The Overpowered Spider-Man Villain You Forgot Bowen Yang Played on SNL
Bowen Yang’s exit from Saturday Night Live is sparking a reassessment of his range: while his scene-stealing characters made him a star, an under-the-radar role he took outside the show may be the clearest clue to where he’s headed next.
If you blinked, you probably missed this one: Bowen Yang, fresh off his SNL exit, once popped up as a Marvel villain. Not on the big screen, not in the MCU, and not in a way Marvel loudly promoted. Back in 2023, Yang voiced Mister Negative on Disney Channel's animated series Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. It was a stealthy gig in a kid-focused show that quietly slid past a lot of die-hard fans.
Wait, Bowen Yang voiced a Marvel villain?
Yep. The show is Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, an animated Marvel series aimed at younger viewers that ran on Disney Channel and now streams on Disney+ in the U.S. Because it lives outside Marvel Studios' live-action projects, it did not get the usual MCU rollout or hype machine. Yang's name showed up in the episode credits as Mister Negative, but there was no big casting drumroll.
- Showrunners: Steve Loter, Pilar Flynn
- Seasons: 2
- Production companies: Marvel Animation; Cinema Gypsy Productions; Disney Television Animation; Flying Bark Productions
- IMDb rating: 7.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
- Aired on: Disney Channel (2023)
- Streaming: Disney+ (USA)
Who is Mister Negative, anyway?
Mister Negative is a longtime Spider-Man foe whose civilian identity is Martin Li. He is a classic split-identity character: the respectable public do-gooder on one side, a major New York crime boss on the other. His powers revolve around a comics-specific force called "negative energy" that he can generate and control. When that energy touches other people, it can corrupt them, pushing them toward aggression and even giving them a temporary power boost. He has also used that energy to heal himself and others. Over the years, his influence has extended to more than one character in his orbit, often amping up members of his own criminal crew.
That mix of supernatural power and deep criminal ties is why he keeps showing up across Spider-Man stories, even if his non-comics appearances are rarer. If you recognize the name, you might be thinking of his bigger roles in the comics or in video games rather than a quick animated turn.
So why did almost no one clock Yang's role?
A few reasons stacked up:
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is a cable TV animated series made for kids, not a flagship MCU title. It released as part of Disney Channel's regular lineup, not as an event drop on Disney+. Disney Channel toons usually do not get marquee-casting press blasts, and this was no exception — Yang was credited in-episode, not splashed across marketing. On top of that, Mister Negative's appearance in the show was smaller and separate from the more widely known versions tied to Spider-Man. Put it all together, and it makes complete sense if this one slipped past you.
Where to watch
If you are catching up on Yang's non-SNL work or just want a neat Marvel deep cut, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is streaming on Disney+ in the U.S.