Endgame Secretly Set Up An Avengers 5 Problem For Spider-Man

Although Avengers: Endgame satisfyingly concluded the Marvel Cinematic Universe Infinity Saga, it also created a big problem for Spider-Man in the next Avengers movie. Spider-Man joined the MCU in Captain America: Civil War before his solo film series began with Spider-Man: Homecoming, but the MCU’s iteration of Peter Parker has, since his debut, been closely tied to the MCU’s other superheroes, with Spider-Man playing a prominent role in Endgame’s finale. The battle brought Spider-Man even closer to his Avengers teammates, but this will prove troublesome for the young hero, given the tragic Spider-Man: No Way Home ending.

While the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield iterations of Spider-Man adhered closely to different eras of the comic source material, Tom Holland’s version, by necessity, had to be different. Rather than embodying another era of the Spider-Man comics, Holland’s version of Peter Parker is a largely original take on the character, with some loose inspiration from several comic eras and much of his characterization being intertwined with Iron Man’s MCU story. While some viewers have taken issue with this, Holland’s Spider-Man moving out of Iron Man’s shadow is a recurring element in his solo movies.

Endgame Made Spider-Man’s Avengers Team-Up In Phase 6 Difficult

No Way Home catastrophically altered Spider-Man’s status quo by having Doctor Strange erase everyone’s memories of Peter Parker (for the sake of repairing the multiverse). While this, refreshingly, renders Spider-Man a truly independent hero as he was in the comics, it also leaves viewers with questions regarding his established relationships with his Avengers teammates. For example, upon meeting Captain Marvel in Endgame, Spider-Man notably introduced himself as Peter Parker rather than Spider-Man, raising questions as to whether she would be able to remember his role in the proceedings after No Way Home.

Spider-Man will presumably return in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, where he will likely fight alongside Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, and other Avengers heroes. As far as who will remember Spider-Man and how they will remember him, the best indicator of Spidey’s relationships with his teammates is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Strange is only familiar with Spider-Man’s costumed persona, not Peter Parker. This could easily be the case for Captain Marvel and the other Avengers, despite Carol Danvers first – and possibly only – knowing Spider-Man as Peter Parker.

Why The MCU Won’t Cut Spider-Man From The Avengers

Spider-Man completed his character arc in No Way Home and now has a new status quo in the MCU, making the film a natural ending to his story thus far, but this does not make future Avengers appearances unlikely. Spider-Man is one of Marvel’s all-time most successful characters, at the box office, in merchandise sales, and as a cultural icon, so while it may take time for more Spider-Man solo movies, the web-slinger should be expected to appear in the next two Avengers movies. The events of Avengers: Endgame and No Way Home, however, could make for some humorous interactions between Spider-Man and his teammates.