Mysterio

Dr. Octopus, Sandman, Electro, Vulture, and now Mysterio? All we need is a live-action Kraven and we'll be able to build a multiversal movie incarnation of the Sinister Six. The master illusionist Mysterio battles his foe Spider-Man using his wits and the technology embedded in his suit. Wait, "his foe"? But I thought all the trailers were making it abundantly clear that this version of Mysterio was from an alternate dimension where he was a magic-wielding hero, not a villain. I suddenly feel so betrayed! Why, it's almost as if this guy was a master of misdirection and illusion! It's impressive how close to the classic costume MCU Mysterio sticks: a green suit, gold armor, a big purple cape, all that. But it's not just the broad strokes that do it. They gave the green suit a similar texture to Vision, which also mimics the quilted/waffle pattern from the comics; his gloves have that squarish four-sided look with swirly textures on the faces; and they didn't just give him a giant purple cape, they even included the big stylized eyes he uses as clasps to hold it on! Holy moley, that's dedication to a bit! The Iron Man-ish breastplate (with its subtly hidden capital M's down the center) is a new addition, but it still fits aesthetically with the rest of the suit. And then there's the helmet. The concept art went through a lot of different designs, including some that were very Johann Kraus/Cobra Commander style, but at the end they just went right ahead with the big fishbowl. And it's amazing! It's neither too clear nor too solid, painted with a shiny pearlescence that makes it look like something with depth, rather than just a flat white ping pong ball. While most of the articulation is the usual ML man stuff - balljointed head, swivel/hinge ankles, hinged neck, swivel thighs, swivel/hinge shoulders, balljointed hips, swivel biceps, swivel/hinge wrists, and hinged elbows - but then the torso moves with a balljoint, rather than a swivel in the waist and a hinge in the chest. That's usually reserved for female figures, so having it pop up here is unexpected, especially since you'd think the metal armor on his chest would make him less flexible, not more. Other than a pair of interchangeable fists, Mysterio has no accessories - you know how Hasbro loves to not include unmasked heads with its MCU villains (at least not they can later do a two-pack and get more money out of us), so there's no beardy Jake Gyllenhaal head to swap out with the fishbowl. There's also no smoke effects or anything. All we get is the fat left leg of the Molten Man BAF. It's been a long path trying to bring Mysterio to movie screens. Sam Raimi did a lot of set-up, but then, he also worked really hard on making Dylan Baker be Curt Connors, and we all know how that turned out. Far From Home made Mysterio a terrific villain, utilizing him him to the utmost while still remaining true to the comics. -- 08/03/19

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