Spider-Man’s MCU Future Hurts No Way Home’s Perfect Ending

Although Spider-Man: No Way Home marks the end of a trilogy, it's not the final MCU outing for the teenage webslinger, ruining the film’s otherwise perfect ending. With the confirmation of Spider-Man's continuing future in the MCU, Peter Parker’s (Tom Holland) fate in No Way Home is the farthest thing from being definitive. While some viewers might rejoice at the prospect of more adventures with the wall-crawler, especially after the apparent end of the Sony-Marvel Spider-Man deal in 2019, this announcement negatively impacts the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home.

The MCU, and the multiverse, have been altered forever as a result of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Because the Spider-Man villains are cured prior to being sent back to their respective universes, there might be a possibility of alternate timelines branching off, as their original fate was ostensibly thwarted. In addition, the film allows Peter to break away from his relationship with Tony Stark, pushing the young Avenger to take responsibility for his actions even though that means being left alone and forgotten by his loved ones. While that means the Avengers’ history with Peter has also been rewritten, No Way Home’s ending capitalizes on his growth as a superhero, making it the supposedly perfect way to cap off his journey in the MCU.

However, merely weeks before Spider-Man: No Way Home’s premiere, Sony producer Amy Pascal confirmed that Spider-Man 4, 5, and 6 are in the works. This news came amidst Tom Holland’s sentiments that he might be hanging the Spider-suit already and the film’s marketing as the MCU trilogy’s finale. Sadly, the guarantee of a trilogy sequel also meant that despite No Way Home setting up a great ending to close out Holland's time as Spider-Man, it will potentially be ruined and possibly reversed. While this likely doesn't include resurrecting major character deaths, Peter Parker’s current state will still be dramatically changed. Also, the consequences brought about by the film are arguably considered impermanent, as Peter’s identity will almost certainly be revealed to certain characters again.

For starters, Peter’s time as a teenager living alone might come to an end once Ned (Jacob Batalon) and MJ (Zendaya) figure out his identity. In fact, No Way Home already teased an MJ-Peter reunion in the future, with MJ still wearing the Black Dahlia necklace Peter bought her, despite having no memory of him. After all, this was hinted at by the film's ending, when MJ proclaimed that if she discovered who Spider-Man was before, she could easily do it again. Moreover, since Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) had been off-world for a period of time, perhaps he had not forgotten Peter and his time with the Avengers, offering company and support to the friendly neighborhood superhero.

Since No Way Home is breaking box-office records left and right, an MCU future should not be surprising. It's just a bit of a shame that the impact of Spider-Man: No Way Home's ending will be diminished. It was heartbreaking, but it was also perhaps the truest sort of ending for Peter Parker, whose life story has been defined by his losses and the sacrifices he's made to protect others. Whatever comes next, Sony and Marvel will have to take care to craft a story that continues the narrative momentum generated by No Way Home's ending and stay true to the character.

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