With the Spider-Verse 2 release date nearly upon us, we here at The Digital Fix have been thinking an awful lot about Spider-Man and his future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (What’s new?). Specifically, we’ve been thinking about the possibility of new Spider-Man movies and what might happen in them.
After all, there are a myriad of stories featuring the Webhead that could be adapted into a hypothetical Spider-Man 4. So here are five things we’d love to see in whatever new Spider-Man movies Disney and Sony are cooking up.
Black suit Spider-Man
We know it’s a cliche to demand Spidey’s black suit, but there’s a reason it’s so popular. Firstly, the monochromatic outfit is really freaking cool. Still, and I suppose more importantly, it ties into one of the best comic book stories of all time that just so happened to give us one of the best Spider-Man villains ever. We’re talking, of course, about Venom.
Now we’ve had three movies featuring Venom, all of which are of questionable quality. A new Spider-Man movie (or preferably trilogy) featuring the symbiotic black suit, Eddie Brock, and Venom himself is the dream of many ’90s Spider-Man fans (myself included), so make it happen, Sony.
Give us The Scorpion
Spider-Man Homecoming ended with the tease that Mac Gargan was plotting some sort of revenge on Spidey, but nothing’s come of it yet. In the comics, Mac eventually becomes the Scorpion, one of the Webhead’s most dangerous enemies, and we’d love to see the emerald evil-doer brought to life on the big screen.
It’d be cool as well because Scorpion’s one of the few bad guys in Peter’s Rogues gallery who we haven’t seen in live-action yet (he was in Spider-Verse), and we’d like it if new Spider-Man movies would try and feature unseen villains rather than beating the Green Goblin like a dead horse. Speaking of which…
Forget the Green Goblin
We love Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin as much as the next person, but we’ve had two superhero movies where he’s the big bad; it’s time for a new goblin to take the reins and who better to become Spidey’s new nemesis than the Hobgoblin?
In the comic, Hobby was created to serve that exact purpose (Norman was dead at the time), and fans loved the wicked weirdo. You see, the Hobgoblin isn’t just Norman Osborn in a new costume. He’s an entirely different brand of evil. While Norman’s clearly wild and vicious, the Hobgoblin’s more calculated and careful.
It’d be great to see Spidey face off against a villain who challenges him on a more cerebral level. Also, if you don’t want to do Venom, the mystery of the Hobgoblin’s identity could be a nice throughline across this hypothetical new trilogy of new Spider-Man movies.
Peter Parker needs to go to college
It was a nice touch to keep Spidey in High School during his first MCU trilogy. Still, he has to grow up eventually, and sending Peter to college would be a nice way of showcasing his growth and maturity.
Pete’s new school could be used to introduce Curt Conners, aka The Lizard, Gwen Stacy, Harry Osborn, and loads of other characters from across the Spider-Man mythos.
MJ has to remember who Peter is
No Way Home’s bittersweet ending was pretty tough to watch. Watching Peter choose to sacrifice his friends right after losing his Aunt May was heartbreaking. While we understand why setting up the next chapter in Spidey’s life was necessary, it’s time for the Wallcrawler to score a win.
We want MJ to regain her memories of Peter so he can have some happiness in his life. Perhaps MJ could get her memories back, but Ned doesn’t, and that pushes Ned to become the Hobgoblin or maybe even the MCU version of Venom? We’ve read worse ideas… also can we keep MJ away from guys called Paul? If you know, you know.
If you think we’re on to something with our list, check out our MCU movie ranking (we have some hot takes) or our guide revealing everything we know about the Spider-Man Freshman Year release date.
If, however, you’ve gotten lost and are looking for something with a little more grandeur, check out our article breaking down the best movies ever made, or we have a list of all the new movies coming in 2023 for you to enjoy.