Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures Releasing have produced threeSpider-Manfilms in collaboration, all set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Besides, Tom Hollandalso appeared in three more films, making him a prominent member of Avengers (untilSpider-Man: No Way Home). In his MCU journey, Spider-Man has taken a different route than the character’s previous iterations, during which many events surrounding his origins were portrayed differently.
This includes the iconic spider bite sequence, which gave Peter Parker his powers in the first place. In Spider-Man’s first appearance inCaptain America: Civil War, we find that Peter has been active as Spider-Man in Queens for at least six months. There was no indication as to how he got his powers, probably because it was something that was well explored earlier.
Recently, in an interview with Sean O’Connell (viaComicBook.com), writer of the bookWith Great Power, screenwriterChristopher Markusgave his take on Peter’s origins in the MCU. Markus, who pennedCivil Warwith Stephen McFeely, said,
I mean, God knows there would have to be something not unlike that, probably… But no, I wouldn’t say… I mean, I think he was bitten by a radioactive spider on a field trip. We never talked about that either, but I think that’s what happened.
Markus was right to skip Peter’s origins and give him a different path and character arc. InNo Way Home, Peter Parker eventually got his new origin, which is on par with his comic book story. At the end ofSpider-Man: No Way Home, Stephen Strange casts a spell that makes everyone forget who Spider-Man’s true identity, including his friends, Happy Hogan and the rest of the Avengers.
We see him stitching his costume and shifting to a small one-room apartment, becoming the college-going, mysterious superhero, Spider-Man. It resembled how Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man grew in Sam Raimi’s trilogy. Interestingly,No Way Homecanonizedall previous Spider-Man filmsthrough a multiversal connection. How Tom Holland’s Spider-Man now fits in the MCU will shape up a new arc for him in the continuity.
Related:Work Has Begun on Spider-Man 4, Which Will See Tom Holland, Zendaya & Jon Watts Return
Jon Watts Feels It Was ‘Nice’ to Skip Peter’s Past
Jon Watts, director of MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy, also responded to skipping Peter’s spider bitefor Tom Holland’s iteration. Watts exclaimed that exploring Spider-Man’s journey from a different perspective was ‘nice.’ He said,
It was just so nice to skip past it and just deal with more with the repercussions… and just explore it from the perspective of someone else finding out about it and having a lot of questions.
Spider-Man: No Way Homehas set Peter Parker on a unique path. Now that he is entering college, there are several means to introduce a new set of characters and supervillains for him to fend off. Moreover, withAvengers: The Kang DynastyandAvengers: Secret Warsin development, he has a massive role in the impending battle against Kang the Conqueror and others.
Sony has announced that a newSpider-Mantrilogy will take place in Peter’s college years, and at least Spider-Man 4 mayrelease before Phase Six of the MCU ends. Rumors are spreading out about the fourth installment. Hopefully, there will be an official announcement soon.
