Peter Parker will likely need a lawyer in Spider-Man 3, and Daredevil is the fan-favorite choice to fill that role - but he isn't the best choice. After spending just a couple of years in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tom Holland's Spider-Man has gone on quite a journey. He was recruited by Iron Man to fight in a superhero war and then established himself as a New York crimefighter. Peter then "died" after a cosmic battle against Thanos and returned five years later and saw Iron Man die. Most recently, he saved the world again only to have his secret identity outed to the public.
The last part was courtesy of Mysterio at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home. The shocking mid-credits scene saw J. Jonah Jameson debut the secret footage leading up to Mysterio's death where he revealed Peter Parker is the man underneath the Spider-Man mask. But, Mysterio also pulled another trick on Spider-Man by altering the footage to make it appear as if Peter was the one who initiated the massive attack in London. Even though Marvel Studios and Sony have yet to reveal any details about Spider-Man 3, this is something that the Far From Home followup will have to address head-on.
Ever since last July when Spider-Man: Far From Home was released, fans have been left speculating how Peter will fix his identity situation. Spider-Man's identity has been revealed many times in the comics, but that moment has rarely led to a great Spider-Man story and explanation for how Peter can continue being Spidey in secret. One solution that fans are interested in seeing is Peter receiving legal help to prove that he is not Spider-Man, with the increasingly popular suggestion being Matt Murdock aka Daredevil could be the one to help Peter.
The Popular Theory: Spider-Man's Lawyer Is Daredevil
The idea that Daredevil could help Spider-Man in Spider-Man 3 has only continued to pick up steam as the movie approaches. Although most of the rumors are unsubstantiated, the frequency of them has kept Daredevil near the top of every Marvel fan's wishlist for Spider-Man 3. Daredevil and Spidey have a great comic history together as both are New York crimefighters that focus on street-level crimes more than universal threats. For that reason alone, the heroes of Queens and Hell's Kitchen make sense to work together on the big screen, but Spider-Man: Far From Home left Peter in a place where Daredevil could help him out.
If Spider-Man 3 deals with Peter trying to prove that he is not Spider-Man, then Daredevil is uniquely qualified to help make that case. Whether Marvel Studios uses Charlie Cox's version or not, Matt Murdock is a successful lawyer who can use his skills in the courtroom to prove his case. But, Matt also is gifted with an acrobatic fighting style that could mimic Spider-Man if need be. Even if Matt ultimately couldn't win the case in court, it is possible he could suit up as Spidey and appear alongside Peter to at least add doubt to the idea Peter is Spider-Man. And, if Charlie Cox's Daredevil makes a proper MCU debut, then there's a chance Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin might not be too far behind.
As fun as Daredevil and Spider-Man interacting could be, there are legal complications that make this appear to be more of a pipe-dream. Daredevil was the star of his own Netflix series that lasted three seasons and the timing of the cancellation impacts when Marvel Studios can use the character. According to reported terms of Marvel's Netflix deal, Marvel Studios is not allowed to use characters that were previously at Netflix until two years after the cancellation was announced. The final season of Daredevil aired in October 2018 with Netflix announcing the cancellation in November, so Marvel cannot legally begin using the character until November 2020. With Spider-Man 3 scheduled to begin production sometime this summer, Marvel would not be allowed to use Daredevil at that time (unless a different agreement with Netflix has been reached).
The Alternate Theory: Spider-Man's Lawyer Is She-Hulk
If Daredevil is out of the running to provide Peter with legal help in Spider-Man 3, the good news is that Marvel Studios has already confirmed plans that a different superpowered lawyer is coming to the MCU. The studio announced last year that Jennifer Walters aka She-Hulk will be the star of her own Disney+ series. In the time since that announcement was made, Marvel's work on their other Disney+ shows has made it clear how important each will be to the ongoing MCU narrative. WandaVision and Loki will tie into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, with Ms. Marvel expected to help set up Captain Marvel 2 as well. If this alternate theory is correct, She-Hulk's role in Spider-Man 3 helps clear up why Marvel is moving so fast to get her in the MCU.
Although She-Hulk and Spider-Man might not be as close as Spidey and Daredevil, She-Hulk does have a connection to Spider-Man in the MCU already through Bruce Banner. He was one of Tony Stark's best friends but has not had a major presence in Peter's life. But, seeing the trouble that Peter is in, it is possible that Bruce could contact his cousin and ask her to help out Spider-Man. At the very least, Banner could provide a point of contact for Spider-Man and She-Hulk to meet, although it is also possible She-Hulk could simply take an important superhero-related case like this anyway. Either way, Spider-Man 3 could then help set up the events of She-Hulk.
Interestingly enough, She-Hulk appearing in Spider-Man 3 could put Disney in a small predicament. She-Hulk does not yet have a release date, but the reported 2021 MCU Disney+ slate indicates that the show might not debut until 2022. If this is the case, then She-Hulk would make her debut in Spider-Man 3 and not on Disney+. This would mean Disney would have to be okay with the character debuting in Spider-Man 3 and sharing her introduction with Sony instead of making her first appearance on their streaming service.
She-Hulk's MCU Future
Marvel Studios has so far not provided too many details about She-Hulk's role in the MCU, but she does have a bright future that Spider-Man 3 could help launch. Although it is probable that She-Hulk will attract a decent following on Disney+, it could be in Marvel's best interest to introduce her in a bigger property first. Spider-Man is now one of the MCU's most popular characters and the continued excitement for the character staying in this universe could spark Spider-Man 3's box office numbers to be even greater than the $1 billion Far From Home made. In that regard, the appearance of She-Hulk would hopefully allow audiences to become familiar with the character and be even more interested in seeing her own story explored.
Beyond a possible role in Spider-Man 3 and the She-Hulk series, Jennifer Walters could be on her way to multiple other appearances in Phase 4 and beyond. There's a strong chance she will be part of a new Avengers roster and help give the team some muscle in future events. But, she is also a near guarantee to be part of an A-Force movie, if Marvel Studios ever decides to make one. Maybe she'll even make an appearance in Captain Marvel 2, whenever the Brie Larson-led sequel hits theaters. Regardless, She-Hulk will make her movie debut at some point, but Spider-Man 3 is an early possibility that could seamlessly involve her.
