Spider-Man 4’s Multiversal Story Can Still Find A Way To Feel Fresh

Key Takeaways

• Spider-Man 4 might continue with the multiverse angle, despite fan concerns about its necessity.
• Marvel could blend street-level storytelling with multiversal elements in Spider-Man 4 to satisfy all fans.
• The film has the potential to raise stakes and put Spider-Man at the center of the MCU narrative.

Spider-Man 4’s wheels are barely off the ground, but fans are already busy speculating whether the movie will take the multiverse route again or shift to a more grounded, street-level story. So far, neither Marvel nor Sony have hinted at anything beyond the fact that the project is happening, with Tom Holland set to return as the web-slinging superhero.

Any new Spider-Man movie in the works is bound to generate wild industry rumors and fan theories online. This was true even for Sam Raimi’s scrapped Spider-Man 4, long before the rise of social media. Ever since Spider-Man: No Way Home’s ending hit the reset button with a memory wipe, curiosity is at an all-time high about the upcoming movie’s villains, timelines, and different universes to be covered.

Spider-Man 4 Probably Won’t Abandon The Multiverse Angle

Recently, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Spider-Man 4 might have found its director in Destin Daniel Cretton, known for his work on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Although official details remain out of reach, there has been quite a lot of movement in insider circles about the potential direction that the film’s story will be heading in. On the other hand, fans are calling for the MCU to use this opportunity to return to its roots.

The multiverse concept has faced some flak from Marvel fans, so it’s no surprise that the next Spider-Man installment warrants similar concerns. Many feel that another multiverse-centric Spider-Man plot seems unnecessary. These fans believe that the narrative reset from No Way Home should allow MCU Peter to thrive as a street-level superhero for once. After all, Tom Holland’s Home trilogy of Spider-Man films have never felt quite as standalone as the original Raimi-Maguire trilogy, or even Andrew Garfield’s The Amazing Spider-Man series.

In fact, Holland’s Peter Parker first appeared in Captain America: Civil War, grouped with the other Avengers. While Homecoming and Far From Home did a decent job at incorporating classic Spidey villains like Vulture and Mysterio, they still felt subservient to a much larger Infinity or Multiverse Sagas. This isn’t necessarily a drawback, but what makes the hero special is his image as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. It’s been a long time since something like that was committed to the screen.

The idea of Spider-Man chasing down street criminals, stopping robberies, or fighting mob bosses is an exciting prospect for fans. But it’s too naive and idealistic to assume that Marvel will pass on the chance to use Spider-Man 4 to tie the character more into their upcoming phases. This is increasingly valid since Tom Holland coming face-to-face with Robert Downey Jr. in Avengers: Doomsday is practically an inevitable cinematic moment. Furthermore, Spider-Man 4 is also expected to explore and undo Doctor Strange’s memory-erasing spell to accommodate these narrative changes.

How Can Spider-Man 4’s Story Stay Fresh?

For all the reasons mentioned above, Marvel Studios should take notes from the animated Spider-Verse films. The multiverse concept isn’t just a cash cow for high-profile cameos or cheeky comic book references. Instead, Into the Spider-Verse used it to introduce different unseen variants of Spider-Man and to offer fresh perspectives on the decades-old hero. While No Way Home delivered a wholesome moment with the three Peters meeting, there’s room for more character development here – like how Peter B. Parker acts as a reluctant mentor to younger Spider-Man variants like Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy. This thoughtful approach is likely what made Tom Holland himself call the first Spider-Verse film “the best” Spider-Man movie ever made.

Contrary to the meta-joke from Deadpool and Wolverine, the multiverse idea in the MCU hasn’t always been a “miss after miss after miss.” Yes, there have been a few duds in the post-Avengers: Endgame era, but the multiverse is what has kept the MCU afloat at times. It’s evident from No Way Home, Deadpool and Wolverine, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and even Disney+ series like Loki and What If?.

A Multiversal Story Can Still Channel Spider-Man’s Roots

Going the multiverse way in Spider-Man 4 doesn’t mean sacrificing a street-level story. These concepts aren’t mutually exclusive, and Marvel can blend both to satisfy fans on all sides. The majority of Spider-Man 4 could focus on Peter Parker battling new street-level villains like Kingpin or Shocker, with just the right mix of multiversal elements. This could mean Doctor Strange breaking the spell in the beginning, or an ending that connects to the larger events leading up to Doomsday or Secret Wars. Moreover, there’s plenty of opportunity to introduce other iconic Spider-Man characters like Tom Hardy’s Venom, which would allow MCU Peter to finally interact with the symbiote.

As far as Spider-Man 4 goes, Marvel can use the multiverse to go beyond its crossover appeal and raise the stakes like never before, putting Spider-Man at the center of it all. The ideal approach would be to first make use of Doctor Strange’s spell and Aunt May’s death as catalysts for Peter’s growth as a street-level Spider-Man in NYC. After that, they could bring in Spider-Verse-esque multiversal elements and end it with a powerful, if somewhat far-fetched, reveal – like MCU Peter being the anchor being of Earth-616.