parker got great photos of Spider-Man. But with so many failures, Jameson had Gargan undergo an experiment that drove him mad and turned him into the Scorpion. Considering how prevalent Jameson has been in the MCU, it would make sense that he would fund someone to take down or even kill the wall-crawler.
The other, more logical solution may be that those friends Gargan mentioned in prison have the means and re-Man. While his suit does look advanced in the film, it also resembles something compiled in a warehouse. If so, it would mean that he’s part of a larger group trying to take down the hero
Scorpion Has Been Primed For A Return For Years
We’ve been waiting for nearly a decade for the Scorpion to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and to see him arrive in Spider-Man: Brand New Day is like a dream come true. But for any Spider-Man fan, you’re already very aware of Scorpion’s presence and its slow ramp-up in other media.
Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018) saw the character join the Sinister Six in the hit game, and, after being stung, Spider-Man put him through a trippy level where he’s hallucinating. But in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (2025), we saw his origin as he went from a gang leader to a supervillain who nearly killed Spider-Man in their first battle.
The animated series gave us a glimpse at just how scary the Scorpion could be and helped ensure people knew who he was before his live-action return. Now, we can finally see the payoff of a years-long wait that had many wondering if the character would ever actually return. Considering how long it took for The Leader to rejoin the MCU, it’s great that the franchise is tying up a loose end much sooner. The only thing left ot see is if Scorpion will be a true threat or an easy foe for Spider-Man to take down.
Fighting crime full-time as Spider-Man in a world that doesn’t remember him—and the pressure of seeing his old friends move on without him—sparks a change in Peter Parker he may not have the power to control. But that transformation might also be the only thing that can stop a shocking new threat to the city and those he loves – a powerful villain no one can even see.
Cinema
CinemaCinemaCinemaCinemaCinemaCinema
Stream
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is not available for streaming.
Let us notify you when you can watch it.
