Tag: Spider-Man

“Expect to See Him Everywhere”: What’s Next for Charlie Cox’s Daredevil
Following the cancellation of Netflix’s streaming series, Daredevil, fans united under the #SaveDaredevil movement to make it clear that Charlie Cox’s iteration of the character shouldn’t be retired. In late 2020, the first reports of Cox’s return to the role in Spider-Man: No Way Home circulated and sparked a debate among disbelievers that wasn’t truly settled until nearly a year later when Kevin Feige finally declared that Cox would be returning in the role. Though his appearance was brief, it was met with thunderous applause in theaters and has fans wild with anticipation about when they might see him again. Several months ago, a source who confirmed Cox’s return to the MCU last December shared something that should add to that anticipation. When asked where Cox might appear again, the response was, “expect to see him everywhere.” With a recent run of rumors lining up with that statement, let’s take a look at what’s next for Cox’s character.

She-Hulk
Rumors have persisted that the next place we’ll see Charlie Cox is in Marvel Studios yet-to-be-dated for 2022 streaming series, She-Hulk. This rumor (is it even still a rumor at this point) makes too much sense for it not to happen and promises that Cox will have quite a bit more to do than catch a brick. Rumblings have Cox showing up in the court room as Murdock, where he’ll probably go up against Tatiana Maslany’s Jennifer Walters. The two, of course, faced off in Charles Soule’s 2014 She-Hulk, and had quite a fun relationship. It is worth noting that while the rumor has them facing off in a court case involving a superhero tailor, issue #9 of Soule’s run found the two on opposing sides of a case involving an old, depowered Steve Rogers. With Chris Evans rumored to return for two non-Captain America projects, his presence would make for one helluva surprise.

Of course that’s only half the rumor and the other half sounds a whole lot more fun. Probably also inspired from the same Soule run, the rumor suggests that Cox, sporting a shiny, new, yellow suit and kicking some ass as Daredevil. It looks as though Cox’s reintegration into the MCU is going to be step-by-step with She-Hulk giving fans their first chance to see Daredevil hit the skyline again. So we’ll see the character at least once in 2022, though there is a rumor he has some role to play in Moon Knight as well.

Echo

Daredevil is also rumored to be appearing in the Marvel Studios streaming series, Echo, which is currently slated to go into production in April. Echo will feature several new Native American roles and a couple of new, female villains but there’s definitely room for Daredevil. Whatever role Cox’s character plays in the series, it’ll be markedly different from the source material. Echo was first introduced in Daredevil Vol. 2 and was trained and sent out by Kingpin to take out Daredevil, who he blamed for the death of Echo’s father; along the way, she met and fell in love with Matt Murdock. While the two did battle, Murdock was able to convince her of the truth before she killed him. Echo went on to take her revenge on Kingpin by shooting him in the face, similar to the scene we saw at the end of Hawkeye.

Even though that story seems like it’s off the table (we could always see a flashback if Marvel really felt the need to tell it), there’s plenty of room for the two to run into one another. The end of Hawkeye is just the beginning of Echo’s journey. Everything she once thought to be true about her life was revealed as a facade that came crashing down. It’s likely that her journey will lead her back to New York and the Kingpin and that her path will intersect Murdock’s along the way. This should be the first of at least two 2023 appearances for Cox.

Armor Wars

Armor Wars is still a long way off and very, very little is known about it but the premise is that a group of villains mysteriously come into possession of Stark Tech and that James Rhodes will have to deal with the fallout. One of those villains is engineer Wilbur Day who uses the tech to upgrade his original suit. It would represent a major missed opportunity not to include Stilt-Man, originally a Daredevil villain who first appeared on the page in 1965, in Armor Wars and have Rhodey enlist the help of Daredevil in taking him down. Assuming we also see Cox in Echo, this will mark at least his second 2023 appearance (there’s also a rumor he’ll appear in Ironheart, which would come out before Armor Wars).

Spider-Man 4

Spider-Man: No Way Home gave fans the first onscreen meeting of two longtime comic book friends: Spider-Man and Daredevil. Although they only met as Peter Parker and Matt Murdock, hope remains that the two will team-up again down the road to take on a shared foe: Kingpin. While he’s best known as Daredevil’s archenemy, Kingpin first entered the world of Marvel Comics in 1967’s Amazing Spider-Man #50. The stage is set up perfectly for an adaptation of that arc where Fisk united crime bosses into the international crime syndicate known as the Maggia.

