Spider-Man: No Way Home elated fans with its epic storyline, which introduced Tom Holland’s Peter Parker to the vast multiverse, including several variants of himself, portrayed by former Spider-Man actors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. The film came as a part of Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, helping expand the Multiverse Saga in a way that few movies or series before it had done. No Way Home also acted as the finale to Tom Holland’s first Spider-Man trilogy in the MCU, paving the way for more adventures featuring his iconic character, who is just beginning his superhero career. However, with a fourth Spider-Man film in development already, the character’s franchise may be about to hit one of its biggest challenges.
According to recent reports, Marvel and Sony are at odds over Spider-Man 4 and its potential storyline. Rumors suggest that the success of No Way Home has caused Sony to insist that the next Spider-Man film delve deeper into the multiverse, potentially featuring additional appearances from Maguire, Garfield, and other characters from their respective universes. On the other hand, Marvel Studios reportedly believes that No Way Home worked best as a one-off adventure into the multiverse and that Tom Holland’s next outing as the web-slinging superhero should be a more grounded adventure. This potential behind-the-scenes controversy reveals the challenge that No Way Home caused with its release in 2021. While the film provided some of the best live-action Spider-Man moments of all time, it may have also doomed all future movies in the franchise.
No Way Home’s Multiverse Cameos May Have Doomed The Spider-Man Franchise
There is no doubt that Spider-Man: No Way Home is one of the best films in Phase 4 of the MCU. The movie features some of the most fun sequences, deep emotion, and resonant themes in the post-Endgame MCU. Most notably, No Way Home brings back Tobey Maguire’s and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man variants, as well as several of their villains from previous films, including the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), the Lizard (Rhys Ifans), and Electro (Jamie Foxx). Even Tom Hardy’s Venom made an appearance in the movie’s post-credit scene. After months of speculation that these multiversal characters would appear in the film, Spider-Man fans were ecstatic to have their theories proven true. These multiversal cameos set a new high for what a Spider-Man movie can be–but it will be especially difficult for any sequels to live up to this standard.
After seeing Spider-Man variants from across the multiverse unite in No Way Home, the gag will inevitably see diminishing returns each time it is repeated. Marvel can’t simply continue bringing back Maguire and Garfield expecting to get the same reaction from audiences. As fun as it is to see the three Spider-Men together onscreen, even this trio would become old news after the second or third time it occurs. Even so, Marvel may have backed itself into a corner with No Way Home. After unleashing the multiverse in Peter Parker’s world, viewers may go into any sequels expecting similarly high stakes and more high-profile cameos. Spider-Man 4 can’t live up to the hype of No Way Home and, even if it tries, cannot possibly replicate the energy that surrounded its predecessor’s epic multiversal cameos.
Spider-Man 4 Shouldn’t Include Alternate-Universe Spider-Men
While it may disappointing for some viewers if other popular Spider-Man variants don’t appear in a sequel to No Way Home, this would ultimately be the best option for the upcoming movie. Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield are both beloved for their renditions of Spider-Man and their appearance in No Way Home was more than welcome, but it works best as a one-time team-up. Marvel can still decide to pursue a future for these characters in other movies, including Avengers: Secret Wars, but Spider-Man 4 simply isn’t the place for their return. Moreover, alternate-universe villains should stay out of the upcoming film as well, giving Tom Holland’s Spider-Man new and unique antagonists to fight in his next adventure.
Spider-Man 4 has the opportunity to depict a fresh start for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man after Doctor Strange’s spell erased the world’s memories of Peter Parker. The film needs to build up who this new Peter Parker is and how his life relates to Spider-Man as he still figures out the ins and outs of being a superhero. Adding multiversal elements would dilute the character’s story in Spider-Man 4, exchanging what should be a more grounded story for cheap thrills that audiences have already seen. While Spider-Man 4 would inevitably be a smaller film than No Way Home, Marvel has to resist trying to replicate the 2021 movie’s magic to create something fresh and original.
Spider-Man Works Best As A Grounded Superhero
Spider-Man 4 has plenty of potential to still be a great movie, even if it doesn’t include the multiversal elements of No Way Home. Although Marvel and Sony have had great success in multiverse-centered Spider-Man films, including the highly popular Spider-Verse franchise, Spider-Man still works best as a more grounded character. The “Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” aspect of the superhero can’t be lost in the great shuffle of the Multiverse Saga but needs to be a major focus as Spider-Man enters a new era of his time in the MCU.
Spider-Man 4 needs a more grounded story to build up how its titular superhero relates to the people of New York, his home city. A smaller, more character-driven story would go a long way in establishing who Spider-Man is now that his life has changed forever. This would also allow for other street-level characters to appear in the film, including Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin, both of whom audiences have hoped to see share the screen with Spider-Man for years. Spider-Man has always been a street-level hero, with occasional exceptions for major crossovers. As such, Marvel and Sony would do well to remember the character’s roots rather than trying to force another multiversal crossover.
Spider-Man 4 has unprecedented challenges to overcome to be a success. However, if Marvel chooses to focus on a more grounded story without any ties to the multiverse, the film may still stand a chance at being a success, though likely not to the degree of its predecessor, No Way Home.
