The Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Character Fans Think Is Under-Appreciated

2018 saw the release of Sony Animation's acclaimed and highly influential "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." The film follows teenager Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) who turns into Spider-Man and must team up with Spideys from other universes to stop an impending threat to all their realities. Balancing crazy action, lovable characters, legit emotion, and an unapologetically comic book aesthetic, "Spider-Verse" achieved the impossible in one fell swoop. Not only did it rake in a hearty $375 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo) with the highest-opening box office for an animated film in December (via Hollywood Reporter), but it received immense critical acclaim: The film is the highest rated Spider-Man movie on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 97% critic's score. It would go on to win best animated feature at the Oscars, in a rare victory over Pixar ("Incredibles 2") and Disney ("Ralph Breaks the Internet" ).

Part of what makes the film so beloved is its colorful cast of characters, both well-known and obscure. Not only was this the cinematic debut of the fan-favorite Miles Morales, but audiences were introduced to the likes of the Gwen Stacy incarnation of Spider-Woman (often referred to as Spider-Gwen, or Ghost-Spider), as well as Spider-Man Noir, Penny Parker, and Spider-Ham, as well as long-awaited bad guys like the Prowler. The fact that the film is able to balance and introduce such a plethora of characters so gracefully speaks volumes of the quality of the writing. 

But even then, some characters slip through the cracks and don't get the love they deserve. One such character has been receiving a bunch of appreciation from fans online, who want to see him take a bigger role in future Marvel projects.

"Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse" brought several villains under one roof. While many, particularly Kingpin and a female version of Doctor Octopus, stand out, one villain that the film doesn't take as much advantage of is Tombstone, voiced by "Black Lightning" actor Marvin Jones III (aka Krondon). Also known as Lonnie Lincoln, Tombstone originated in the comics as a villain of Spider-Man, Daredevil, and Punisher. Between his razor-sharp teeth and his calm, cool demeanor, Tombstone is one of Spider-Man's most intimidating bad guys, despite being relatively low-powered, and outside of the animated series "Spectacular Spider-Man," he's rarely had a chance to shine outside of the comics. 

Within the film, Tombstone acts as Kingpin's right-hand man. Tombstone makes for a fearsome guard, evident when he pulls two guns on Doctor Octopus following an unsuccessful attempt at capturing the Spider-Men. Even when contained, he points his weapons at her until Kingpin reassures him it's okay. He later helps track down the Spider-Men at Aunt May's house and helps in the battle. At the end, he is taken out by Spider-Man Noir during the final battle.

To date, there's been no word regarding whether Tombstone might one day appear in a live-action MCU project, but recently, fans took a moment to highlight his underrated role in "Spider-Verse."

With every detail of "Spider-Verse," as Redditor u/_FossilFace_ pointed out, it's easy to forget that Lonnie Lincoln is in the movie. This user wasn't alone in such sentiments, as other fans chimed in with their thoughts regarding the villain and his presence in both "Spider-Verse" and past projects. 

User Chappy422 expressed a desire to possibly see the character reunite with Kingpin in live-action, commenting, "I'd love to see him in MCU but it would have to be involved with Kingpin (which is possible now)." Between the expansion of Spider-Man's role in the MCU and the return of Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin in the Disney+ show, "Hawkeye," this seems too good an opportunity to pass. Others brought up Tombstone's previous on-screen appearances, with one now-deleted user saying they enjoyed how the 1990s animated series depicted a New York crime scene with various leaders, including Kingpin and Silvermane, often at odds. Similarly, user Navetsss proudly proclaims, "Spectacular Spider-Man Tombstone is the best Tombstone." 

That said, user Psymorte has hope for the future, saying, "Tombstone deserves to be the main villain of a movie, definitely not just a forgettable henchman."

Arguably, of Marvel's crime lords, Tombstone is one of the most interesting, due to both his total professionalism and his more nuanced view of the world (per Comic Book Resources). He is also tied to classic Spider-Man supporting character Joe Robertson, who has yet to appear on film since the Sam Raimi flicks. Time will tell if we get to see Tombstone make it back to the big screen, but at least we can appreciate what little we have of him thus far.