Both Tom Holland and Vincent D’Onofrio have expressed their interest in their respective characters coming into conflict, making Fisk a very likely possibility to appear in the next Spider-Man film. With Spider-Man now known to be sticking close to his new NYC neighborhood and Daredevil likely patrolling the city as well, it’s only a matter of time before these two bump into one another and unite to take down the head of NYC’s organized crime. With Kevin Feige revealing that they have already begun work on the next Spider-Man film and Sony’s eagerness to have the character appear every two years, it’s possible that this film could make it into theaters for late 2024.

Daredevil

The final rumor is that a solo Daredevil project is now in development at the studio. I’ll caution (though it’ll do absolutely no good) that being “in development” never, ever means a project will get made but, given the enormity of the popularity of Cox in the role, this odds that this ends up getting a green light have to be high. It it happens, it’s probably 2 to 3 years off but given the possibilities outlined above and Cox’s other contractual obligations, it may well be that long before he can lead his own project. At this point, all we really know is that it is not currently slated to enter into production in 2022.
December 31, 2021
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Creatives Looked to Return Peter Parker His Comic Book Roots

While Tom Holland’s time as Spider-Man has been full of critical and box office success, it has not been without criticisms. Among the most common is that Peter’s relationship with Tony Stark gave the young hero too much, too soon, and took him far away from his comic book origins. Fans grew tired of Parker’s dependance on Stark’s technology, calling him “Iron Boy”, and hoped, with Stark now out of the picture, that Parker would have to learn to fend for himself. Stark tech was present once again in Spider-Man: No Way, both by way of the Ion Spider suit and the fabricator that helped Parker synthesize cures for the multiversal villains. By the end of the film, however, audiences saw a Parker who more closely resembled the young hero from the comics, having learned the true cost of being Spider-Man. And according to the film’s writing duo, Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna, putting Parker in that place was part of their mission.

Fans of the long-running comic book series are used to Peter having to deal with what he’s come to call “Parker Luck.” It’s never been strictly defined by Marvel (I don’t think), but Parker Luck seems like a very specific branch of Murphy’s Law: if anything can go wrong for Peter, it will. More acutely, it seems to explore the inverse relationship between the time Peter spends doing good deeds as Spider-Man and the amount of GOOD things that happen to him. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter’s acceptance of his moral mission as Spider-Man, morals defined by his Aunt May, came at the cost of those he loved most, as McKenna explained:

He was trying to do what May taught him and that made the sacrifice that much more difficult, because it blew up in his face and it got her killed. Then he started questioning that morality in a way that he never really questioned because he hasn’t been put to the test in that way.

How did Parker come to terms with those questions? As we see by the end of the film, he seems to have come to terms with the fact that in order to be the hero he wants to be, there could be no getting around the spell cast by Strange to make people forget him. Though he promised to find MJ and Ned and “make them remember” him, McKenna says he comes to the realization that making that choice would only put them in danger:

You want to have that doughnut scene be him making the last piece of the sacrifice. “I could tell them everything. I can try to get my friends back. But I’d be going right back to the place of endangering my loved ones by bringing them into my life. And I can’t have that.”

Peter makes the mature choice after MJ mentions that her cut doesn’t really hurt anymore. While her words describe the physical pain of the cut, Peter realizes that the MJ’s emotional pain of losing him has also dissipated and chooses to leave her and Ned happy and safe, making, as McKenna said, the final step in his sacrifice and choosing not to try to continue live in two worlds, as Doctor Strange warned him. As many astute fans have noticed, it’s only at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home that we are finally getting the version of the character that made him so beloved over the years. Moving forward, Holland’s Parker is on his own without the benefit of Stark’s tech or the support of those around him, meaning the next trilogy of MCU films will look a whole lot different and, potentially, a whole lot more like the comics.

December 30, 2021
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Writers Address Why Doctor Strange’s Spell Drew Venom to the MCU

Magic. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, magic was both the problem and the solution and, because how magic works remains a mystery to us, fans were left with a lot of questions as they walked away from the theaters. Why did Doctor Strange’s original spell-gone-wrong draw Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock into the MCU? Does Strange’s final spell mean the Guardians or Captain Marvel, who weren’t on Earth when it was cast, will forget Peter, too? In an interview with Variety, writers Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna explained their approach to magic in the year’s biggest box office hit.

