For the most part, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s villains tend to be handily defeated by the title hero during the climactic third act battle, never to be seen or heard from again, with the obvious and notable exceptions of Loki and Thanos. However, it would appear as though Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio will leave a shadow hanging over Spider-Man 3, based on the latest set photos to hit the internet.
During the buildup to Far From Home, fans were wondering how the MCU would translate a character like Quentin Beck to the big screen, given that he looks ridiculous with his fishbowl helmet, and his powers arguably aren’t particularly well suited for the established rules of the franchise. Luckily, the plot device used was ingenious, one that both tied the bad guy directly to Peter Parker via Tony Stark, while the more mystical elements of his abilities made total sense within the context of the narrative as elaborate ruses that he’d been constructing himself.
Gyllenhaal has frequently found himself rumored as one of the countless candidates lined up for a cameo in Spider-Man 3, and along with the constant speculation that Mysterio survived the events of Far From Home, it can’t be ruled out at this stage. In fact, the latest set photos show that he’ll have a bearing on the plot either way, as you can see below.
MYSTERIO?! 👀🚨
New photos from the ‘SPIDER-MAN 3’ set!
(via atlanta_filming | IG) pic.twitter.com/AQ1p0o33t2
— Cosmic Marvel (@cosmic_marvel) January 17, 2021
The ‘Believe’ poster could mean that there’s an army of conspiracy theorists out there who believe Mysterio was genuinely battling Elementals and Avengers-level threats, or it could be directed towards the revelation that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, with the web-slinger attempting to clear his name set to be one of the main driving forces of the story before the multiversal action kicks in.