Doctor Strange’s Spider-Man Spell Worked So Well The MCU Just Forgot Him

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Ms. Marvel.

It seems like Doctor Strange’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) memory spell in Spider-Man: No Way Home worked so well that MCU totally forgot that Spider-Man (Tom Holland) exists in Ms. Marvel. The latest Disney+ series from Marvel Studios introduces Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan, an Avenger-obsessed teenager from Jersey City who gets her own superpowers in an unexpected way. One of the most interesting parts of the show thus far is the inclusion of an MCU Easter egg-laden AvengerCon in Ms. Marvel episode 1 that Kamala attends with her best friend, Bruno (Matt Lintz).

Ms. Marvel is set one or two years after Avengers: Endgame, which means that it’s possible that the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home have already gone down before Kamala’s origin story. In the Jon Watts-directed Spider-Man film, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) made the ultimate sacrifice when he let Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) cast a spell that wiped the memory of Peter Parker being Spider-Man’s real identity from everyone’s minds. Admittedly, specifics about the full effects of the spell remain unclear, but it seems like it worked so well that Spider-Man wasn’t referenced at Ms. Marvel‘s AvengerCon.

Kamala and Bruno sneak out to attend the first-ever Avengers-centric event in the MCU. The convention is littered with booths that are dedicated to certain Avengers — some selling merchandise, others offering fun activities. Ms. Marvel‘s AvengerCon features a tribute to Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.). Expectedly, attendees are dressed in their respective favorite heroes, from the Avengers to Guardians of the Galaxy. Amidst all of this, however, there’s not a single booth, cosplayer, or merchandise for Spider-Man. In reality, this has to do with Sony having the character rights for the hero. So unless Marvel Studios gets special permission from them to even just reference the wall-crawler, the MCU can’t feature him. It seems like for Ms. Marvel, Kevin Feige and his team didn’t think it was worth it to go through all that trouble.

Doctor Strange’s Spider-Man Spell Worked So Well The MCU Just Forgot Him

In any case, Marvel Studios is able to get away with AvengerCon not featuring Spider-Man. After all, there’s a slew of other characters that are referenced in the event. Things are quite different with regard to narrative, however. It’s odd that Ms. Marvel‘s AvengerCon doesn’t have any reference to Spider-Man, seeing as he’s based in New York City next door. It’s impossible to believe the locals wouldn’t know about his exploits. More than Spider-Man’s absence in the public event, the fact that Kamala doesn’t talk about him is more suspicious, especially considering her love for superheroes. While it’s possible that, as Ms. Marvel progresses, Kamala ultimately name-drops Spider-Man, it’s strange to see his absence erased.

Aside from Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel‘s AvengerCon is also missing other notable heroes. There are no references to the Earth-based Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and War Machine (Don Cheadle). These smaller details don’t seem to bother her, however, as Kamala is mostly fixated on Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) tributes in the event.

Ms. Marvel airs new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.

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