Every Spider-Man Villain In Spider-Noir

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Spider-Noir episodes 1-8

Sony and Amazon’s new live-action Spider-Noir series features an impressive roster of villains and foes, breathing life into a group of iconic characters in the exciting series. Starring Nicolas Cage as Ben Reilly, an aging vigilante operating in 1930s New York, the series blends superhero storytelling with classic gangster epics and an overarching mystery worthy of the classic private investigator Spider-Man variant. One of the best parts of the new Spider-Noir series is its strong lineup of villains, many of whom are 1930s re-imaginings of classic Spider-Man foes from the main Marvel Universe timeline.

While some are direct adaptations from Marvel Comics, others were created specifically for the show itself and/or have some exciting twists on their origins/powers (while still feeling fairly grounded and aligned with the 1930s aesthetic). What’s especially fascinating is how interconnected all of these villains are to one another, with nearly all of them being tied to the same event that was also responsible for Ben Reilly’s spider powers. Here’s our full breakdown of each Spider-Noir villain, their origins and powers, as well as their fates by the end of the new Prime Video series.

Finbar Byrne aka Silvermane

In the original Marvel Comics and main universe, Silvermane is traditionally portrayed as an older Italian mob boss named Silvio Manfredi, seeking to maintain power over New York’s criminal underworld with the Maggia and obsessed with trying to extend/preserve his life. However, Spider-Noir has chosen to reinvent the character. Brendan Gleeson’s Silvermane is named Finbar Byrne, an Irish mob kingpin who effectively controls every corner of New York City. His influence also stretches beyond organized crime and supplying illegal alcohol into the city during Prohibition. He also controls vast amounts of the police force and even the city’s political leadership.

Silvermane’s growing paranoia becomes a central storyline once superpowered assassins start coming after him in Spider-Noir. Assembling enhanced enforcers of his own, Silvermane becomes emboldened in his determination to prove to New York that he’s still in charge, especially once New York’s mayor starts challenging his authority. However, Silvermane ends up murdered by the series’ end, having been shot by Cat Hardy, the singer at his own club known as The Alcove.

James “Jimmy” Addison (Pyrokinetic Powers)

Unlike many of Spider-Noir’s other superpowered villains, James “Jimmy” Addison was created specifically for Sony’s new Marvel series. Played by Jack Mikesell, Addison possesses pyrokinetic abilities, allowing him to control fire at will. As such, the closest Marvel Comics villain parallel would probably be Molten Man.

Addison is introduced as a hired killer tasked with burning down Silvermane’s mansion while the crime boss is still inside. However, the job fails and Addison ends up getting shot by Patrick Donegal, a rival private investigator to Ben Reilly, kicking off the major mystery as to who hired Addison to kill Silvermane and where his powers came from. During World War I, Addison was one of several POWs subjected to horrific German experiments involving hybridized DNA manipulation. Becoming a human mutate, the experiments granted him fire abilities, but they were also gradually killing him from the inside.

The same experiments ultimately connect Addison directly to Ben Reilly’s own origins as “The Spider”. After rescuing several of these POWs during the war, Reilly was bitten by one of the mutated subjects who’d been hybridized with spider DNA, granting him his abilities (albeit far more stable than the other test subjects).

Flint Marko aka Sandman

While Sandman has appeared in several Spider-Man shows and film adaptations over the years, Spider-Noir arguably gives the character one of the best emotional portrayals yet, right alongside Thomas Hayden Church’s version of Sandman in 2007’s Spider-Man 3. Played by Jack Huston, Flint Marko initially appears as one of Silvermane’s most loyal enforcers.

At first, Marko’s powers are more restrained than fans might expect. His skin resembles hardened stone or granite, making him nearly impossible to injure during physical confrontations. This also mirrors the Sandman variant seen in the original Spider-Man Noir comics. However, Marko’s abilities eventually evolve until he can fully transform into sand and reconstitute himself, just like the main Marvel Universe’s Sandman.

However, the most dynamic part of Marko’s character is his relationship with Cat Hardy. Secretly in love with Silvermane’s club singer, Marko finds his loyalty constantly tested as tensions rise within Byrne’s organization. Eventually, a cure is developed for the experimental mutations that are killing several of these former POWs. Marko receives the treatment and ultimately leaves New York with Cat Hardy, giving them both a hard-earned happy ending.

Lonnie Lincoln aka Tombstone

Another classic Spider-Man villain reimagined for the 1930s setting is Lonnie Lincoln’s Tombstone, played by Abraham Popoola. Unlike the comics version, this Tombstone doesn’t have the character’s iconic albino appearance or filed-down teeth, though his powers remain largely the same, having near-invulnerability and impressive strength.

While he was convinced by Marko to join Silvermane’s crew, Lonnie was eventually given the cure to the powers gradually killing him, motivating the enforcer to leave the city after being helped by reporter Robbie Robertson (seemingly connecting to Lonnie and Robbie’s past as childhood friends in the main Marvel Universe). All things considered, it’s a surprisingly hopeful conclusion for a character, especially ahead of Tombstone’s MCU debut in Spider-Man: Brand New Day later this year, which will likely be very different.

Dirk Layton aka Megawatt

Dirk Leyden, also known as Megawatt, is easily one of the most chaotic and unhinged villains in Spider-Noir. Played by Andrew Lewis Caldwell, Leyden possesses electrical powers after surviving the same wartime experiments as the other enhanced POWs. Unlike Tombstone or Sandman, Megawatt fully embraces the instability of his powers. He’s unpredictable, violent, and dangerously theatrical, constantly treating every situation like he’s performing for an audience, connecting to the original Marvel Comics version of Megawatt, who was indeed an actor on the page.

Leyden becomes one of Silvermane’s most destructive weapons, though he eventually becomes impossible to control. As such, Cage’s The Spider finally defeats Leyden during one of the show’s most brutal action sequences, webbing him up and throwing him into a moving train by Spider-Noir’s ending.

Cat Hardy

While technically a classic femme fatale rather than a true outright villain, Cat Hardy gradually becomes one of the series’ most morally complicated characters. Played by Li Jun Li, Cat works as the lead singer at Silvermane’s nightclub, The Alcove. However, she’s ultimately revealed to be nothing more than his prisoner, as Silvermane controls every aspect of her life, leaving her desperate for an escape and wanting Silvermane dead.

Early on in the series, Cat is the one who secretly hires James Addison to kill Silvermane. Later, she also recruits Ben Reilly to locate her secret lover, Flint Marko, after his disappearance. Through those interactions, Cat and Ben slowly develop romantic feelings, a clear parallel to the classic Spider-Man and Black Cat romantic flings of the main Marvel Universe timeline.

However, Cat ultimately betrays Ben by revealing his secret identity in an effort to save Marko’s life once an opportunity presents itself. It’s a heartbreaking twist, though one motivated more by survival and love over outright malice. By the end of the series, Cat leaves New York alongside Marko, finally free from Silvermane’s influence. Without a doubt, Cat Hardy is easily one of Spider-Noir’s most compelling characters.

Other Villains We Want To See In Spider-Noir Season 2

Although Spider-Noir season 2 isn’t likely to be out on Prime Video for quite some time if it does come to fruition, that hasn’t stopped viewers from considering what villains would be the best fit for the next season of the series. Vulture is likely the most obvious candidate, as he was a huge part of the original Spider-Noir comics. Green Goblin would work equally well, especially if the show embraces the version of the villain from the source material. Mister Negative would be another interesting choice, considering the built-in elements of organized crime in Spider-Noir thus far.

All episodes of Spider-Noir are now streaming on MGM+ and Prime Video.