MCU Can Save Spider-Man From Iron Man's Shadow (By Replacing Him)

The MCU needs to save Spider-Man from living in Iron Man's shadow, by replacing Tony Stark. Marvel Studios need to address criticisms about Spider-Man's (Tom Holland) over-reliance on Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) — introduce a proper Iron Man replacement. Fans were ecstatic when it was announced five years ago that the web-slinging hero will finally join the MCU after existing in his own Sony universe. That said, his introduction also posed some issues with how Marvel Studios handled their take on the character; one of the most common complaints being with Peter Parker's seemingly too close relationship with Tony Stark to the point that Spider-Man is effectively being presented as Iron Man's replacement.

Marvel Studios used their inaugural character to introduce Spider-Man into the MCU as Iron Man recruited the friendly-neighborhood hero to his team during his conflict with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) in Captain America: Civil War. From there, they continued to develop their dynamic though Jon Watts' Spider-Man: Homecoming, which solidified their mentor/mentee relationship. Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame further strengthened that bond, showing just how important Tony and Peter had become to each other.

While both characters benefitted from this relationship and their dynamic was among the most important connections in the MCU, some do not appreciate that Iron Man has been a major driving force in Spider-Man's arc in the franchise. Even after his death, Tony Stark was still a big factor in Peter's second solo film, Spider-Man: Far From Home, as Spider-Man was forced to deal with disgruntled former Stark Industries employees he had nothing to do with. In hindsight, it makes sense that the young hero grappled with the death of his father figure and it would be wrong if he had simply moved on from his traumatic experience in Endgame. However, as the franchise moves away from the Infinity Saga and onto new territory, it needs to establish the web-slinging hero on his own — away from the shadow of his mentor and without the weight of his legacy. Spider-Man is not Iron Man mark 2. So, how can they do this effectively?

Tony Stark and Peter Parker at the end of Spiderman: Homecoming

The simplest solution for Marvel Studios to get around the issues with Spider-Man living in Iron Man's shadow would be to introduce a proper replacement for Iron Man in MCU Phase 4. As the franchise transitions to a new chapter, it has also set-up a string of new characters to step into leadership roles previously held by the original Avengers. Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie) will be the next Captain America; Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) will become the new Thor; Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) will take over the Black Widow; meanwhile, Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk will be the new Hulk and Kate Bishop will be the new Hawkeye. There's no clear successor to Tony Stark, however; and since Spider-Man was his mentee, the web-slinging hero becomes his de-facto replacement which shouldn't be the case. Spider-Man should be his own character; he's one of if not the most popular Marvel superhero and is capable of carrying a film series of his own. While associating him to Iron Man was a great way to introduce him into the MCU, he's supposed to have his own agency, which is difficult to establish when his solo films have been defined by Iron Man. By bringing in a proper replacement to Tony Stark, Marvel Studios can effectively squash the assumption that Spider-Man will be the next Iron Man.

Aside from introducing an Iron Man replacement, which would give a bit of a separation between him and Spider-Man, Marvel Studios also needs to make sure that the untitled Spider-Man 3 film will solely focus on Peter Parker. As previously mentioned, Tony was a big factor in both Spider-Man: Homecoming and Far From Home, but now that he's gone, Peter needs a solo outing that's purely about him, his actions, and his choices. By doing this, Marvel Studios can better position Spider-Man as one of the next faces of the MCU — and not just as Iron Man's replacement.

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