Spider-Man: What Still Needs To Happen Before He Leaves The MCU Again

Spider-Man has had quite an eventful summer, which left him out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for a couple of weeks only to be brought back for at least two more appearances. Spider-Man’s stay has an expiration date, but before he leaves again there are some things that need to be resolved. Spider-Man made his long-awaited MCU debut in 2016 in Captain America: Civil War as part of Iron Man’s team, and got his first solo film the following year with Spider-Man: Homecoming.

The web-slinger later appeared in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, teaming up with the rest of the heroes in the MCU to fight Thanos and his armies. His latest appearance was in Spider-Man: Far From Home, which teased a big shake-up in Spidey’s universe by having his identity made public by Quentin Beck aka Mysterio and J. Jonah Jameson (once again portrayed by J.K. Simmons). Spider-Man’s momentary departure from the MCU after the Marvel/Sony deal fell through raised a lot of questions about his future and how Marvel was going to deal with his absence – and his return thanks to a new deal between the studios didn’t really put an end to all those doubts.

If anything, his return has only made those concerns even bigger, as he only has one more solo film and a mystery Marvel project left to tie all those loose ends and make a smooth exit or transition into Sony’s very own universe. It’s not impossible, but if not done right, Marvel risks cramping up a lot of elements in one film, very much like Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 – and everyone knows that didn’t turn out well. However, Marvel can simply focus on some major points and with that make Spider-Man’s last adventures in the MCU worth everyone’s time.

Move Peter Parker Out Of Iron Man’s Shadow

Tony Stark and Peter Parker at the end of Spiderman: Homecoming

Tony Stark was the man in charge of bringing Peter Parker to the MCU by recruiting him for his team in Captain America: Civil War. Since then, Tony served as a mentor to Peter, and even appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming as a sort of “voice of reason” for the new hero. Although Tony died in Avengers: Endgame after sacrificing himself to save the universe, his was still somewhat present in Spider-Man: Far From Home – especially after passing on to Peter a new A.I called E.D.I.T.H, along with a note in which he called him "the next Tony Stark." The mentor/mentee relationship built for Tony and Peter was a nice touch, and one that made Tony’s death even more emotional, but he’s gone and Peter is still very much alive.

It’s time for Peter to move out of Iron Man’s shadow and stop relying on Stark-related elements and people (as much as fans like Happy Hogan, it’s time to let the kid be). Even after Iron Man’s death, Peter depended a lot on Stark technology, and E.D.I.T.H. was key in both prompting a big part of the film’s conflict and solving it. Peter Parker needs to let go of Tony Stark and go on his own adventures, by his own means, and learn from his mistakes by himself. It’s a necessary journey for the character, especially as time is running out.

Build The Sinister Six

The Sinister Six have been trapped in pre-production limbo for years, with fans patiently waiting for the day they will make it to the big screen. The Amazing Spider-Man set up the team and Sony even had a release date for a spin-off focused on them, with Drew Goddard attached as director. The project was ultimately cancelled when Sony began focusing on the new version of Spider-Man with Marvel Studios. But a new Sony/Marvel deal and a third Spider-Man film bring new hope for an appearance of this group of villains in the MCU, which has already introduced a good number of Sinister Six members.

Spider-Man: Homecoming had one of the Sinister Six’s founding members as villain: Adrian Toomes aka Vulture. Unlike most villains in the MCU, Toomes didn’t die and was instead sent to prison, where he reunited with Mac Gargan (Scorpion in the comics, and later Venom, but that’s obviously not an option). Homecoming also featured Herman Schultz aka Shocker in a minor role, and Far From Home had a minor character named Dimitri working for Fury – who many theorized could be Dimitri Smerdyakov aka Chameleon. And, of course, there’s also Quentin Beck, master of illusions and deceit. Beck died in Far From Home but had the last laugh as he left a recorded message revealing Spider-Man’s identity. It wouldn’t be surprising if his death was one of his final illusions and he was still alive, further making the Sinister Six a possibility.