The film’s central plot revolved around Peter meeting five villains from previous Spider-Man films and trying to cure them. The mid-credit scene, however, introduced a sixth: Hardy’s Eddie Brock and his alien symbiote companion, Venom. While the other five found themselves involved in a conflict with the Spider-Men, Brock chose to while away his time in Mexico, having drinks and catching up on the history of the MCU. But why was this version of Brock, who has yet to meet a Peter Parker in his own universe, brought to the MCU by the spell? According to the writers, the answer lies in a line spoken in the post-credit scene to Sony’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage, which the duo revealed was actually directed by No Way Home’s Jon Watts.

In that scene, Brock and Venom are catching up on their telenovelas while hiding out in Mexico when Venom begins to explain to him that he possesses “80 billion light years of hive knowledge across universes” that would “explode” Eddie’s “tiny little brain.” And just as Venom prepares to give Eddie a “taste” of that knowledge, the pair are caught up in Strange’s spell and brought to the MCU. According to McKenna, somewhere in that hive knowledge exits the Parker/Spidey connection, as he explained, “The idea is that the symbiote has knowledge of other universes. Buried in his brain is some knowledge of that connection.” Problem solved.

The writers were a little less specific in their explanations as to exactly how Strange’s final spell, which made everyone on Earth forget about Peter Parker, would play out down the line, especially with him still actively working as Spider-Man. “Obviously, some sort of magical redaction has occurred,” McKenna explained. “At the end of all this, we didn’t want a lot of people trying to do magical math in their head.” And so, according to Sommers, they left the problems to be solved by their future selves:

We decided, let’s try to do it in the most satisfying way and just focus on the emotion of it. And then if people have questions about some of those details that didn’t get answered here, we’ll answer them hopefully in another movie somewhere down the line.

Give that the duo have worked on each of the MCU’s Spidey films so far and that there’s a fourth in development, they’ll probably have to start figuring out how to answer them sooner rather than later.

Source: Variety

December 30, 2021
How Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield Helped Shape ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’

For most audiences viewing Spider-Man: No Way Home, the most exciting element of the film was the return of former Spidey actors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. In the latest installment, the duo returned so that they could aid current series star Tom Holland in fighting off a small army of their own multiversal supervillains. While it may have been reasonable to believe the actors simply popped in to perform their scenes before moving on to other projects, a recent interview with the movie’s writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers revealed the opposite was actually true. Maguire and Garfield had significant input on the way their characters shaped the film. Sommers begins:

They had thoughts, and it was really interesting and helpful to see their thoughts. No one knows the character as well as — or gives as much thought to the character — as someone who has to then embody it and sell it. … It definitely shaped what we did.
Erik Sommers

McKenna continues:

They had great ideas that really elevated everything we were going for and added layers and an arc and we really actually started honing into the idea that these two guys were really helping Tom’s Peter on his journey to becoming who he ends up becoming. There’s a crucial, moral moment that they help him get through in the climax of the movie. So much of that was brought by Tobey and Andrew’s ideas and shaping of what they thought their characters could bring to this story.
Chris McKenna

The film doesn’t end up delving too far into the post-franchise life of either interpretation of the character, and the writers claim this was done on purpose. McKenna states they wanted to hold back from the characters being used purely as fan service, and focus more on the ways they could help Holland’s Peter Parker emotionally We learn much more about the ongoing adventures of Garfield’s Parker than we do Maguire’s, and this was supposedly exactly what the actors wanted:

Tobey wanted to be very minimal about how much you know. Very, very minimal. Andrew really loved the idea of he’s still tortured over what happened in Amazing Spider-Man 2and where that left him, and how they could bring that to Tom.
Chris McKenna

It certainly added quite a bit to their appearance, as they felt like actual characters continuing their story arcs in meaningful ways while having all three learn from each other. The writing duo had quite the challenge ahead of them, but they managed to keep it all intact while also building upon the franchise’s overall development. It makes you wonder where they are from here on.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

December 29, 2021
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’s Ending Was Written In Case There Was No More Sequel

Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s ending might go down as one of the best in Marvel’s cinematic history and as one of the most tragic. Tom Holland’s run as Peter Parker came full circle, but at a deep cost. After a fun multiversal romp filled to the brim with familiar faces, the story still ended with Peter making an important decision. It still remained his story and while open-ended, could’ve still felt like the perfect bookend to this version of the character. Luckily, it seems that the writers had exactly that in mind.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna discussed the ending of the film, and that they had this in mind when tackling the project, especially as it builds upon the lessons learned from the past two entries. As Sommers points out:

We knew we were going to end up in that place. As far as what it means, whether or not there are going to be more? All we could do was try to service this story and tell what we felt was the best version of this story. It’s ended in a place where it could feel like a satisfying to this particular Spider-Man, or it definitely could keep going.
Erik Sommers

Of course, they also took this ending as a potential “end” for the entire franchise. It’s a given after the dealings already fell apart before they even entered the third film’s production. While a fourth is in development as confirmed by Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige, they did keep that in the back of their mind while writing it.

I think it’s a fitting ending if it had to end this way. We never know. “Oh, is Tom doing another one? Will we be a part of it?” At a certain point we just got to keep our eye on the one in front of us. “Is this a satisfying story that doesn’t just feel like we are ending on a cliffhanger that is trying to trick you in to the next one?” I do feel with this ending, Peter makes a sacrifice. There are all these Marvel movies about him trying to figure out what it is to be a hero, what it is to be Spider-Man, what it is to be Peter Parker, how to balance both, how to have it all. He gets to have it all at the end of the last movie, right before that tag and then it’s all stripped away. “Oh no! What are they going to do next time?” This one feels like it’s more mature because it really is, as Doctor Strange says, “You are trying to have it all. You can’t have it all. You’ve got to make a choice.”
Chris McKenna

They certainly had to tackle quite a challenge when bringing this film to life. Some of the previous entries always end up buckling under the weight of expectation, as they juggle multiple storylines that end up distracting from the core narrative. Here’s hoping to see what the future has in store for Tom Holland‘s take on the character.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

December 29, 2021
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ on Uncle Ben’s Absence in the MCU

There was always one noticeable change in the MCU Spider-Man films in comparison to previous cinematic Spider-Man franchises: the noticeable lack of Uncle Ben. He tends to be the main anchor point for Peter Parker’s morality. Yet, as we learned in Spider-Man: No Way Home, it turns out that this role was taken over by Aunt May. In her last moments, she even echoes the famous “with great power” words from the comics. Well, it seems that Uncle Ben was always on the mind of writers Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna, who worked on all three entries as revealed in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

I don’t think there was much impetus to put it into the other two movies. This iteration of Spider-Man didn’t start by telling the story of losing Uncle Ben. We started at a different place with Peter. Those words are so tied to Uncle Ben, there didn’t seem to be a natural place for it. We weren’t even thinking necessarily, “Oh, we have to do it in this one.” As the story started to develop, and as we got to the scene with May, we realized, “This is going to be Peter’s Uncle Ben,” and the words are going to come out.
Erik Sommers

This arc also plays into how he develops, as McKenna reveals they’ve always played around with the absence of Uncle Ben but realized they can tell a very different origin story that adds more layers to his character, especially with a moral guide like Aunt May adding a new spin on the familiar. They also go on to say that:

Hopefully you start seeing this is a different Peter Parker. They are all different. They have had different origins. They have had different contexts and this Peter is the only one of these three who has had a Tony Stark in his life. So he chases the fame. He chases this father figure and approval from this billionaire, philanthropist playboy. Then he realizes, “I don’t want to be an Avenger. I’m chasing the wrong thing.” And the next movie was, “I can’t be Iron Man. I can only be Spider-Man.” In this one, there is a whole new way he has to get tested about what these other two guys have been tested by. By the death of a loved one at the hands of a villain. What are you going to do about that? They help him get there
Chris McKenna

While many were not happy with the initial direction and Iron Man’s role as a mentor to Spidey, it all paid off as part of a trilogy. As they highlight, the arc was about uncovering what it means to be Spider-Man, which is truly anchored in how the film ends. Here’s hoping that the future lets us explore the lesson that he took away from those events as he grows, for the first time, left to his own devices.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

December 29, 2021
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Already Passed $500M Domestically

It looks like Spider-Man: No Way Home is continuing to take over the Box office at an incredible pace. The film has already passed the $500M mark and is currently continuing its dominance of the box office even as Omicron concerns are spreading worldwide. AS pointed out by @Great_Katzby, the film is potentially going to nab an $800M+ domestic run, which would put it on par with massive releases like Avengers: Endgame, and Avatar, as it would end up right between the two’s domestic runs.

