Spider-Man In Avengers 5? What Holland's Confirmed Crossover Movie Could Be

Sony's Tom Rothman has confirmed that Tom Holland’s Spider-Man will return for another MCU crossover during the Spider-Man: No Way Home premiere, but he did not specify which upcoming Marvel Studios project the web-slinger will return in. No Way Home will mark Tom Holland's sixth MCU appearance as Spider-Man, but only three of those were in solo Spidey films. Some of the biggest Spider-Man moments in the MCU came during his crossovers with the Avengers during Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and its follow-up, Avengers: Endgame. Therefore, it was only a matter of time until Spider-Man was confirmed to appear in another project to team up with other MCU heroes.

In early 2015, Marvel Studios and Sony reached an unprecedented agreement that allowed Spider-Man to become part of the ever-growing MCU, yet there have been some instances when that deal seemed to be coming to an end. The partnership broke down in 2019, which was followed by an announcement from the two studios that future Spider-Man movies will no longer take place in the MCU. However, the public outcry caused by the news led to the two parties forging a new deal whereby Spider-Man is set to appear in another MCU project following No Way Home, which was reconfirmed by Sony's current chairman, Tom Rothman.

While no details have been revealed about Tom Holland's next MCU crossover, some projects in Marvel's Phase 4 slate and beyond stand out as the most likely candidates for Spider-Man's next appearance. Other than the recently confirmed second Spider-Man trilogy, the project in which Holland will probably show up next is No Way Home's direct follow-up, Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness. Other films down the line also show potential, such as the Fantastic Four feature, or the yet to be announced Avengers 5.

With Doctor Strange set to play a substantial role in No Way Home it would make sense for Tom Holland to suit up as Spider-Man in Multiverse of Madness, seeing that the Doctor Strange Sequel is confirmed to continue the multiverse storyline that will be set in motion during No Way Home. Moreover, Doctor Strange 2 is shaping up to be one of Phase 4's biggest projects, with the inclusion of Wanda Maximoff as a potential villain, and adding Spider-Man will make this film an even bigger event. If this is indeed the case, Marvel Studios has managed to keep it tightly under wraps, as there have been no leaks regarding a potential Spider-Man appearance in the 2022 film.

The Fantastic Four movie is another project likely to feature Spider-Man. Jon Watts is confirmed to helm the project following his success with the MCU Spider-Man trilogy, which some fans took as a sign of Tom Holland's possible involvement with the film. A cameo by Holland would serve as a great callback to the comic books where Spider-Man had many run-ins with the Fantastic Four, especially early on in his superhero career. But perhaps the safest movie to bet on Spider-Man's appearance in is the inevitable Avengers 5. The Avengers movies are known to be ensemble projects that bring in every available superhero in the MCU to pit them against one of Marvel's supervillains. However, with most of the original team gone Marvel Studios will need a new character to draw in audiences, and Spider-Man fits that bill. It has long been theorized that Marvel and Sony are building Spider-Man up to be Tony Stark's replacement following his death in Endgame, and joining the Avengers is an essential step towards making Tom Holland the new face of the MCU.

No Way Home is bound to clarify the direction in which the two studios are planning on taking Spider-Man in when it opens on December 17. While Marvel is known to often plan the MCU years in advance, the delicate situation of their deal with Sony might make that impossible for Tom Holland's character. However, if Spider-Man is to appear in the Doctor Strange sequel or any other Phase 4 project, audiences can expect an official announcement following the Spider-Man: No Way Home's release.

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