The fact that a bunch of legacy villains are returning in Spider-Man: No Way Home is one of the incoming threequel’s worst-kept secrets. So far, the first trailer went ahead and admitted that Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus is back, as well as heavily hinting that Willem Dafoe is making a return as Green Goblin, too. Fans also noticed nods to at least three foes in the trailer, though the marketing machine was still trying to obscure that they were involved.
But as we get ever closer to the movie’s release date, it seems the promotion is beginning to loosen up a bit and reveal more about which characters are showing up. Empire Magazine has launched its new covers for its December issue, which highlights No Way Home. The subscriber-exclusive cover is particularly interesting as it pretty much outright confirms for the first time that one Raimiverse antagonist will be appearing. See if you can spot who it is via the cover below:
While the artful cover features Doc Ock’s mechanical limbs and Osborn’s pumpkin bombs, the real news is the enlarged fist of none other than Sandman in the bottom right-hand corner. This seems to reveal that Thomas Haden Church is reprising his role as Flint Marko from Spider-Man 3, after all, as rumors have stated. Also, note the green and yellow lightning symbol in the bottom left. That would be a bigger deal if Jamie Foxx hadn’t already spoiled Electro’s comeback months ago.
Sandman is definitely one of the most popular parts of the otherwise controversial Spider-Man 3, so fans will be pleased that he’s returning for this other Spider-Man 3. From a story point of view, though, it’ll be interesting to see how his redemption is handled in this new film. Why is Flint crossing the multiverse to battle Spidey (and his amazing friends) instead of caring for his sick daughter?
All will be revealed when Spider-Man: No Way Home finally swings into cinemas on December 17th.
