Adding Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man into Spider-Man: Homecoming further cemented Spidey's place within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and that's something that director Jon Watts has to be mindful of if he does end up directing the sequel. Earlier this month, Tom Holland revealed that there are plans for Marvel Studios to produce three Spider-Man installments -- though they won't all be subtitled Homecoming -- and that they will each take place during Peter Parker's high school career.
Showcasing Peter's high school years is something the studio has been wanting to do, and that means audiences will be seeing the character go through all the typical high school stages, as well as the naïveté associated with them. It only makes sense, at least in this version of the character's story, that he's mentored by someone as experienced as Iron Man, especially if Spidey wants to succeed in becoming an Avenger as well as eventually mentor the next generation Spider-Man, Miles Morales (should that ever happen, of course).
Spider-Man: Homecoming releases next week, and the cast and crew have been making the rounds promoting the film around the world. Screen Rant recently sat down with director Jon Watts about Spidey's future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as how Iron Man fits into all of that, especially if the director would want to continue building upon Peter and Tony's unique dynamic. Here's what Watts had to say:
"Yeah, I think that’s inevitably going to be such a big part of Peter’s life, but I also do think it’s sort of the starting point. Like you were saying, there are so many other elements and characters in this universe for Peter to interact with, I can’t wait to see what else we can do."
Aside from the fact that Holland made his debut as the iconic web-slinger in Anthony and Joe Russo's Captain America: Civil War last year, Spider-Man: Homecoming officially kicks off the third Spidey series within the past decade; the last two being Sam Raimi's original Spider-Man trilogy (featuring Tobey Maguire in the leading role) and Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man films (starring Andrew Garfield as the eponymous hero). Whereas those two iterations remained separate from the MCU, and therefore relied entirely on Spidey's supporting cast of characters and villains, the new version allows the studio to utilize the entire MCU.
Tony Stark may have discovered and helped mentor Holland's Spider-Man, but that doesn't mean he will have to remain heavily involved in his future going forward, especially considering that the chance the genius philanthropist may be among the few characters whose stories conclude at the end of Avengers: Infinity War. It's no secret that the inevitable Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel will feature another Avenger, though that doesn't mean it will be Iron Man. We'll just have to wait and see how the MCU's original hero factors into Spidey's future.
