Before His 2026 MCU Debut, This Villain May Get An Even More Comic-Accurate Story In Spider-Man's Live-Action Show

Tombstone, a notable member of Spider-Man's rogues' gallery, was previously on track to make his live-action debut in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Now, though, it's been confirmed that Tombstone will actually get his first live-action appearance a few months prior, via Prime Video's Nicolas Cage-led TV series, Spider-Noir.

Marvin Jones III is confirmed to play Tombstone in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, whereas Abraham Poopola (one of Spider-Noir's confirmed cast members) is seemingly playing the show's take on the villain, who is featured on one of the show's character posters. However, that doesn't mean they'll have identical roles.

Why Spider-Noir's Tombstone May Be More Comic Accurate Than The MCU's In One Key Way

Spider-Noir is set in an alternate reality of the Marvel Universe, allowing it to create very different versions of recognizable favorites. In other words, we can expect some major differences in how the two characters are portrayed. Firstly, there's their designs, as the casting of Marvin Jones III suggests he'll share the comic character's albino appearance, but that won't be the case for Poopola's (based on the poster).

On one hand, that would indicate that Spider-Man: Brand New Day's Tombstone will be more accurate to the traditional version of the character. That may be true in one sense, but Spider-Noir has one thing Brand New Day might lack when it comes to telling Tombstone's story, and that's Robbie Robertson, who is a key element of the villain's backstory and many run-ins with Spider-Man.

It's established in the pages of The Spectacular Spider-Man in the late 1980s that Tombstone a.k.a. Lonnie Lincoln grew up in the same neighborhood as Robbie. During their high school days, Robbie caught sight of Lonnie, then a small-time thug, committing a murder. But because Lonnie knew he was a witness and had threatened him, Robbie kept the secret.

Years later, when Lonnie had returned as Tombstone, Robbie eventually stood up to him and exposed the truth. Robbie's history with Lonnie and their shared secret have since served as catalysts for several of Tombstone's arcs in the comics, with Tombstone often motivated by his grudge against his childhood acquaintance.

Unless Spider-Man: Brand New Day seeks to introduce Robbie Robertson, this aspect of Tombstone's comic arc is unlikely to translate to the MCU. Spider-Noir, on the other hand, features Robbie Robertson - played by Lamorne Morris - as a member of its principal cast. With both Tombstone and Robbie Robertson on hand, there's good chances the show intends to let their paths intersect.

Where Tombstone May Fit Into Spider-Noir's Story

With both Silvermane and Tombstone as characters in the show, there's little doubt that organized crime will factor heavily into Ben Reilly's struggles in Spider-Noir. That would make it easy for the Prime Video series to integrate into its story Tombstone's past connection to Robertson from Marvel Comics.

It's not hard to imagine a scenario playing out where Nicolas Cage's Ben Reilly finds out that Robbie - like his comic book counterpart - is revealed to know a dark secret that could lead to Tombstone's downfall. Such a story could culminate in Robbie becoming a target of Tombstone in the show, forcing Ben Reilly to use his alter ego as the Spider to protect him.

There's also the matter of a possible gang war. In Marvel Comics, Tombstone and Silvermane are prominent figures in Marvel's criminal underworld, as is Mister Negative, a character who is all but confirmed to make an appearance in Spider-Noir.

All three have reputations as ambitious gangsters who enjoy power, making power struggles in the criminal underworld feel like an inevitability for Spider-Noir. If the show's take on Tombstone is vying for power, butting heads with other crime bosses, and secretly gunning for Robbie Robertson, it won't be hard for the series to make him feel like a comic-accurate interpretation of the Spider-Man villain.