#SpiderManNoWayHome has surpassed $500M at the domestic box office. It’s heading for an $800M+ run.

Top Domestic Films Ever:

Force Awakens ($937M)
Endgame ($858M)
Avatar ($761M)
Black Panther ($700M)
Infinity War ($679M)
— Brandon Katz (@Great_Katzby) December 29, 2021

long do

It’s quite a strong domestic run and if the film manages to release in China, it may continue to inch towards a $2 billion worldwide release. There’s still some time and concerns over the pandemic have slowed down that momentum somewhat, but the film is still a massive success for Sony and Marvel Studios. As we heard a few days ago, the film is on its way to becoming Sony’s most profitable release with the current estimates still seeing it end its run at around $1.75B. It’ll certainly be important to keep an eye on how its box office run develops moving forward.

Source: Twitter

December 29, 2021
UPDATE: Andrew Garfield’s Stunt Double on ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 3’ Rumors

UPDATE: It looks like another comment has been discovered by William Spencer on the discussions surrounding The Amazing Spider-Man 3. As shared previously, the Andrew Garfield stunt double seemingly hinted at something being in the works, but The Direct uncovered another comment that was tucked away, where he confirms he has no info on the rumored The Amazing Spider-Man 3 revival.

As we stated in our article below, he reacted with a thank you to a previous congratulations on a revival, very likely spurred by the Forbes piece that seemed to hint at one being already in development.

Source: Instagram via The Direct

Ever since Spider-Man: No Way Home hit theaters, there’s been a lot to digest on the future of Spider-Man. Many were happy to see Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire‘s return to the iconic roles, but it also brought back a new love for The Amazing Spider-Man franchise. So much that it even became a trending topic and people wanted to see the revival of the third entry. Garfield is even a popular choice to face off against Venom, as many believe his Peter Parker exists in that specific universe while Tom Holland continues in the MCU. Well, a slip up by Garfield‘s stunt double may have confirmed that Sony is reviving The Amazing Spider-Man 3.

In a new post, William Spencer shared that he is currently recovering from an Achilles injury. Many comments hinted at their interest in him returning to stunt double in the third entry with one user even congratulating on a project that isn’t officially announced. Well, it’s his reaction to the statement that has caught everyone’s attention, as he seemingly thanks him for the congratulations and may have confirmed that a project may be in some form of development or at least talks.

The reason we run it as a rumor is due to a Forbes article adding some confusion to the mix. Sony originally wanted Garfield to face off against the Sinister Six, who were going to get their own film. And amidst the Venom rumors, an article titled “Andrew Garfield Likely Returning As Spider-Man to Fight Venom, Sinister Six” started adding more fuel to the fire that the project is happening. Yet, it seems that most of the piece is pure speculation on Sony wanting to capitalize on the success of No Way Home. So, this could be the basis of him believing a third entry is in development. So far, we only heard that the fourth entry of Hollands‘ run is in development, but there are still many rumors hinting at Garfield not being done with Spidey. So, we’ll take this with a grain of salt for now, but hope that Sony unveils its future plans in the near future.

Source: Instagram, Forbes

December 29, 2021
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Could Become Sony’s Most Profitable Release

Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s success at the box office is quite an exciting prospect. It built upon the nostalgia of the original two franchises that came before it, while also offering an emotional gut-punch of a story that is bound to have people clamoring for more. Well, it seems Sony is in the same seat as Deadline is reporting that its $1 billion global release has already gained around $242M net profit. That’s quite the success within just a few weeks, especially as the film continues to grow moving forward.

It just passed that benchmark and tied with Avengers: Infinity War as the second-fastest to do so. Yet, there are some concerns that the Omicron surge could hamper its future development and take away the legs it would’ve had originally if it was released in a non-pandemic time. Unlike most releases, it’s still a steady release and there’s a good chance Sony will make $610M in profit from this single release. As the film is already on its way to pass Far From Home, which managed to nab $1.13B, the current predictions see it making around $1.75B worldwide.

