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Spider-Man: Far From Home Trailer—Untangling the Villains

In a shocking spoiler for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the new Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer reveals Peter Parker is alive and well.

Just kidding, everybody already knew Peter Parker wasn’t actually permanently dissolved at the end of Infinity War—not when another Spider-Man sequel had been announced before that movie even hit theaters. Sure, we’ll have to wait until Endgame to discover the exact mechanics of how you can rebuild a person from a pile of cosmic dust, but rest assured, Spider-Man will be back. And when he is, he’ll be vacationing in Europe.

Spider-Man: Far From Home will follow Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and his friends as they travel abroad for summer vacation. Peter just wants a break from being Spider-Man, a totally understandable request from a high school kid who recently got murdered by a giant purple alien man. But uh-oh, trouble’s a’ brewing overseas. No sooner has Peter started to woo his crush MJ (Zendaya) when some giant elemental monsters tear up the town. What’s a web-slinging superhero to do? Why, put on a new costume and team up with Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal in a crazy cyber-suit), of course!

Who are the new villains?

The most exciting part of any superhero movie are the villains, and Spider-Man: Far From Home gets instant points for using new ones outside of the usual staples: Doc Ock, Rhino, Sandman, and Venom. This time, Spider-Man is up against the Elementals, a group of four extradimensional beings who, as their moniker suggests, have control over various elements.

There’s Hydron, with the the power to control water.

Magnum, with the power to control earth.

Zephyr, with the power to control air.

And Hellfire. You can figure out what he does.

The group, created by writer Tony Isabella and artist Val Mayerik, debuted in Supernatural Thrillers #8 (August 1974) for an 8-issue run, briefly fought Ms. Marvel for two issues of her series in 1977, and subsequently never appeared again. Until now.

So far, we’ve only seen the powers of Hydron and, most likely, Magnum (although many people are mistaking his powers in the trailer for Sandman). But the others are sure to follow.

***ACTUAL SPOILERS AHEAD, PROBABLY***

Of course, the main villain is probably Mysterio.

And as the main villain of a major movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Mysterio is a fantastic choice. One of the oldest Spider-Man villains (created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #13 in June 1964), Mysterio has no actual powers. Rather, he’s a master of special effects and illusion, a Hollywood stuntman turned supervillain. How perfect for a real Hollywood movie!

In the comics, Mysterio is often a punchline of sorts, usually foiled by his own hubris. But in Spider-Man: Far From Home, it’s entirely possible Jake Gyllenhaal will turn the character into a truly sinister threat.

How will Mysterio’s misdeeds factor into the attacks on Europe? Are the Elementals real or simply his illusions? We’ll have to wait until July 5, 2019 to find out. In the meantime, check out the trailer above.


Dan Kahan is a writer & screenwriter from Brooklyn, usually rocking a man bun. Find more at dankahanwriter.com


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