The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been in a transition during Phase Four after the first three phases were all about the Infinity Saga. Spider-Man: No Way Home brought in the multiversal aspect into the films, with Peter Parker fighting multiple villains from across the multiverse.
Now that such a game-changing movie has introduced a template for more, it’s worth considering all of the setups and potential plots that can be explored further. Some of these concern Spider-Man himself, while certain others should have an impact on the MCU as a whole.
Fallout From The Tear In The Multiverse
The heartfelt goodbye at the film’s conclusion was one of the most tearful scenes in Spider-Man: No Way Home, as Peter’s friends forgot who he was. There’s a bigger problem here, though, as the multiverse was breaking over the Earth’s sky, which should have major fallout.
Phase Four’s overarching antagonist appears to be Kang the Conqueror, with Doctor Strange’s second movie also venturing into the multiverse. The tear in realities should lead into a storyline where MCU characters will need to deal with the blowback from whatever broke through into their universe.
Doctor Strange Has To Reclaim His Standing In The Masters Of The Mystic Arts
Doctor Strange wasn’t the most likable character in Spider-Man: No Way Home, because he had the task of closing the multiverse and was no-nonsense in demeanor. He had problems of his own, as he revealed he wasn’t the Sorcerer Supreme anymore due to being blipped out for five years.
This should be the seeds for Strange to prove his worth to the Masters of the Mystic Arts once more, much as he had to in his titular movie. While Wong isn’t Strange’s rival, it’s clear that the latter was itching to reclaim the role he had once before, and the next step for the MCU is to show how he’ll do that.
Spider-Man Will Become A Neighborhood Superhero
Tom Holland delivered quite possibly the best performance in Spider-Man: No Way Home, with Peter reduced to essentially a nobody now that his aunt has perished and his identity is lost. The MCU has so far portrayed him as a hero who’s taken on worldwide, interplanetary, and multiversal threats, but his next arc could be the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
The final shot of the movie is where the next story was established, as Peter was shown sewing a suit from scratch, now possessing no Stark tech, and heading out to help in the neighborhood. His next outing should detail how he builds his reputation back up again to be closer to his traditional depiction.
Retcons To The Events That Involved Peter Parker
Phase Four has entirely been about the fallout from the Snap thus far, with every movie dealing with the heroes’ statuses after the Battle of Earth. Spider-Man was a major player in this conflict, but his role has now been left ambiguous since the Avengers knew who he was.
Crossover stories featuring Peter Parker are now set up with the characters not knowing his identity anymore, so events concerning Thanos and whatever events Peter was involved in will be altered to present characters with no idea of his involvement.
Multiple Versions Of The Same Characters To Appear
This is the immediate storyline the MCU will be diving into, as confirmed with the trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It’s likely that the other Doctor Strange has come about as a result of the tear in reality that was seen in No Way Home.
Of course, there’s the fact that this story already played out in No Way Home itself, seeing as there were three Peter Parkers by the climactic moments. Going forward, MCU movies can be expected to frequently use different versions of the same character as the basis of their content.
Ned Leeds' Mastery In Magic
Ned somehow managed to make Doctor Strange’s Sling Ring bend to his command despite having no training in doing magic. It turned out his claim of being descended from people who do magic may have been right, with Doctor Strange taking note of this by the film’s end.
It’s hard to see Ned completely getting written out of the series even if he’s lost memory of Peter, so there’s a definite chance for him to return in a new saga that focuses on Ned learning more of his powers. He could very well turn up in a movie alongside Doctor Strange to continue this arc.
J. Jonah Jameson's Continued Attempts To Expose Spider-Man
J.J.J. was a character whose entire personality can easily be summed up in Spider-Man: No Way Home as a man who made it his mission to expose the superhero. Traditionally, that’s the only story Jameson ever gets and it’s more than likely it’s what’s in store for his MCU future.
With Peter now having to fend for himself, there’s a good chance he may very well start working for J.J.J. as he does in just about every Spider-Man depiction. Staying true to his role, J. Jonah Jameson has a high chance of continuing to try and get Spider-Man exposed as a criminal.
The Spreading Of The Venom Symbiote
The stinger for the film showed Eddie Brock returning to his home universe once Doctor Strange closed the multiverse, only for a speck of the symbiote to be left in the MCU. Since it was confirmed that Eddie was a long way from New York, the symbiote has quite a journey to make.
It can lead to a storyline about the spread of the Venom symbiote, as it tends to multiply based on how suitable the hosts are. It’s entirely plausible that this will build up to a story about the rise of symbiotes overall, with the likes of an MCU Venom and Carnage to go up against Spider-Man.
The Continued Adventures Of Matt Murdock
It’s been confirmed that Charlie Cox will continue to portray Matt Murdock in the MCU after the end of his Netflix series. Now that Daredevil has been introduced into the movie universe, along with the confirmation that his earlier experiences were canonical, it stands to reason that his adventures will continue.
The setup for his role was perfect, as Murdock showcased his heightened abilities and his lawyer background. Moreover, the Kingpin has simultaneously shown up in the Disney+ Hawkeye series, meaning Daredevil’s archrival is also open to battle once more.
The Introduction Of Traditional Spider-Man Characters
Now that Peter Parker’s role as the protege is over, it’s time for him to upgrade to the play the part of the mentor. Peter’s core cast of Ned Leeds and Michelle Jones was different from traditional Spider-Man characters, but the retcon means the MCU can introduce protagonists and antagonists that comic book fans know of.
It should open up plotlines surrounding the likes of Miles Morales, Harry Osborn, Black Cat, among others, for this version of Peter Parker to come across. Likely scenarios include Peter befriending Harry, taking Miles under his wing, and beginning a conflict and attraction to Black Cat.