At this rate, it’s sure to beat out the previous entries, which is always a good sign for an ongoing franchise like Spider-Man and has also been quite competitive in the market, which most newer releases not holding a candle to it in its second weekend. Marvel Studios and Disney did renegotiate their terms for this third entry, which means they’ll get a slice of the pie as well. This also solidifies that their continued partnership might be in the best interest of everyone involved, which hopefully ensures a bright future as work is already underway for the fourth entry.

Source: Deadline

December 27, 2021
What to Expect from the MCU’s Next Spider-Man Trilogy

Although it looked at one time like it might not make it, the first MCU-set Spider-Man trilogy has come to its conclusion in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The film grossed $1B in just 12 days and Sony and Marvel Studios have already confirmed that they are developing another film in the franchise. As is always the case in the world of comic book movies, the events of the film neatly tied up the plot while setting the table for what comes next. In this case, what comes next is likely another MCU-set trilogy in addition to some opportunities for star Tom Holland to participate in other films both in the MCU and Sony’s universe of Marvel films.

With No Way Home having been in theaters for two weeks, it’s time to join the conversation about what we might expect from the next Spidey trilogy. Of course, the conclusion and the mid-credit scene of No Way Home did set the stage for a couple of storylines to unfold, so let’s start there and work our way out:

J. Jonah Jameson Out to Get Spidey

Spider-Man: No Way Home did end on a little more upbeat note with Spidey swinging through New York in his shiny, new suit during the Christmas season, but that was preceded by Peter Parker suffering through a great deal of personal loss. Present and looming large over Parker while he struggled with the loss of May was the huge, talking head of J. Jonah Jameson. Jameson, who had been dogging Parker throughout, made a final appearance in the film (following the spell that erased Peter Parker from peoples’ minds) with the promise that he’d get to the bottom of the menace that is Spider-Man.

It’s a familiar feeling for long time fans of the Spidey films, especially since J.K. Simmons is back in the role, but there’s reason to believe that unlike the Jameson we saw in the Raimi films, the Jameson might be more than a loud mouth who bullies Parker at the Daily Bugle. The comics lay out a path that could potentially put Parker in real danger due to Jameson’s determination to “bring Spider-Man to justice.” Over the course of a half dozen or so issues beginning in The Amazing Spider-Man #20, Jameson served as essentially an outright villain. He first hired Mac Gargan to investigate how Peter Parker was able to get so many great pictures of Spidey and then took a key role in Gargan being turned into the Scorpion. When that didn’t work, Jameson hired Spencer Smythe to build the first generation of Spider-Slayers.

Having Jameson working against Parker in Spider-Man 4 could really make things difficult for the young hero. An adaptation of the events described above could allow for Michael Mando, who played Gargan in Spider-Man: Homecoming, to return in a beefed up role and allow for the Spider-Slayers to finally make their way to the big screen, maybe even one with Jonah’s mug plastered on it.

The Black Suit

The mid-credit scene in Spider-Man: No Way Home caused as much excitement as any Marvel Studios’ stinger since Nick Fury showed up at Tony Stark’s home in Iron Man. Defying the whole premise of Doctor Strange’s spell to send visitors from other universes back where they belong, a portion of the symbiote worn by Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock in Sony’s Venom films was left behind in the MCU. This is one stinger that’s going to pay off in a big way, especially Marvel Studios’ favorite way: selling toys.

Obviously, that symbiote is going to find its way to Parker and some point and fans will see Spidey in the infamous black symbiote suit for the first time since Spider-Man 3. It’s highly likely that Parker will wear it for a while, certainly long enough to showcase it in the all-but-certain Secret Wars project. It’s also likely we’ll get a little more comic-accurate arc for the symbiote this time that sees the symbiote attempt to permanently bond with Parker because it truly, deeply cared for him. And, like in the comics, when the symbiote leaves Parker it’ll find a new host, only this time it might not be Eddie Brock. With Hardy’s Venom franchise having the success it’s had at the box office, there’s no need to complicate things by adding another Brock to the mix, especially not when Holland can face off against him in the Sony films. No, it might rather make more sense to have the symbiote find another one of its comic book hosts, one that would be happy to cause some problems for Parker.

Mac Gargan Becomes Venom

Should Gargan turn up in Spider-Man 4 and once again be defeated by Spidey, it wouldn’t be too shocking to see him teed up for one more run at the Wall-Crawler, only this time on a level playing field. In the comics, after joining with Brock and becoming Venom, the symbiote developed an unsatiable bloodlust. That bloodlust grew larger when it bonded with Gargan and together, they became a much more monstrous version of Venom. For reasons that shouldn’t be too hard to understand, any MCU Venom should probably be VERY different from Sony’s and the Gargan version of the character would easily accomplish that. Should it work out, it would also allow for Gargan/Venom to join the Thunderbolts and/or Dark Avengers.

