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After the multiverse event that was Spider-Man: No Way Home, Marvel fans are looking ahead to Tom Holland’s next outing as the web-slinger. While not much is known about the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Spider-Man 4, one thing is for certain: it shouldn’t feature Andrew Garfield.
The MCU Shouldn’t Undo Andrew Garfield’s Great Send-Off
After Disney’s various acquisitions and mergers, Marvel Studios is finally in a position to unify the Marvel multiverse. After all the legal headaches needed to get the rights to all the franchises characters, the MCU is finally able to give the Sony and Fox Marvel films the send off and service their fans deserve.
With Spider-Man: No Way Home, Marvel was able to pull off an incredible feat, giving fans what was essentially a live action Spider-Verse film. Aside from the hype worthy fan-service moments, this film was a touching tribute to the live action Spider-Man films from the 2000s and 2010s. By the end of the film, Spider-Man: No Way Home gave Andrew Garfield’s portrayal of Spider-Man a complete arc. In it, he was able to make up for the things he lost, as well as impart some wisdom on Holland’s version of the hero.
Disney seems to have a problem committing to some of the arcs it sets up (or concludes) with its franchises. Granted, I get the business side of it. With Star Wars, for example, the arc set up for Grogu in The Mandalorian had an incredibly emotional payoff in that series’ Season 2 finale. However, this was quickly undone in the hopes to capitalize further on the virality of “Baby Yoda” and his merchandise. Ultimately, this (among other choices) has led to some fans souring on The Mandalorian sub-brand. Hopefully, Disney won’t repeat this mistake with Garfield’s Spider-Man by putting him in Spider-Man 4.
Tom Holland Still Needs Chance to Shine on His Own
Holland does an incredible job as Spider-Man, but he’s yet to get a chance to truly shine on his own. The battle to get Spidey into the MCU was a difficult and lengthy one. So, by the time the hero made his way into the franchise, it was already established and had incredibly high stakes.
Spider-Man was introduced in Captain America: Civil War, which was arguably the climax of the MCU at the time. From the very beginning of this version of the character, Holland’s Spider-Man was heavily involved with The Avengers.
While Spider-Man: Homecoming delivered an excellent coming-of-age film with a superhero story as the backdrop, it still didn’t give Holland a chance to lead a film on his own. After all, the franchise’s biggest character, Tony Stark, mentored Holland’s Spider-Man through much of the film. While the incredible relationship it built bolsters both characters, it still got Spider-Man too close to The Avengers for his first proper outing.
Related: Is Shang-Chi 2 At Risk Of Cancellation After Director Takes On Spider-Man 4?
Holland’s Spider-Man might have had the highest stakes of any version of the character yet. He helped Tony Stark in the Civil War between The Avengers, was present for battles with Thanos, and has defeated iconic villains from across the Marvel multiverse.
The ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home essentially gave the hero a reset point. The Infinity Saga is over, the villains from the Spider-Man movies of the past have returned home to their worlds, and the world has forgotten Peter Parker. There’s never been a better moment than Spider-Man 4 to show Holland as the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and there’s proof that these stories still resonate with modern audiences.
Insomniac Proves Solo Spider-Man Stories Still Work
For many fans, the Spider-Men portrayed by Yuri Lowenthal and Nadji Jeter in the PlayStation games have become the defining versions of the heroes. Insomnaic’s Peter Parker and Miles Morales live in a world that houses The Avengers, but they’ve never felt in their shadow. The Spider-Man games contain some great Easter eggs, like Avengers Tower and the Sanctum Sanctorum. However, they never get in the way of the story
For a trio of video games across PS4 and PS5, these Spider-Men have gotten to shine on their own. They have been given the time and space they need to fully develop their personalities and relationships. This extra attention and depth is what has made the stories told in Marvel’s Spider-Man, Spider-Man Miles Morales and Spider-Man 2 some of the most effective narratives ever told with these characters.
With these stories, Peter Parker and Miles Morales have become widely regarded characters and have proven themselves as capable heroes to defend their version of Marvel’s New York. These stories have also meant so much to fans over the several years and have been able to find massive success despite standing on their own without connecting to a larger franchise.
So, it’s time for fans to get a Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man story in the MCU in Spider-Man 4. Unfortunately, having Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man present would detract too much from Holland’s Peter Parker for this to be able to happen.
The Spider-Man movies are streaming on Disney+.