Spider-Man's MCU backstory could be explained further in the upcoming Secret Invasion series. Tom Holland was introduced as Marvel Studios' Peter Parker during 2016's Captain America: Civil War, receiving his first solo film not long after with Spider-Man: Homecoming. Since then, Spider-Man has had a rich MCU career, battling MCU villains like Vulture, Mysterio, and Thanos. A variant of Peter Parker's origins are set to be explained during the animated series, Spider-Man: Freshman Year, but Earth-616's web-slinger hasn't received much backstory, although this could soon change.
Peter Parker's parents remained a mystery in Marvel Comics for years after the web-slinger's introduction, though their story was later fleshed out in 1997's Untold Tales of Spider-Man #1. Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man films delved into their backstory for the first time on film, even to the point of showing their demise after their fateful airplane crash, though the pair have yet to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the comics, it was revealed that Mary and Richard Parker, Spider-Man's parents, shared an interesting connection to Nick Fury prior to their death, creating the perfect opportunity for Spider-Man's origins to be further investigated in Fury's solo MCU series, Secret Invasion.
Why Haven’t Peter Parker’s Parents Been Mentioned In The MCU?
Spider-Man: Homecoming introduced audiences to the only surviving members of the Parker family, Peter, and his Aunt May, played by Marisa Tomei, with no appearances from either of Peter's parents or Uncle Ben, who is usually a staple in Spider-Man stories. Bringing the character into the MCU, Marvel Studios introduced him a few months after his transformation, with Uncle Ben already being dead, only receiving a small mention and not even by name, wanting to veer away from examining Parker's origin as Spider-Man. The studio decided that, since the character's backstory had been done to death in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy and The Amazing Spider-Man films, there was no need to bring this story to the big screen once again.
It was assumed by Marvel Studios that introducing characters such as Peter's parents and Uncle Ben into the MCU would have convoluted the story and distracted from Parker's own character arc. Instead, Aunt May took on the role of all of Peter's guardians, even being gifted the famous line, "with great power, there must also come great responsibility," during some tragic scenes in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Even so, the upcoming Spider-Man: Freshman Year will delve into the story of Peter's transformation into Spider-Man, something that hasn't yet been seen in the MCU, meaning Marvel Studios aren't afraid to uncover more about Spider-Man's backstory. This could include Peter's parents in future MCU projects.
Spider-Man’s Parents Share A Nick Fury Connection
Perhaps the perfect place for a proper origin story to be told for Peter Parker's parents would be in the upcoming Nick Fury-focused series, Secret Invasion, thanks to a connection that Mary and Richard Parker share with Fury in Marvel Comics. Before his time working with SHIELD, Nick Fury had been an espionage agent with the CIA, eventually working his way up to the rank of Colonel. While working at the CIA, future Director of SHIELD, Nick Fury, recommended the recruitment of Richard Parker, a decorated soldier of the US Army Special Forces. There, Parker would meet and fall in love with a CIA translator and data analyst, Mary. So, in a way, it's thanks to Nick Fury that Spider-Man was even born.
Samuel L. Jackson has portrayed Nick Fury on several occasions throughout the MCU, going as far back as Marvel Studios' inaugural film, Iron Man, though the powerful character has never had much development. After almost fifteen years, the long-running character is set to get some proper focus during Secret Invasion, a gritty, espionage thriller series for Disney+ that will investigate secret sects of Skrulls that have infiltrated Earth's population. It's been rumored for years that Peter Parker's parents could have been SHIELD agents in the MCU, so Secret Invasion could be the best place for Fury to mention his former colleagues and start connecting the dots of Peter's origin story.
Secret Invasion Could Lead Directly Into Spider-Man 4
Currently, Spider-Man 4 hasn't been confirmed, though it has been revealed that Marvel Studios and Sony are in talks to develop another trilogy of films focusing on the young superhero in the MCU. Spider-Man: No Way Home ended with everyone forgetting who Peter Parker is, with the character leaving his old life behind to start anew with a new apartment and new, more comic-accurate, Spider-Man suit. This means that the door is open for a new Spider-Man trilogy to explore a darker side of the character, which would be a great opportunity to introduce the probably-tragic backstory involving Peter's parents. Secret Invasion is set to be a darker series for Marvel Studios, so these themes could carry on seamlessly into Spider-Man 4 and beyond.
There are still plenty of empty slots in the MCU's slate for Phase 6, so it's possible that avid fans could be getting another Spider-Man film before the climactic Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, especially since Peter Parker will surely be a huge part of these events. If Nick Fury explains his history working in the superhero business during Secret Invasion, it's possible that Peter Parker's parents could be making an appearance in the MCU pretty soon. Marvel Studios' Secret Invasion is set to release in early 2023 and will consist of six episodes, bringing Nick Fury to the forefront and delving deeper into the darker side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.