The decision to shake up the status quo for MCU's Peter Parker in Spider-Man 4 is a stroke of brilliance, especially in light of Sony Pictures' upcoming film, Across The Spider-Verse.Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse validates the wise choice made by the MCU regarding Peter Parker as they move towards Spider-Man 4. Tom Holland's portrayal of the Webslinger finds himself in a completely new situation following the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. This new phase in Parker's life proves advantageous as the Spider-Verse trilogy unfolds.
After the events of No Way Home, Peter Parker is entirely on his own within the MCU. Making a significant sacrifice to safeguard the multiverse, Spider-Man implored Doctor Strange to cast a spell erasing Peter Parker from the world's memory, including his loved ones. Consequently, Spider-Man 4 is likely to tell a more grounded story, a direction that proves remarkably intelligent when considering Sony's upcoming Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse.
Across The Spider-Verse Demonstrates the Wisdom of Focusing on a Singular Spider-Man
The decision to steer the MCU's Spider-Man away from the multiverse is a wise move. Sony's Spider-Verse trilogy serves as the ultimate multiverse exploration within the Spider-Man franchise. Being an animated series, the films have the freedom to tell grand stories and feature a multitude of characters. Case in point, the trailers for Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse showcase an army of spider-heroes known as the Spider Society, with whom Miles Morales will cross paths.
Spider-Man: No Way Home successfully achieved a multiversal crossover with all three live-action versions of Spider-Man. However, surpassing the spectacle of the three Webslingers battling classic villains atop the Statue of Liberty would be an incredibly challenging feat for future installments. Similarly, having Spider-Man 4 focus heavily on the multiverse would face tough competition from the Spider-Verse trilogy, which is set to culminate with Beyond The Spider-Verse in 2024.
Embracing Street-Level Heroics in Spider-Man 4 Adds New Depth to the Character
The grounded setup established at the conclusion of Spider-Man: No Way Home is truly ingenious. Sporting a suit of his own design, inspired by the versions of Spider-Man portrayed by Garfield and Maguire, the MCU's Webslinger now lives alone in a modest apartment when he's not swinging through the streets of New York. It appears that Spider-Man 4 will see Parker evolve into a street-level hero, facing challenges with limited resources and minimal support. This return to a more typical status quo aligns with Spider-Man's comic book origins.
This shift not only ushers in a fresh era for the MCU's Spider-Man but also allows the upcoming film to carve its own path with unique themes and narratives. The Spider-Verse movies will thoroughly explore the multiverse, while the MCU can delve into grounded Spider-Man stories, providing audiences with the best of both worlds. Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse swings into theaters on June 1st.
