Chameleon was considered for Spider-Man: Brand New Day before being dropped because the character appeared in Kraven the Hunter.
Writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers initially viewed Chameleon as a strong fit for a story about transformation. In the comics, Chameleon is a master of disguise and identity manipulation, making him thematically appropriate for a film centered on Peter Parker’s changing powers and uncertain sense of self.
The filmmakers considered changing Chameleon’s abilities from physical shapeshifting to telepathic possession. That approach would have distinguished the character from the Skrulls, whose shapeshifting had already appeared in earlier MCU projects. Ultimately, the character could not be used after Sony featured Chameleon in Kraven the Hunter, released in 2024.
The creative team then considered other telepathic characters before selecting Jean Grey as the film’s main antagonist. Chameleon is therefore part of the movie’s development history, not a villain who appears in the finished film.