The Marvel Cinematic Universe is finally addressing Spider-Man's origins. Marvel Studios has never especially liked repeating stories that have been told before, and as a result, when they struck a deal to bring Spider-Man into the MCU the decision was made to avoid retelling Peter Parker's Spider-Man origin story. "[Audiences have] seen the other films. They've read comics. They can fill that in," Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige stated (via CinemaBlend). "That was a very purposeful decision we made to not retread that ground. There are little things that are said here and there that people can read into. What the specific facts are in the past, we don't... we haven't revealed yet."

Marvel may have gone a little too far with this. They avoided Spider-Man's classic "power and responsibility" line when Tom Holland's Peter Parker made his MCU debut in Captain America: Civil War, instead riffing on it in a manner that raised many eyebrows. "When you can do the things that I can, but you don't," Peter Parker told Tony Stark, "and then the bad things happen... they happen because of you.Spider-Man: Far From Home went one step further, because it finally contained a nod to Uncle Ben—a suitcase with his initials—that was destroyed in a throwaway manner, with the film much more concerned about Tony Stark's recent passing. It's telling that, so far, the only explicit MCU reference to Uncle Ben was in an alternate universe, as seen in Marvel's What If...?

Related: Thor 4 Can Finally Payoff Spider-Man Homecoming's Magic Belt Reference

It seems things are beginning to change. The trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home included dialogue in which Peter Parker finally discussed how he acquired his powers in the first place. "Ever since I got bit by that spider," he told MJ, "I've only had one week where my life has felt normal. That was when you found out." This is literally the first time the MCU has ever addressed how Peter Parker became Spider-Man. While it's possible this is the only line where Spider-Man's origin is openly discussed, the very fact his secret identity has become public knowledge means there will be plenty of opportunities to discuss it. With Peter Parker framed for Mysterio's death, and apparently standing trial for it no less, he'll surely have been asked lots of questions about how a teenager became a superhero in the first place.

Spider-Man: No Way Home Trailer

Spider-Man: No Way Home looks set to finally establish the foundations of Spider-Man's origin story, which will more than likely be expanded upon in Spider-Man: Freshman Year, an animated series that will release on Disney+. Announced on Disney+ Day 2021, celebrating the 2-year anniversary of the streaming service's launch, this will explore Peter Parker's first years as a superhero in the MCU, months before he met Tony Stark and got drawn into the Avengers civil war. Spider-Man: Freshman Year will be MCU canon, even if it's unlikely to feature Tom Holland himself as a voice actor.

Marvel's been keeping Spider-Man's MCU backstory a secret for over five years now, content with the fact most viewers assume they already know the story. They're finally breaking their silence in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and that clearly sets a precedent. It won't be long before audiences get to find out just what secrets Marvel was concealing with their silence—and whether they were worth the wait.

More: Why Doctor Strange Can't Be Evil In Spider-Man: No Way Home

Key Release Dates