(SeaPRwire) – The concept of a multiverse offers significant creative liberty. Various franchises have demonstrated that parallel worlds provide an excellent justification for distinct remakes—such as the Fox X-Men joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe—or for showcasing alternate versions of a single character, a tactic seen in Peacemaker’s second season.
Sony’s Spider-Verse employs both strategies in unique manners, leading to a major villain featuring in both the upcoming series Spider-Noir, debuting in May, and the film Spider-Man: Brand New Day, arriving in July.
The live-action show Spider-Noir, featuring Nicolas Cage as the gritty private investigator Ben Reilly, recently unveiled its antagonists: Silvermane (Brendan Gleeson), Sandman (Jack Huston), Tombstone (Abraham Popoola), and Megawatt (Andrew Lewis Caldwell). A few of these choices are deep cuts from the lore; for instance, Megawatt previously appeared in only one Spider-Man comic, Spider-Man Unlimited Vol. 1 #2, released in 1993.
While Megawatt is a fresh addition to screen adaptations, another villain is well-known. Tombstone has served as a significant henchman in the animated Spider-Verse films, and voice actor Marvin Jones III is set to reprise this character in live-action for the upcoming MCU film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
However, in Spider-Noir, Tombstone will have a distinct appearance, portrayed by British actor Abraham Popoola. Naturally, this does not create a continuity conflict since Spider-Noir takes place in a universe entirely separate from the MCU, though the timing is notable given the character’s other live-action debut just months later.
The most notable difference is likely that Tombstone is typically depicted with albinism—a trait shared by voice actor Jones—whereas Popoola does not have albinism. Spider-Noir co-showrunner Oren Uziel explained that this choice was driven by practical concerns. The series is taking a unique approach by releasing two simultaneous versions: an “Authentic Black and White” edition and a “True-Hue Full Color” edition. Managing these two distinct aesthetics influenced such character decisions. “Black and white is interesting,” Uziel stated to IGN. “And certain things show up differently and present certain challenges. And I think [we] ruled that out before we even got too far down the road with talking about that.”
This is certainly a unique interpretation of the character, yet that is the strength of a series such as this. The characters are not required to resemble their comic book counterparts exactly; rather, it is far more desirable for them to appear as if they belong in a 1930s noir film. While this results in an adaptation that isn’t strictly faithful, the primary goal is to offer a fresh viewpoint.
It is improbable that this iteration of Tombstone will alter perceptions of the Brand New Day version, but the recurrence of the villain across projects suggests he may have a more significant part in Brand New Day than anticipated, with his Spider-Noir counterpart acting as a precursor. If Electro, a far more famous electricity-based villain, is being swapped for Megawatt, there must be a specific reason for retaining Tombstone.
Spider-Noir is set to premiere on May 27 via Amazon Prime Video.
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