According to a newMCUtheory,Spider-Man 4could repeatSpider-Man: No Way Home’svillain storyline but with a twist, pitting Tom Holland’s Peter Parker against a brand-new multiversal threat. 2021’sSpider-Man: No Way Homemarked the end of the “Home Trilogy,” exploring Peter Parker’s biggest adventure yet, as he teamed up with his own variants to battle villains from across the multiverse. WhileNo Way Homeset up a back-to-basics story for theMCU’s upcomingSpider-Man 4, it also gave Peter Parker the opportunity to continue to investigate the multiverse.
Marvel boss Kevin Feige confirmed the development of a newSpider-Manmovie shortly after the release ofSpider-Man: No Way Home. In September 2024,Destin Daniel Cretton was confirmed asSpider-Man 4’sdirector, and it was expected the movie would begin filming in 2025, with Tom Holland reprising the titular role.There has been some dispute, however, regarding whetherSpider-Man 4should be a street-level story, asNo Way Homeset up, or continue to explore the multiverse, but a new theory suggests it could do both simultaneously.
Mark My Words, Spider-Man 4’s Action Scenes Are Going To Be Some Of The Best In The MCU
With a new director taking over for Tom Holland’s fourth Spider-Man movie, I’m certain that it will have some of the best action in the MCU.
Spider-Man: No Way Home May Have Set Up Spider-Man 4’s Perfect Story, But Not How You Think
Doctor Strange’s Spell Messed Up The Multiverse More Than No Way Home Revealed
At first glance,Spider-Man: No Way Homeseemed to set up future Spider-Man adventures in one very clear way.No Way Homeended with Doctor Strange’s spellwiping everyone’s memories of Peter Parker, which sent the multiversal variants and villains back to their respective universes, and left Tom Holland’s Peter Parker completely alone.Spider-Man 4could very easily catch up with the now-anonymous Spider-Man dealing with low-stakes, street-level threats on the streets of New York City, butNo Way Homealso set up a much bigger storyfor the young wall-crawler.
2017
2019
2021
TBD
Destin Daniel Cretton
This larger story wasn’t revealed inSpider-Man: No Way Home, but rather in projects developed for Sony’s Marvel franchises. 2022’sMorbiussaw Doctor Strange’s spell somehow sendMichael Keaton’s Adrian Toomes into the SSU, while the spell also caused anomalies to occur in 2023’s animatedSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.The idea of Doctor Strange’s spell sending random characters across the multiverse into different realities informs a major theory, which suggests Peter Parker could face a street-level threat inSpider-Man 4, but one brought from another universe.
Spider-Man Faces A New Multiversal Threat In Spider-Man 4: MCU Theory Explained
A New Multiversal Villain May Have Joined The MCU After Spider-Man: No Way Home
While a new theory posed byComicodigykeeps Peter Parker in Earth-616 for his next adventure inSpider-Man 4, it pits the web-slinger against a new multiversal antagonist. In the same way that the Vulture was sent into Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, andEarth-616’s Prowler, portrayed by Donald Glover, was sent into the animatedSpider-Versefranchise,a threat from another reality could have entered the MCU’s main continuity of 616. Marvel Studios hasn’t really explained Doctor Strange’s spell, so this is very possible.
There are suspicions thatSpider-Man 4will actually explain the full extent of Doctor Strange’s spell. Initially, it was thought the spell would only erase peoples' memories of Peter Parker, and it was said that this would somehow return the multiversal variants to their own realities.It seems as though this spell had some major adverse effects, including sending residents of Earth-616 into alternate realities inadvertently, so it stands to reason that it could have pulled more villains into the MCU. This would meanSpider-Man 4repeatsNo Way Home’sstory, to an extent, but this could be beneficial.
Why Repeating No Way Home’s Villain Story Makes Sense For Spider-Man 4
Spider-Man Battled Five Multiversal Villains In No Way Home
Pitting Peter Parker against a villain from across the multiverse inSpider-Man 4could seem like a simple rehashing ofSpider-Man: No Way Home’sstoryline.No Way Homesaw Tom Holland’s Spider-Man fight familiar and beloved villains fromSony’s pastSpider-Manfranchises, but this means thatSpider-Man 4can set itself apart in one major way.The multiversal threat introduced inSpider-Man 4could be a powerful villain from Marvel Comics who has never been seen in live-action before, bringing something completely new and unexpected into the MCU.
Jamie Foxx
The Amazing Spider-Man 2(2014)
This theory could be a huge benefit toSpider-Man 4, as the discussion has been rife about the project being either street-level or multiversal. Some have grown tired of the exploration of the multiverse in superhero movies, though this shows no sign of slowing, as the MCU’s Multiverse Saga is continuing to develop. This means it’s likelySpider-Man 4will still deal with the multiverse, butintroducing a multiversal villain into Peter Parker’s street-level story could keep the story personal, intimate and more poignant, on a smaller scale thanSpider-Man: No Way Home.
Which Multiversal Villains Would Be Perfect For Spider-Man 4?
Spider-Man Has Battled Many Multiversal Villains In Marvel Comics
The most obvious and formidable candidate to oppose Tom Holland’s Peter Parker inSpider-Man 4, if the villain is from across the multiverse, is Morlun. Introduced to Marvel Comics in 2001,Morlun is a central adversary to many variants of Spider-Man, and is the primary antagonist of the comics’Spider-Verseevent, playing a key role in the wall-crawler’s multiversal stories as he travels from reality to reality hunting Spider-People with the Inheritors.Morlun is one of Spider-Man’s most dangerous enemies, but has never had a live-action adaptation -Spider-Man 4could change that.
10 Marvel Villains Perfect For A Street-Level MCU Spider-Man 4 Movie
No Way Home set up a personal, street-level story for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man 4, and some Marvel Comics villains would be great for the movie.
Sony’s animatedSpider-Versefranchise has shown the sheer potential of Spider-Man villains across the multiverse.Any number of powerful variants could be seen inSpider-Man 4, perhaps even different versions of Spider-Man himself-Miguel O’Hara’s Spider-Man 2099is a minor antagonist in theSpider-Versemovies, and it would be great to see him debut in live-action. By bringing a multiversal villain into the MCU inSpider-Man 4, Marvel Studios has the perfect chance to continue its development of the Multiverse Saga, while delivering a personal and grounded story for Peter Parker.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Cast
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the first sequel to the MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy starring Tom Holland as the titular wall-crawler. After wiping his identity from the public’s memory in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker continues his crime-fighting adventures without the aid of Iron Man technology or the support of his former allies.
