Fans are still in shock from the recent news that Sony has ended its partnership with Marvel Studios which allowed Spider-Man to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the franchise is expected to continue on with Sony and their own developing Spidey universe that includes Venom and the upcoming sequel, the MCU is potentially left without its Friendly Neighborhood Avenger.
So what does the potential departure of Spider-Man from the MCU mean for the rest of the characters involved? This latest iteration of Spider-Man was so intertwined with the fabric of the MCU that it isn’t quite as easily removed, so we’ll take a closer look at a few unresolved storylines that may become fallout of the split between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures.
THE NEXT IRON MAN
Throughout all of Spider-Man’s time in the MCU he was mentored by Tony Stark, starting with Peter’s first appearance in Captain America: Civil War. Tony has continued to impact Peter’s life posthumously through Happy Hogan and Nick Fury in Spider-Man: Far From Home, where the two revealed they were grooming him to be the “next” Iron Man.
That’s a lot riding on a teenagers’ shoulders, but it also means that Nick Fury is expecting a lot from Spider-Man, which will now leave a glaring hole in any potential plans Fury may have had for the heir to Tony’s throne. With Peter out of the MCU, who steps in to take that responsibility?
E.D.I.T.H.
And who gets left with E.D.I.T.H.? Tony’s final gift to the world was his E.D.I.T.H. program, which was supposed to be the ultimate defense system that was entrusted into the care of young Peter Parker. Of course, he immediately gives the amazing tech to Mysterio, who proves just how dangerous E.D.I.T.H. can be in the wrong hands.
At the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home, Peter retakes control of E.D.I.T.H., but with Tony’s chosen successor out of the running, who now controls Stark’s deadly system of satellites that contain missiles and weapon-toting drones?
PUBLIC IDENTITY
The post-credit scene of Far From Home revealed that Mysterio had one final play to make in his battle with Spider-Man, as J. Jonah Jameson finally arrived in the MCU to reveal a leaked video. Mysterio’s doctored video implicated Spidey for the drone attack and revealed his secret identity of Peter Parker to the world.
This obviously greatly affects Spider-Man and his family, as he has already accumulated a number of villains who would be hunting them down for revenge. But Spider-Man and his adventures with the Avengers are a part of the MCU at large, especially after Endgame and the absence of the other heroes, so this public reveal of his identity would send shockwaves through the superhero community, though now probably not even a ripple.
THE LAST AVENGER
Spider-Man: Far From Home served as not only the epilogue to the epic Infinity Saga but it was also the first film after the climactic Avengers: Endgame, which changed the entire landscape of the MCU. This left the superhero community divided with no clear team of Avengers, as referenced by the public’s questioning of Spidey about the rest of the Avengers in FFH.
When an Avengers team does return to the MCU, Spider-Man’s place on the team and as Iron Man’s potential replacement will be greatly missed. And given the nature of these rights partnerships, it’s likely the Avengers wouldn’t even be able to mention the young hero they fought beside during Endgame.
TONY STARK KILL KREW
One of the biggest twists of FFH was Quentin Beck’s reveal of his master plan and connection to Tony Stark through the development of the B.A.R.F. technology that was first introduced in Civil War. Beck celebrates his evil plan alongside a team of co-conspirators, who were all seeking vengeance against Tony Stark for real or imagined slights in their careers.
However, FFH doesn’t reveal any justice has come to Mysterio’s team of evil-doers, and given that the altered video by Mysterio was leaked after his death, it’s then implied that the team is still active and carrying out instructions. Are they still out for revenge against Tony’s legacy since their first plan failed?
IS MYSTERIO REALLY DEAD?
Spider-Man’s final battle with Mysterio ended fatally for Quentin Beck, as he died from gunshot wounds sustained from his own drones. However, comic fans know that the self-proclaimed master of illusions isn’t one to go out like that, and discussion about his alleged death began almost immediately.
The release of the video could easily be explained due to the continued freedom of Mysterio’s criminal team, but it is just as likely Beck managed to fake his own death and released the footage himself, leaving the door open for Mysterio to return to the MCU… until the partnership deal fell through.
HYDRO-MAN
Leading up to the release of Far From Home, much of the online speculation about the threat of the Elementals featured the inclusion of characters like Hydro-Man, Sandman, and Molten Man. While it was revealed the Elementals were actually made using Mysterio’s technology, one of those characters was still teased in the film.
Thanks to some internet sleuthing by Flash after the appearance of the Elementals, he discovers that a man named Morris Bench was reportedly transformed into a water-monster known as the Hydro-Man. This outright name-drop seemed like a clue as to a future villain that might make his way to the MCU, though that might still be left for Sony to introduce on their own.
HAPPY/MAY
While it was mostly played for humor in Far From Home, Happy Hogan and Aunt May had begun an intense relationship/summer fling since May and Peter’s return after the Blip. The budding relationship definitely seems to be more important to Happy than it does to May, which doesn’t bode well for his future.
Not only has Happy lost his best friend in the recently departed Tony Stark, but now May and Peter’s removal from the MCU has just cost him his potential new family, at least from his point of view. Happy’s potential relationship with May just got One More Day’d by Sony.
SINISTER SIX
Marvel Studios didn’t just develop a new iteration of Peter Parker for the MCU, they also reimagined many of the franchises main villains. This includes characters like Vulture, Shocker, the Tinkerer, Scorpion, and of course, Mysterio. Fans could already see plans to bring Spidey’s villainous Sinister Six to the big screen, which is something Sony attempted previously with the Amazing Spider-Man franchise.
Unfortunately, the majority of Spidey’s villains already introduced in the MCU have origins based within events of the MCU. We’ve already discussed Mysterio and Co.’s vendetta against Tony Stark, but Vulture and the Shocker were both armed by Tinkerer using technology from the Chitauri invasion in The Avengers. Does their further involvement in Sony’s films mean another reboot for the Sinister Six?
MILES MORALES
The character of Miles Morales was teased in Spider-Man: Homecoming by small-time criminal Aaron Davis, who was played by Donald Glover. Davis himself was a nod to the character known as the Prowler, who will now never likely appear in the MCU.
During Davis’ interaction with Spider-Man in Homecoming, he reveals that he has a nephew who lives in the city. That nephew is actually Miles Morales, who becomes Spider-Man after Peter Parker. While fans weren’t expecting Miles to show up in the MCU anytime soon, the end of the Sony/Marvel partnership certainly puts a pin in those dreams.
