Spider-Man is back in the MCU!!! Tom Holland will be starring in one more Spider-Man film, thus completing the trilogy it seemed Marvel had initially planned. There are not enough exclamation points in the world to express our joy. But here, allow us to try:
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The deal has also stated that Tom Holland’s Spider-Man will appear in one (1) more MCU film. So naturally we wondered: which one??? Join us in speculation below!
We ran down the list and here’s what we’ve got:
Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 4 Films
Also a little bit of what we know from Phase 5, because why not?
Black Widow (May 2020)
…is a prequel, but reportedly takes place between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. We already have a Spider-Man story set in that timeframe: Spider-Man: Homecoming! So probably no Spidey here.
The Eternals (November 6, 2020)
Seems too cosmic and left-field for our Forest Hills hero. Also it has like 76 characters to establish.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (February 12, 2021)
As this film will be adding a new slate of characters to the MCU, and exploring some pretty deep mythos—it seems like a bit of stretch that they’d shoehorn Peter Parker into it.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (May 7, 2021)
In the comics, Dr. Strange and Peter have a fun, prickly chemistry. (Sometimes Spidey’s adventures throw him headlong into the supernatural realm and he eventually has to come pounding on Strange’s door, er, window for help. Strange seems to be annoyed by everyone but he’s probably especially annoyed by high-energy teenagers.)
Tom Holland and Benedict Cumberbatch are hilarious together in real life, so it would be a natural fit to have the two of them bouncing off of each other in the Doctor Strange sequel. (As long as it doesn’t detract from Scarlet Witch’s potential role in the film, which we are extremely looking forward to.)
There’s also the unique possibility that, since we’re dealing with a “multiverse” here, the Tom Holland Spidey could end up brushing against the Spider heroes we saw in Into the Spider-Verse, making them nominally a part of the MCU and the Sony Spider-verse. We would not be opposed to this and may have already written fanfic in anticipation of it.
Spider-Man 3: Home something something… (July 16, 2021)
We’re guessing he’s in this one.
Thor: Love and Thunder (November 5, 2021)
Okay we’re pretty sure Spidey shows up in Doctor Strange but…this could be a good one for a cameo, too! Think about it: not only would we get Tom Holland and Taika Waititi working together, which will just be fabulous, but the next Thor outing will feature Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster as Thor.
Science Thor.
Aunt Science Thor, healing the Science Surrogate Dad-shaped hole that currently resides in poor Peter Parker’s heart.
Plus, Darcy needs an intern.
Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 5 Films
There’s also an open question as to just when the MCU’s Phase 4 ends, because whatever film closes that loop will probably feature some cameos from lots of MCU characters. Will that be Doctor Strange 2? Thor 4? Maybe even Spidey’s own film?
And just how much will Phase 4 and Phase 5 involve Spider-Man characters? It’s been rumored (or maybe just fan-theorized) that Norman Osborn will emerge as a threat in the MCU, acting essentially as an opposite to Tony Stark’s influence on the Marvel universe. If Osborn appears more heavily in Phase 5, does this mean we’ll get more Spidey in Phase 5?
Black Panther 2 (May 6, 2022)
Probably no Spider-Man or Osborn here, simply because Peter just distracts from an already amazing ensemble. But, how great would it be if we see him just casually wandering through Shuri’s lab, eye agog at all her cool stuff? We desperately want these two to be science-BFFS! (And tbh, at least one of us has shipped Shuri and Ned this whole time, so…)
Guardians of the Galaxy 3 (2022)
With James Gunn back aboard the Milano and an antagonistic Gamora to search for, it seems like GOTG 3 is going to be a bit of a heavy story, shot through with some pretty R-rated comedy. Probably not quite what technically-still-a-kid Peter should be dealing with. Or, as one of our staff members put it: “He already spent his time in StarLordLand. He didn’t like it. He died.”
Blade (????)
Blade seems poised to usher in an entirely new section of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. No Spidey here. Unless he’s being chased by something with lots of teeth.
Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 4 Television
This is a lot to get into, and the new agreement between Sony and Marvel doesn’t cover it, but if Spidey were to cameo in any of the new shows, we’d definitely want it to be She-Hulk or Ms. Marvel.
