Spider-Man 4 Being Another Multiverse Movie Would Be The Wrong Move For Tom Holland’s MCU Hero

The MCU’s Spider-Man 4 should move away from multiversal storytelling for a street-level tone that would benefit Tom Holland’s Peter Parker. Since Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s ending, news has been sparse on the continuation of the character in the MCU. While a Spider-Man 4 story in the MCU has long been rumored, nothing of note has been concretely confirmed by Marvel Studios or Sony Pictures aside from Tom Holland’s countless reiterations that he would love to play Peter Parker again so long as the story warranted a return.

That said, this lack of solid confirmation has not stopped theories from being concocted about Spider-Man’s place in the upcoming slate of Marvel movies. With Marvel’s 2024 release list only consisting of Deadpool 3 concerning theatrical movies in the MCU, it is unlikely Spider-Man’s return will come any time soon. However, recent unconfirmed rumors about Spider-Man 4 suggest that those at Sony Pictures wish to make the film another multiversal adventure which would prove to be detrimental to Tom Holland’s character for a number of reasons.

Spider-Man: No Way Home’s Ending Already Set Up A Street-Level Story

Peter Parker’s journey was left off to explore a more grounded tale in the MCU’s future.

Firstly, Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s ending does not support another multiverse-level story. At the end of the film, Spider-Man essentially sacrificed his own life by telling Doctor Strange to cast a spell that made everyone forget Peter Parker existed. This allowed the breaches in the multiverse to end but also meant that Peter Parker’s life as he knew it was over. Everyone he loved forgot who he was, forcing him to begin living a solitary life as Spider-Man without the hindrances that his life as Peter Parker brought to his superheroics.

This ending means that another multiversal adventure would not make sense for the character. No Way Home‘s story left off with Spider-Man becoming exactly what he was supposed to be, a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man to the people of New York. This proves that a street-level story for Spider-Man 4 would work perfectly as it could explore Peter reckoning with his new life as well as Spider-Man’s renewed interest in fighting the crime of New York rather than world-altering threats like Thanos or the multiversal Sinister Six of Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Another Multiverse Spider-Man Movie Would Lessen No Way Home’s Impact

No Way Home’s benefits would be reduced if the same were to happen again only one movie later.

One other reason why a multiversal Spider-Man 4 would hurt Tom Holland’s character is that it would lessen Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s impact. Undoubtedly the biggest selling point of No Way Home was the team-up between the three live-action Spider-Man actors: Tom Holland, Tobey Maguire, and Andrew Garfield. Given that Maguire’s Spider-Man franchise ended sourly with the failed Spider-Man 4 and Garfield’s was the same with the canceled The Amazing Spider-Man 3, the excitement at the two returning propelled No Way Home to another level of anticipation.

The promise of two former Spider-Men uniting with Tom Holland’s MCU version was a major catalyst in the film becoming the phenomenon it was, something that was proven by No Way Home‘s almost $2 billion box office haul. With that in mind, it would be a mistake to bring back Maguire and Garfield for the second live-action Spider-Man movie in a row. Not only would this lessen No Way Home‘s impact and make that movie feel less special as a result, but it would also risk Spider-Man 4 becoming a soulless, cameo-filled movie with little point beyond moneymaking fan service.

The MCU’s Spider-Man 4 Can Finally Be A Proper Spider-Man Movie

No Way Home’s ending established the idea that a more faithful Spider-Man story could be told in the future of the MCU.

Spider-Man 4 being a street-level film in the MCU would also benefit the overall characterization of Tom Holland’s Web-Slinger. One of the more prevalent criticisms of Tom Holland’s version of Spider-Man in the MCU was that he relied too heavily on characters like Iron Man. The gadgets, technology, and suits granted to him by Tony Stark often led to the MCU’s Spider-Man being degradingly dubbed “Iron Boy Jr.” That said, Spider-Man: No Way Home made it clear that this was the plan all along, with the film’s ending solidifying all three MCU Spidey movies as an origin story.

By the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, the MCU’s Peter Parker had accepted that he was not Iron Man’s replacement and taken inspiration from the other two Spider-Men. This led to a classic set-up for Spider-Man’s MCU journey going forward: Peter living alone in New York and struggling to make rent, yet continuing to fight for what is right as Spider-Man. No Way Home‘s ending planted all the seeds for the MCU’s Spider-Man 4 to continue this story and thus be a proper Spidey film, something that a multiversal installment would negate.

If Spider-Man 4 was a street-level film, more of Spider-Man’s comic characters could be utilized as opposed to MCU characters like the Avengers. Many have theorized that Spider-Man 4 will use the universe forgetting Peter as an excuse to introduce comic characters like Gwen Stacy or Harry Osborn. This would give Spider-Man 4 a much more classic Marvel Comics Spidey feel while following perfectly from the ending that No Way Home established.

Spider-Man’s Next Multiverse Movie Should Be Avengers: Secret Wars

The concept of the multiverse is better suited for giant, event movies like Avengers 5 and 6.

Finally, the last reason why Spider-Man 4 should not be a multiversal movie is the adverse effect this scenario would have on Avengers: Secret Wars. When Avengers: Secret Wars was announced, it became clear that the MCU would take inspiration from the Marvel Comics story of the same name. This story involved the Avengers of the multiverse being transported to a realm named Battleworld, teaming up with variants across the multiverse to battle the likes of Doctor Doom and the Beyonder.

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Avengers: Secret Wars: Release Date, Plot Details & Everything We Know

The culmination of phases 4, 5, and 6 of the MCU will be in Avengers: Secret Wars. Here’s everything to know about the sixth Avengers movie.

Considering that the MCU’s Phases 4, 5, and 6 are being dubbed the Multiverse Saga, it would make a lot of sense for Avengers: Secret Wars to be the culmination of this. This led to many theories that the MCU’s Secret Wars would bring together the disparate live-action franchises that have been formed in the past from the MCU itself to the likes of 20th Century Fox’s X-Men universe. These theories seem to be being supported by the recent set-up of the X-Men in movies like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, The Marvels, and the upcoming Deadpool 3.

However, two more franchises have often been raised as perfect inclusions for Avengers: Secret Wars: Maguire’s Spider-Man universe and Garfield’s The Amazing Spider-Man movies. If Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is involved in Avengers: Secret Wars, it would be a perfect place for the three Spider-Men to reunite years on from Spider-Man: No Way Home. Not only would Holland’s character have grown in the meantime thanks to smaller-scale movies like Spider-Man 4 and its potential sequels, but the major, fan-service tone of such a reunion would fit an Avengers movie much better than another Spider-Man solo film.