After a few long, painful weeks of desperately clinging to a scrap of hope that Sony and Marvel could work out their differences and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man could be returned to the MCU, superhero fans can rejoice as a deal has been reached. Not only is Spidey going to get a third solo movie in Marvel’s sprawling, interconnected film franchise; he’ll be appearing in another one of its upcoming installments, too.
One of the joys of the MCU is seeing superheroes rub shoulders with other superheroes. So, here are 10 team-ups we want to see now that Spider-Man's back in the MCU.
Doctor Strange
Tom Holland himself wants this team-up to happen, because Spidey’s scientific know-how would clash with Doctor Strange’s magical abilities in fun ways. Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man developed a hysterical rapport with the Sorcerer Supreme in Avengers: Infinity War, as Strange looked down on Spidey for being a kid swept up in an intergalactic war and Spidey looked up to Strange as a cocksure adult superhero with the power to shape reality.
Whether Marvel Studios teams them up in Spider-Man 3, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Avengers 5, or a different MCU movie altogether, is entirely up to them.
Deadpool
Fans have been clamoring for this one for a while, but Deadpool co-creator Rob Liefeld has cast doubt on it. He doesn’t believe that Marvel would take its freshly acquired Merc with a Mouth property and waste him on a movie whose profits they have to share with Sony. But a Spidey/Deadpool team-up doesn’t necessarily have to happen in Spider-Man 3 – it could happen in the X-Men reboot, Avengers 5, Deadpool 3, X-Force, anything.
Both Peter Parker and Wade Wilson like to quip, but the latter is a lot swearier and more graphic than the former, so it would be hilarious.
She-Hulk
It was recently announced that Jen Walters, better known as She-Hulk, will be getting her own series on Disney+. Now, since Jen is a lawyer who, after becoming a superhero herself, focused her efforts in court on representing her fellow superheroes when they face legal issues.
With the Daily Bugle leaking Spider-Man’s secret identity and framing him for the attack on London and Mysterio’s death in the middle of Far From Home’s end credits, Peter Parker himself is facing legal issues right now. This presents the perfect opportunity for a crossover with the She-Hulk. It would also offer a new genre for the MCU to tackle: the legal thriller.
Miles Morales
Tom Holland has said that he wants to see Miles Morales in the live-action Spider-Man movies, but he doesn’t want it to come at the expense of Peter Parker. He wants Miles to appear in the movies without Peter dying, which would allow them to appear in the same movie together, perhaps even as a passing of the torch. Spider-Man: Homecoming established the existence of Miles in the MCU, with Donald Glover’s Aaron Davis mentioning a nephew who lived in the area.
As Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse proved, Peter and Miles fighting alongside one another can be a lot of cinematic fun.
Black Panther
The next Spider-Man movie will likely find Peter Parker on the run, while a popular piece of fan art has depicted Kraven the Hunter as Wakandan. Peter could seek asylum in Wakanda in the same way that Captain America did during the Sokovia Accords fallout. Kraven could be a big-game hunter in the vibranium-powered African nation, waiting for the ultimate prey to come along to give him a challenge, and then Spider-Man moves in down the street.
Spidey would have to team up with Black Panther to take down Kraven. MCU fans have taken to the world-building in Wakanda, and it would continue the franchise’s tradition of telling unconventional Spider-Man stories.
Rocket and Groot
Seeing Spider-Man trade quips with members of the Guardians of the Galaxy like Star-Lord, Mantis, and Drax in Avengers: Infinity War was a lot of fun. But there were a couple of key Guardians missing from the dynamic, because Rocket and Groot were off with Thor, forging Stormbreaker and taking it to the battlefield in Wakanda.
Rocket has the perfect insult for everybody, while Groot’s limited vocabulary plays differently against each character he comes across (“I am Groot.” “I am Steve Rogers.”), so throwing Spider-Man into the mix would result in comedy gold, as well as some bittersweet character moments.
Wolverine
Wolverine has yet to join the MCU, or even be cast or have a release date announced for his debut, but he is coming, and when he does, it would be amazing to see him team up with Spider-Man on the big screen. Spidey is a wisecracking kid with a bright-eyed, optimistic view of the future, while Logan is a gruff, bitter, old man, with a pessimistic, cynical view of the past.
In the comics, they’ve always made a terrific duo, and there’s no doubt that this could be translated into the MCU if Sony lets Marvel keep Spider-Man long enough.
Ant-Man
“There’s an Ant-Man and a Spider-Man?” Scott Lang and Peter Parker have a lot in common. They’re both among the funniest characters in the MCU; they’re both played by effortlessly lovable actors; and they’re both insect-themed superheroes (okay, one is an arachnid-themed superhero – sue me) who want to be taken more seriously than they are.
Since Ant-Man doesn’t seem to be getting a third solo movie and Spider-Man’s involvement in the MCU will be limited at best, it might be a smart move – creatively, because it would be hysterical, as well as commercially – to put these two characters in the same movie together.
Smart Hulk
When the initial deal with Sony required Marvel to give a supporting role in Spider-Man: Homecoming to an Avenger, they considered using Bruce Banner as a sort of mentor figure for Peter Parker. As it turned out, Banner’s story arc had him on Sakaar at this time and Marvel ended up building a father-son relationship between Tony Stark and Peter instead.
It still makes sense for Peter and Bruce to interact, because they’re both interested in science, and with Tony gone, Bruce will need a new science bro to work with. Spider-Man and Smart Hulk might be a match made in Heaven.
The Human Torch
Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four have been allies ever since Spidey first got his own comic book, but Webhead has always had a particular affinity for the Human Torch. They’re both New York superheroes, they’re both young, and they both like cracking jokes while they apprehend bad guys. The only difference is that Johnny Storm wants to be a superhero for the fame, whereas Peter Parker has a more earnest reason – he just wants to do the right thing.
It has made for a fascinating dynamic in countless comic books where they’ve forced each other to confront things about themselves.