Is Spider-Man 3 revisiting an unused idea from Spider-Man: Far From Home? Tom Holland's second solo outing as Peter Parker was a globe-trotting adventure that followed Spidey's high school class on the most dangerous field trip of all time, but the action originally stayed closer to home. As revealed in The Art of Spider-Man: Far From Home, the sequel once included a scene on the Statue of Liberty. Spider-Man is crawling over the iconic landmark at night, while three helicopters filled with armed soldiers surround him, pointing guns at a stunned web-slinger. There's no context to the impressive artwork, but the scene might've slotted in after Spider-Man: Far From Home's climax, where Peter Parker is framed for Mysterio's drone attack, and his identity is exposed by J. Jonah Jameson.

New set photos from Spider-Man 3 depict a bus station poster for "NYC's newest Avenger"- the Statue of Liberty holding Captain America's shield. It seems the MCU's Lady Liberty might've been given an ill-advised redesign in honor of Steve Rogers, and is now adorned with the star-spangled vibranium disc instead of her torch. The sign also teases a major action sequence based around the Statue of Liberty itself, and this is where Jon Watts might be recycling an idea from his previous Spider-Man movie.

Related: Spider-Man's Instant Kill Mode Isn't A Plot-Hole (It Fits Iron Man's Arc)

As well as the Liberty poster, the initial tweet also claimed (h/t: @dailynowayhome) that the shield-carrying statue would play a key role in Spider-Man 3. When the threequel begins, Peter Parker will still be a wanted man thanks to Mysterio. Forced to carry out his superhero duties under the cover of darkness, Spidey could bust a criminal in the opening act, then make a quick getaway when the cops arrive to arrest him instead of the actual bad guy. Their chase could lead to the Statue of Liberty, and this is where Holland's Spider-Man would be accosted by police choppers, as per the unused Spider-Man: Far From Home concept art. Effectively, the ditched ending from Spider-Man: Far From Home could be repurposed as the introductory sequence for Spider-Man 3.

J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man Far From Home

There are few better ways to introduce the MCU's Captain America-themed Statue of Liberty than Spidey doing battle with police atop the landmark's head in the first act. More importantly, the NY icon's updated design plays into the wider theme of Peter Parker's not-so-secret identity. In Captain America: Civil War, Steve Rogers fought for a superhero's right to remain anonymous, whereas the Sokovia Accords demanded vigilantes register using their real names. Although Peter was for the Accords, he now finds himself hunted after his identity suddenly became public knowledge. There's a bitter irony to the Statue of Liberty carrying Steve's shield, while Spider-Man is deemed a criminal after his real name was unveiled to the world.

Since the Battle of New York in The Avengers, the MCU has largely steered clear of using New York City as the backdrop to any more major action scenes. Even the previous two Spider-Man films took their business elsewhere, with Washington featuring in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and London playing a vital role in Spider-Man: Far From Home. But New York is so integral to the Spider-Man character, it would be a shame if the location wasn't incorporated more into Spider-Man 3.

The other sting in the Statue of Liberty's tail harks back to Peter Parker's dramatic MCU debut. Spider-Man was trotted out for Team Stark during Captain America: Civil War's airport battle, and made one hell of an entrance by catching Steve Rogers' shield. The great, big visual reminder of this moment on the end of Lady Liberty's arm is almost a real life version of the "how it started, how it's going" meme. Peter Parker arrived in the MCU proudly holding the patriotic shield of Captain America and fighting on behalf of the Sokovia Accords. In Spider-Man 3, however, he's desperately avoiding police after becoming a public pariah - a fascinating contrast in the journey of Tom Holland's smart-mouthed superhero.

More: The MCU Just Retconned Spider-Man 2's Bucky Barnes Reveal

Key Release Dates