‘Spider-Man:’ Will The New Solo Movie Feature Other MCU Characters?

After two successful series of movies, and a refreshing introduction to a modern audience, Spider-Man will finally debut for the Marvel Cinematic Universe next month in Captain America: Civil War. Much has been said about the character since he swung onto cinema screens five times between 2002 and 2014, and the reception has certainly been mixed, but either way, it seems Spider-Man has stumbled somewhat during these cinematic entries; whether he was overshadowed by too many villains, or weakened with flawed character traits, not to mention “below-par” box-office receipts, despite the five movies grossing a combined $3.96 billion.

When Spider-Man shares the screen with The Avengers in May, fans will no doubt cheer and whoop at finally seeing an event that has been canon in the Marvel comics for decades, but in a recent interview it was revealed that it works both ways. That’s right, because Peter Parker and his alter-ego are now involved in the MCU, you can expect some of those characters to feature in the new, untitled solo movie due in 2017.

Marvel Studios president Kevin Fiege recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly, and when touching on Spider-Man’s role in Captain America: Civil War, he revealed that some MCU characters will also appear in the incoming solo adventure. However, he kept his answer brief and his hints non-existent.

“He is in the universe now, and the fun of the universe is that characters go back and forth.”

Once fans hear about this, there’s no doubt the rumour mill will be working overtime. With a whole host of characters at their disposal, it could be anyone from the current line-up of movies, and let’s not forget the MCU currently extends to TV too — Daredevil and Jessica Jones have both name-dropped the Avengers and associated characters in their shows. It’s rare for Marvel to introduce a new character in the middle of such a major movie, and this may remain the case when they finally have the chance to showcase Tom Holland as the new Spider-Man. Remember, Peter Parker is one of their most infamous, beloved characters, so having a huge cameo steal the focus from him — much like the villains did in Spider-Man 3 — will be something the studio will wish to avoid.

In other news that might be unrelated, Jon Bernthal recently revealed that he filmed audition scenes with Tom Holland for their respective Marvel characters, The Punisher and Spider-Man. The news was revealed by Screen Rant, and since then, Bernthal has gone on to scorch the screen in Daredevil season 2, stealing the show from its titular character. Where the MCU tends to separate their TV and cinema entities, never say never. The Punisher is one of Spider-Man’s greatest friends/foes in the comics, so if there is a small possibility that the two could share screen time, and it seems profitable, Marvel will keep it in mind.

As no names have been confirmed, it’s also not clear whether the roles will be play a major part, or simply be a cameo, with the latter usually the preferred choice in the MCU. Again, making sure Spider-Man shines in their first movie will be key for Marvel, so where we can hope for someone major, we might be deceived at this point, at least until a sequel comes around. With such a large library of characters though, the rumors will fly thick and fast until the casting is confirmed next year. However, with Iron Man, Nick Fury, The Punisher, and even Daredevil having concrete links to Spider-Man in the comics, not to mention a major profile due to the current slew of franchises currently breaking the box-office/TV ratings, you have to think Marvel will be tempted to pull off something unique, something special.

One thing to remember is this: the untitled movie is about introducing us (again) to Spider-Man. For the first time, we will get to see deeper into Peter Parker’s personal life, his core development, his journey from simple teenage boy to crime-fighting superhero, and having someone like Iron Man or Captain America appear might distract fans from the movie itself. The film is about how Spider-Man comes to be, how he discovers that his powers have great responsibility, and fans will be willing to see their favourite do this on his own, without assistance from The Avengers.

As mentioned above, it might be better to introduce some of these in potential sequels, and maybe save them until a post-credits sequence, or even have them exist in the movie courtesy of various media outlets — remember: Peter Parker works for a newspaper, so this isn’t entirely impossible.

With Marvel pushing the third reboot of a popular comic-book character, they will want to ensure Spider-Man shines bright in his MCU solo debut. Sure, bring other MCU characters along, but not at the expense of the web-slinger himself, one who is desperate to get back on the big screen. After all, the fans will not like that, so give them what they want: Spider-Man, as he should and can be, in a solo movie to be proud of. If you’re going to do it, Marvel, do it right.

The untitled Spider-Man movie swings into cinemas on July 7, 2017.

[Image via Columbia Pictures]