On Aug. 23, Marvel released the much-anticipated trailer for “Spider-Man 3: No Way Home,” set to release on Dec.17. “Avengers: Endgame,” released two years ago, marked the end of Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The death of the original MCU members such as Iron Man and Black Widow posed a challenge for Marvel to continue the overall plotline of the Marvel universe. 

“There were a few Disney Plus shows like ‘Loki’ that showed the future path of MCU through the Time Variance Authority (TVA) and the introduction of the multiverse concept,” Hannah Kim (12), an avid Marvel fan, said. “However, none of the theatrical films drew actual implications of what the next phase will look like.”

Following the first theatrical film in Phase Four of the MCU, “Black Widow,” Marvel announced the release dates and titles of 11 upcoming movies scheduled to release until May 2023. 

Based on the interrelated nature of Marvel films, film critics forecast the first few movies of this new phase to set up the tension and disperse hints for the future films. Many await the Spider-Man movie to get a better grasp on how the MCU will change with the new phase. 

“While I believed the ‘Black Widow’ movie would set the stage for MCU after Iron Man’s death, it was based on a past event, so the Spider-Man movie is considered the true beginning of how the new generation of heroes will encounter the multiverse,” Hannah said. “This Spider-Man movie is especially important because there was no major progression in the Phase Four storyline with ‘Black Widow.’”

Beyond the crucial role the Spider-Man movie will play in the plot of Phase Four, Spider-Man lies at the center of a long history between Sony and Marvel. Since Sony first acquired all rights to Spider-Man in 1999, Spiderman has come a long way from the first trilogy produced in collaboration between Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studios and Sony played by Toby Maguire, the Amazing Spider-Man series produced independently by Sony played by Andrew Garfield, and the current series produced under Marvel, featuring Tom Holland. 

“I am glad Marvel is producing the Spider-Man movies,” Joseph Song (12), a cinephile, said. “I like all three trilogies, but MCU’s Spider-Man is my favorite so far. The Spider-Man character played by Tom Holland is a lot brighter, comedic, and more teenage-like than the other two trilogies. I could relate to Tom Holland with his love life and trying to maintain his friendships. I love the realism incorporated in Marvel movies.” 

Much to the fans’ surprise, prior to the release of the trailer for Spider-Man 3, fans reportedly spotted all three generations of the Spider-Man role on the set of this upcoming movie. Sources leaked many behind-the-scenes photos, and from this, the appearance of Maguire and Garfield in the new Spiderman movie is now regarded as an established fact amongst Marvel enthusiasts. The theory was confirmed when a villain from the first trilogy made an appearance in the official trailer. 

“I definitely missed Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield because of the thought that I would never see them with a Spider-Man suit on again,” Nicholas Baik (12), a fan of superhero movies, said. “I am elated to see what role they would play in the movie.”

With this pleasantly surprising expansion of the domain comes concerns. 

The introduction of past generations of heroes means that the multiple universes are integrated together. Therefore, parts of the past timeline could be dragged into the current story. This may become a dangerous precedent for the MCU as fans are now wishing for the comeback of Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Widow. 

“I, personally, do not anticipate any complications,” Andrew Ham (11), a Marvel fan, said. “I think the three of them would have more synergy, if not a sense of camaraderie, among one another since the roles they played in their respective movies were pretty distinct. As for the comeback of past characters, I believe it is time to perhaps let them go, even though that is heartbreaking to say.”