Disney Loses Control of Spider-Man
by EG
With the high-profile split between Disney and Sony, it looks like Spider-Man will no longer be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Even as much attention is paid, consequently, to the future of Sony's Spider-Man movies, Disney may be facing the more devastating damage as they lose one of the most popular superheroes on screen at the moment. Who could replace Spidey? Read on for one writer's suggestions.
Let’s assume, for a second, that the rift between Disney and Sony does not get healed in such a way that allows for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe anytime soon. Marvel Studios is left with a teenaged superhero-sized hole in its plans, with Spider-Man no longer around to awkwardly shoulder the responsibility of those great powers. It’s an inconvenience, sure, but not necessarily a big problem, considering the many other teen superheroes Marvel has in its sizable portfolio. But who can step into the Spider-Boots as the young heart and soul of the MCU?
Before we go through five of the more likely candidates to take over Spider-Man’s role in the upcoming MCU uber-story, a few things should be made clear about the selection criteria used. Anyone already in use in a live-action Marvel project was out — which means no Runaways, nor Cloak and Dagger — and anyone associated with either of the Fox/Marvel properties (X-Men and Fantastic Four) was also discounted, under the assumption that they’d require more of a big introduction at a later point in proceedings.
Also, when considering a Spider-Man replacement, the point isn’t to find a character who has a similar costume or set of powers; instead, it’s to find someone who can fill the same narrative space: A relative newcomer who can act as an audience identification figure, being as awed by what’s happening around him as he is part of the story, and who doesn’t instinctively know the right thing to do. Someone out of their depth — which ruled out Squirrel Girl, because Doreen Green is, as everyone knows, unbeatable — but charming enough to have the audience rooting for their success no matter what.
Bearing all that in mind, meet five heroes that could take the place of Peter Parker — at least when it comes to being the MCU’s new favorite wide-eyed moppet?
Ms. Marvel
Who? Better known as Kamala Khan, the shape-changing Inhuman — who quickly became a fan-favorite character — made her debut in 2014’s Ms. Marvel No. 1.
Why? Arguably the most popular new character Marvel has published in a couple of decades, Kamala has the optimism and naivety of the MCU’s Peter Parker, with the added benefit of not being a white dude — something that Marvel Studio still needs a lot more of. Plus, the MCU already has Captain Marvel, the character who, in the comics, inspired Kamala to become a hero. What more needs be said?
Hulkling
Who? On first glance, Teddy Altman is a teenage Hulk, but look closer — that’s just a ruse to disguise the fact that he’s a shape-shifting alien who first appeared in 2005’s Young Avengers No. 1.
Why? Teddy is uniquely positioned to personify what looks to be the next big plot thread for the MCU over Phase 4, being a Kree/Skrull hybrid who — at least to begin with in the comics — was unaware of his heritage. Also, two of his fellow comic book Young Avengers are already in play in the MCU as is: Cassie Lang has shown up as a teenager in Avengers: Endgame, and Kate Bishop is scheduled to appear in the Disney+ Hawkeye series.
Get the rest of the list at The Hollywood Reporter.
Who do you think should replace Spider-Man in the MCU? Let us know in the comments below.