A New Romance

Fans across the globe felt the pain of Peter Parker walking away from MJ at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home. While it’s hard to believe she’ll be out of the picture forever, her being temporarily out of the picture does allow for Parker to meet one of his many other romantic interests from the comics. And while fans might be feeling the urge to cheer for Gwen Stacy to appear, it’s time for Felicia Hardy to get her time in the spotlight. Felicia showed up for a beat in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 but the character, who has been a staple in Spidey comics since 1979, has yet to be fully realized.

The two met at a time when they were both young and vulnerable and despite being on different sides of the law as their alter egos, Spider-Man and Black Cat fell in love with one another. Peter revealed his secret identity to Hardy who, for a time, became his partner. Their relationship lines up nicely with Secret Wars and they both have a history with one particular NYC crime boss.

A Daredevil Team-Up

Spider-Man has always been a staple in Marvel Team-Up comics and no partner makes more sense for him to team-up with in an upcoming Spider-Man film than Daredevil. With Charlie Cox’s return an Daredevil in Spider-Man: No Way Home, the stage is set for the two high flying crime fighters to run into one another on the rooftops of NYC. And with the Kingpin running NYC’s organized crime, the opportunity is there for the perfect team-up. Vincent D’Onofrio, who plays the Kingpin, recently reiterated his wish to take on Spidey. Tom Holland has indicated interest in taking on the big guy. What more is there to discuss?

Peter and Johnny Storm’s Friendship

While it wasn’t always the case, over the years Peter has developed one of his closest friendships with Johnny Storm. It was a rocky start for the two in Spidey’s early days, but by the late 1970s, Spidey and the Human Torch were the cover boys for Marvel Team-Up #1. To honor his friend, Parker replaced Johnny on the Fantastic Four following his death; when Johnny came back, the two were roommates for a time. Johnny even helped Peter build the Spider-Mobile. With the rights to the Fantastic Four now residing at Marvel Studios, a Fantastic Four film in development and set to be directed by Jon Watts, who directed all 3 MCU-set Spidey films, it seems like an absolute sure thing that we’ll get to see these two hang out at the Statue of Liberty at some point in the next decade.

Miles Morales

Over the last several years, Sony has begun development on a lot of Marvel films. One can learn as much, if not more, from the films they aren’t developing as the ones they are, however. And one property that Sony has yet to develop into a live-action property is Miles Morales. Arguably one of the most important comic book characters of the last 20 years, Morales already exists in the MCU and, hopefully, Sony and Marvel Studios will work to bring him into play during the next trilogy.

Miles was referenced by Donald Glover’s character in Spider-Man: Homecoming and the crazy events within the Sacred Timeline of the MCU can work to Marvel and Sony’s advantage in bringing the character along at the right time. Homecoming was set in 2017 and then, a year later, Thanos Snapped away half the population of the planet. This gives Marvel Studios the opportunity to work around any age issues and introduce Miles as a 15-or-so-year old at some point in the next trilogy, which will all be set in 2025-ish or later. While it’ll be great to see the two Spider-Men share the screen for a time, allowing Miles to grow into the role of Spider-Man for a while clears the path for Marvel Studios and Sony to do something truly major at the end of the next trilogy.

The Death of Spider-Man

Even though he is beloved in the role, Holland isn’t wrong when he says that by playing Spider-Man forever, he’s taking an opportunity away from someone else. And even though he’s going to be paid a pretty penny for this next trilogy, one has to imagine Holland won’t want to keep putting on the spandex every other year for the rest of his life. To that end, Spider-Man 6 should feature the death of Spider-Man and the true passing of the torch to Miles Morales. To date, Marvel Studios has had no problem killing off their heroes and Spider-Man should be no different. A Miles Morales-led Spider-Man trilogy will not only be a box office boss, it’ll also be a major cultural event. Sony and Marvel Studios must know that. Also…in comics nobody is ever really dead, so if Holland gets bored he can come plan an adult Peter when he’s in his 40s. It worked for Tobey Maguire.

December 27, 2021