Spider-Man technically has only one more chance to have a full adventure with his third and final solo film, so bringing a new villain (even if that has been the rule for every MCU film to date) might not be the best move. However, but they can build the Sinister Six with what they already have, essentially bringing a “new” villainous threat to Spidey’s life while also making it possible for Sony to finally move forward with that Sinister Six spin-off that has been on hold for years.

Do Uncle Ben Justice

One of the last things Spider-Man and MCU fans needed was to watch Uncle Ben die again, and Marvel wisely decided to stay away from that particularly heartbreaking moment – but they also chose to forget about him completely. Watching his death twice (first in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man and later in Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man) was more than enough, but whether some like it or not, Uncle Ben is an important figure in Peter’s life; had he not died, Spider-Man as the world know him might have not happened. And, of course, he delivered Spider-Man’s motto and one of the most quoted lines in pop culture.

Still, the MCU has chosen to avoid any major references to Uncle Ben, instead making Tony Stark that paternal figure that Peter so needed in his superhero journey. There have been some vague references to him, and in Spider-Man: Far From Home Peter used a suitcase that belonged to him, but what could have been a token of Uncle Ben’s importance in Peter’s life ended up being nothing more than a prop. Spider-Man 3 is Marvel’s last chance to give Uncle Ben his place and the significance he deserves, without having to show his death.

Make Spider-Man A Hero Again

Spider-Man and Aunt May in Far From Home

As uncle Ben said, “with great power comes great responsibility,” which is exactly what’s happening with Marvel and Sony after they made the move of revealing Spider-Man’s identity during the mid-credits scene in Spider-Man: Far From Home. At this point, it might seem like Spider-Man has reached a dead-end, but there will be a way in which he can either regain his privacy or work around the reveal, and by his own means.

In the comics, his identity was erased from the world’s memory thanks to Doctor Strange, Reed Richards, and Tony Stark. Although Doctor Strange is part of the MCU and has already met Peter, Marvel should stay away from any outside help (more so if it involves magic and/or advanced technology) to solve this particular issue. Doctor Strange’s help would be an easy and disappointing way out, and Marvel doesn’t have time for that. Along with being a hero for the city and its surroundings, it’s time for Peter to be his own hero as well – and he can even honor Uncle Ben’s memory and influence in his superhero journey through this. Some of these points end up complementing each other, as you can see.

Fully Introduce The Daily Bugle

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

Another very important element brought by Spider-Man: Far From Home’s mid-credits scene is J. Jonah Jameson and The Daily Bugle. In it, Jameson and TheDailyBugle.net appeared on a big screen on the streets of New York and played a video message created by Mysterio, in which he framed Spider-Man as being responsible for the attacks of the Elementals and revealed Spidey’s secret identity. The MCU has focused on a young Peter Parker that’s still in high school, so Jameson and the newspaper/digital outlet didn’t have much of a place in the story, although they have both apparently existed all along.

Marvel usually uses mid and post-credits scenes to tease upcoming films, but some of them have been added just for fun (such as dancing Baby Groot and the shawarma scene from the first Avengers). Jameson’s involvement in Spider-Man 3 is a mystery, and the character is still at risk of being nothing more than a fun cameo for Simmons, rather than his return to the role in a more substantial way.

Spider-Man 3 is Marvel’s last chance to do many things, including introducing one of the most iconic places and people from Spidey’s universe and really including them as part of the story. Marvel can explore the legacy of The Daily Bugle (which has now joined the digital era), and the impact a figure like J. Jonah Jameson can have in the MCU in general, not just in Spider-Man’s bubble. Spider-Man still has many things to resolve before he leaves the MCU for (possibly) a different life at Sony and, if not addressed correctly, there's still a risk that Spider-Man's MCU tenure could end on a sour note.

Next: Spider-Man: Far From Home's Worst Part Hurts Iron Man's Legacy