Summary
Deadpool & Wolverinehas convinced me thatSpider-Man 4is possible and that Sony andMarvelneed to get on with making it. WhileDeadpool & Wolverinewas crammed with cameosfrom Marvel actors of yesteryear, nolive-action iteration of Spider-Manwas among them - although there were several allusions to the web-slinger in some ofDeadpool & Wolverine’s many Easter eggs. Nevertheless, the movie still managed to reawaken my desire to see Tobey Maguire back in the red and blue suit - but in a much more central role.
Tobey Magire’s Spider-Man movies were among the first highly successful superhero cinematic franchises, alongside the X-Men and Blade. The trilogy was so successful thatSpider-Man 4was tantalizingly close to materializing, only for it to fall apart in early development. As a result, the ending ofSpider-Man 3, which stopped short of confirming what would happen with Peter and MJ, has left me hankering for closure - and Marvel Studios confirmed that it can deliver thanks to how it handled a certain crowd inDeadpool & Wolverine.
All 12 Spider-Man Movies Ranked
Spider-Man has starred in twelve films over four decades. Here’s every Spider-Man movie ranked, including both live-action adventures and animation.
Channing Tatum
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One ofDeadpool & Wolverine’s most exciting sequencesrevealed a ragtag group of resistance members in some of the movie’s most prominent cameos, with Chris Evans' Johnny Storm appearing several scenes prior. This team comprised Marvel movie heroes whose franchises were denied a resolute conclusion - except forChanning Tatum’s Gambit, whose involvement instead alluded to a solo movie that never got off the ground. The majority of these resistance members were therefore keen to go out with a bang and draw a line beneath their erstwhile franchises within Deadpool’s movie.
Johnny Storm’s unceremonious death at the hands of Cassandra Nova was arguably less than he deserved, but he’ll likely be remembered for his post-credits diatribe more.
Suffice it to say,Deadpool & Wolverinedelivered as the group successfully teamed up in an epic brawl that allowed Deadpool and Wolverine to leap into their own final act. Despite Deadpool possibly reviving these franchises with a quick word to Hunter B-15 at the end of the film,the characters were afforded the chance to get their last words in during a heroic denouement- giving rise to the now-legendary “There’s only one Blade, and there’s only ever gonna be one Blade.” Tragically, Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker wasn’t afforded the same level of closure.
Tobey Maguire’s Return In No Way Home Was Great, But I Want A Proper Spider-Man 4
Spider-Man 4 Can Give Peter-Two The Closure He Deserves
Spider-Man: No Way Homewas the first MCU movie to capitalize on the potential of the multiverse, earning nearly $2 billion and becoming theMCU’s third-highest-grossing moviefor its efforts. Bringing back the two previous live-action Peter Parkers was a stroke of genius that has helped cement the notion that nostalgia wins big in the modern MCU. Not only wasDeadpool & Wolverinethe next MCU installment to continue capitalizing on that trend, but it would offer a more poignant moment of closure for the nostalgic characters it included.
Maguire’s Peter Parker - or “Peter-Two” - was hardly afforded the same opportunity.Spider-Man: No Way Homerevealed that Peter-Two had worked out his tumultuous relationship with Mary-Jane, still blames himself for Uncle Ben’s death, and had spent the intervening years thinking about how he could have cured his universe’s Green Goblin. He is presented as an older brother figure to the younger two Peter Parker variants, whose wisdom and experience come in useful when mentoring Tom Holland’s Peter-One.
Andrew Garfield’s Peter-Three was arguably afforded the closure that Peter-Two was deprived of in the tearful scene that saw him rescue the MCU’s MJ.
Yet these comments aren’t exactly the resolution that Maguire deserves.Andrew Garfield’s Peter-Three was arguably afforded the closure that Peter-Two was deprived ofin the tearful scene that saw him rescue the MCU’s MJ. He wasn’t even given the chance to fully flaunt his maturity, as the climactic final sequence saw the younger Peter-One assume the leadership role.Spider-Man 3was a continuation of Peter Parker’s struggles as he wrestled with his darker side, and while ridding himself of the symbiote and losing his best friend were significant milestones, his relationship with MJ deserves more than a line of dialogue.
What Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man 4 Could Be About
Sony And Marvel May Need To Pivot From The Original Plan
Spider-Man 4would be a culmination of Peter Parker’s tumultuous journey into adulthood. The final moments ofSpider-Man 3gave him no time to grieve Harry Osborn’s death, nor reveal whether or how he and MJ reconciled. Given Tobey Maguire’s age and the presence of so many other Spider-Man characters in circulation,Spider-Man 4would be the swansong that Maguire’s rendition deserves- not quite as dark asLogan, but still striking the same poignant tone nonetheless as he decides how to spend the remainder of his adult life.
Originalstory details for the canceledSpider-Man 4included three villains that have now already been depicted in live-action withinThe Amazing Spider-Manand the MCU. These included Vulture, Lizard, and Mysterio, which would have madeSpider-Man 4another multi-villain movie. With that in mind, a modernSpider-Man 4might wish to deviate from the original plan and depict a more cerebral take on Maguire’s final outing as Spider-Man as the MCU handles the spectacles.
This could see him follow a similar route to Peter B. Parker in Sony’s Spider-Verse franchise. The older variant took on the role of mentor for Miles Morales inSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Versebefore becoming a doting father inSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Now that Peter has already been depicted as a mentor figure inSpider-Man: No Way Home, it is easy to see him getting a taste for the role, while closure can be given to his relationship with MJ by having him retire from hero-ing to start a family.
Other Ways The MCU Could Give Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man A Proper Ending
Another Cameo-Filled Movie Is En Route
While comments made by Raimi, Maguire, and MJ’s Kirsten Dunst are a positive sign for a swansong movie, I know the perfect alternative if Sony decides to steer clear.The Multiverse Saga still has one glaring installment that could allow Maguire’s Peter Parker to return- namely,Avengers: Secret Wars. While this would admittedly occur alongside a cavalcade of other cameos comprising Marvel heroes from across the franchise’s history, I think the MCU should still capitalize on the moment to give Peter-Two a send-off akin to the resistance members inDeadpool & Wolverine.
Sony still holds the distribution rights to Spider-Man, and will likely do so for as long as the character is as profitable as he is.
This could also be the MCU’s last chance to work its magic on Maguire’s Peter Parker. Given Tom Holland’s Spider-Man will no doubt play a central role in this movie, the MCU could capitalize on Spider-Man’s involvement by featuring Maguire once more. WithAvengers: Secret Warsdrawing a line beneath the Multiverse Saga, featuring multiversal variants in the future of the MCU won’t wash as well. To be perfectly honest, though, I’d still hold out hope forSpider-Man 4after multiversal shenanigans come to an end.
Spider-Man 4
Cast
Spider-Man 4 is a continuation of the MCU Spider-Man series, succeeding Spider-Man: No Way Home. This film marks the first entry in a potential new trilogy, further exploring the adventures of Peter Parker within the expansive Marvel Cinematic Universe.
