RecentSpider-Man 4news presents the perfect candidate for Spidey’s nextMCUantagonist.Spider-Man 4has apparently been fast-tracked in the MCU’s Multiverse Saga slate, starting development in 2024 and gearing up for a potential 2026 or 2027 release date.Little is still known aboutSpider-Man 4, but fan theories already abound. Given that Peter Parker’s next MCU adventure will probably release soon before or soon afterAvengers: Doomsday, there’s a high chance that the multiverse will play a big role in its story, despite whatSpider-Man: No Way Home’s endingsuggested.
Peter Parker’s new lifestyle after the events ofSpider-Man: No Way Homeput him on track to face grounded enemies the likes of Kingpin, Hammerhead, Tombstone, and the Punisher. Kingpin’s devious plan inEcho’s post-credits scene tease, which seems to target New York City’s superheroes and vigilantes, also supports the idea that Spider-Man and Kingpin will come into conflict soon, possibly with Charlie Cox’s Daredevil as a supporting character. However, this possible storyline may have to wait until afterSpider-Man 4, and Spider-Man’s next MCU installment may instead feature a different kind of main antagonist.
Destin Daniel Cretton’s Spider-Man 4 May Be Both Street-Level And Multiversal
Spider-Man 4 Could Strike A Balance Between Grounded And Fantastical In Phase 6
WhetherSpider-Man 4will be a multiversal or a realistic installment is yet to be confirmed. Nevertheless, there’s a chance that the Phase 6 movie will incorporate elements from both sides of the equation.Spider-Man 4’s director has been confirmed to be Destin Daniel Cretton, who directedShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsand is currently helmingWonder Man, and who was attached to directAvengers: The Kang Dynastyprior to Jonathan Majors' firing.Cretton’sShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringswas praised for its grounded fight scenes, but it also featured plenty of fantastical elementslike mythical creatures and an alternate dimension.
Spider-Man 4 Theory Explains How The MCU Movie Could Be Street-Level & Include The Multiverse Simultaneously
A new MCU Spider-Man 4 theory answers how Tom Holland’s next solo movie could have the perfect balance between a street-level and multiversal story.
Peter Parker’s drastic lifestyle changes at the end ofSpider-Man: No Way Homecan’t be ignored bySpider-Man 4, but the same may apply to the MCU’s overarching multiverse storyline. Fortunately, Destin Daniel Cretton has already demonstrated his ability to balance street-level and interdimensional plotlines, which is good news for fans who are expecting either type of plot inSpider-Man 4. With a well-balanced story,Spider-Man 4will need an appropriate villain — one grounded enough to threaten Peter Parker’s new status quo but extravagant enough to connect with the MCU’s multiversal themes properly.
The MCU Already Set Up A Street-Level, Multiversal Spider-Man Villain
Spider-Man 4 Could Finally Revisit Homecoming’s Long-Forgotten Post-Credits Scene
Michael Mando’s Mac Gargan has been absent in the MCU sinceSpider-Man: Homecoming’s long-forgotten post-credits scene, where Gargan tried to get Vulture to disclose Spider-Man’s real identity. Set up to become the Scorpion,Mac Gargan could beSpider-Man 4’s perfect street-level main antagonist, as his abilities pose an even match for the wall crawler,who no longer has access to Stark technology. Having been scarred by Spider-Man, Gargan also has enough reasons to torment him, and his desire to discover Spider-Man’s secret identity probably wasn’t affected by Doctor Strange’s memory-wiping spell.
A Venomized Mac Gargan would be a street-level antagonist powered by a multiversal supervillain
As revealed bySpider-Man: No Way Home’s post-credits scene, part of Eddie Brock’s Venom symbiote was left behind on Earth-10005 after Eddie and Venom returned to their original universe. This symbiote may be searching for a new host, and Mac Gargan is a likely option. In the comics, the Venom symbiote chooses Mac Gargan as its host shortly after the latter learns Spider-Man’s real identity. If the MCU’s new symbiote does the same in the MCU, a Venomized Mac Gargan would be a street-level antagonist powered by a multiversal supervillain — a perfect representation ofSpider-Man 4’s potentially mixed plot.
Spider-Man 4 Is The Perfect Time To Introduce Mac Gargan’s Venom
A Symbiote-Wielding Mac Gargan Is Also A Perfect Candidate For The MCU’s Next Thunderbolt Team
When Mac Gargan’s symbiote first reunites with its former host Eddie Brock in the comics, Anti-Venom is born.
Theories aboutthe meaning ofThunderbolts*' asteriskpoint to the team’s replacement by the Dark Avengers following the death of its original members. If true, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine could choose a new line-up that more closely resembles the original Avengers. Similarly to the comics, a Venomized Mac Gargan could survive the events ofSpider-Man 4just in time to join Val’s Dark Avengers team and attempt to gain popularity as a separate symbiote Spider-Man. Fellow Dark Avengers members Bullseye and Ares may also be available to return to make a roughly comic-accurate Dark Avengers team possible in the MCU.
