WARNING: This post contains Spider-Man: No Way Home spoilers

The MCU's potential Spider-Man 4 is much too soon to undo the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home's ending. Picking up from Spider-Man: Far From Home's cliffhanger, No Way Home sees Peter Parker deal with the fallout of his secret identity being revealed to the world. Initially, Doctor Strange agrees to help by casting a spell that will make the entire world forget Peter is Spider-Man, but Peter's continued insistence to tweak the spell has serious ramifications. The multiverse is opened, allowing numerous villains from previous Spider-Man movies to wreck havoc. Peter and his friends spend the movie trying to clean up the mess.

At the end of No Way Home, Peter comes to the harrowing realization the only way to stop the multiverse threat is to have Strange cast a different spell - one that makes the world forget who Peter Parker is, including all of his loved ones. No Way Home closes with a rather devastating scene where Peter decides against reintroducing himself to Ned and MJ, feeling they would be better off without him in their lives. Peter's choice is one of the most poignant moments of his MCU arc, and it's one that should stick throughout subsequent installments.

Related: Spider-Man 4 Can Finally Fix Raimi's Spidey Trilogy Mistakes

Peter opting to give everyone a clean slate was a major part of his character's journey in No Way Home. As Strange told Peter, his desire to live two different lives was the source of many problems. Whereas secret identities aren't an issue for many of the MCU's superheroes, Peter was intent on keeping his alter ego separate to protect those closest to him. That's why he ultimately walked away from Ned and MJ. Peter knows he still has the responsibility of being Spider-Man, and history could risk repeating itself if his old friends got involved again.

Tom Holland looking up in Spider-Man No Way Home

No Way Home concludes on a pretty depressing note, with Peter choosing a life of isolation rather than rebuilding personal relationships that were so important to him. As producer Amy Pascal said, it's a massive sacrifice on the level moviegoers haven't seen before, and it's why Spider-Man 4 can't undo it. If there's a plot point where MJ and Ned remember Peter and their history together, it would risk undercutting the emotional resonance of No Way Home's ending and bring back some of the old complaints that the MCU doesn't really deal with serious stakes. Peter intentionally cutting himself out of Ned and MJ's lives should have some meaning to it and carry over into Spider-Man 4. It could open the door to a new portrayal of the character that differentiates itself from other iterations. It could be the inverse Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2 (praised for its handling of the Peter/Spider-Man internal conflict). Instead of Spider-Man no more, Peter's essentially chosen to be Peter Parker no more.

Of course, a key component of the Spider-Man: Homecoming series is the endearing chemistry between stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Jacob Batalon. If No Way Home's ending sticks for good, the filmmakers would be deliberately removing two-thirds of a beloved trio, which itself carries a number of risks. Still, it's important for stories in these films to have significant consequences. It would be sad to see Peter move on without Ned and MJ, but that just makes No Way Home's ending all the more impactful. Plus, there are several ways the next movie can go. There are plenty of Spider-Man supporting characters who haven't been introduced in the MCU yet (Harry Osborn, Gwen Stacy), and Holland has been open about leaving Spider-Man. Maybe Spider-Man 4 could see Peter take Miles Morales under his wing and set the stage for his proper exit.

Next: Spider-Man 4: Everything We Know & All Story Hints

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