The Marvel Cinematic Universe is currently going deep into alternate universes, as seen in Spider-Man: No Way Home, where Peter Parker’s worst fears came true when the Green Goblin took the life of his Aunt May.
In addition to his fears of harm coming to those he’s close to, Peter is also apprehensive about things that have to do with his role as Spider-Man and the consequences that follow. Since it will be some time before Tom Holland will return in the role now that Peter’s been forgotten by the MCU’s characters, it’s worth diving into the character’s fears to see why they’re such a big concern.
To Be Burdened With Responsibility He's Not Prepared For
Peter was afraid of encountering Nick Fury during his trip to Europe during Spider-Man: Far From Home because the latter wanted him to step up in the role vacated by Tony Stark. While Peter took on responsibilities people even twice his age wouldn’t, he was reluctant to go through with this.
It came down to Peter’s belief that he wasn’t good enough for something until he was ready. If he was told to take on responsibility when he didn’t want to, Peter tended to become nervous about what he was supposed to do. This was seen best when he handed the E.D.I.T.H. glasses to Mysterio due to his own fear that he wouldn’t do them justice.
To Fail To Impress The People He Likes
There are many things that Peter learned from Tony in the MCU, one of them being that he was still a hero with or without the suit. Prior to this lesson, Peter was scared that Tony was unimpressed by him, which led to Peter taking drastic measures to prove his worth.
He was also afraid of losing MJ’s interest in Spider-Man: Far From Home, engaging in petty competitions with Brad to win her over. His fear of failing to impress someone he likes backfires quite a lot, because it ends up making him behave in reckless ways he otherwise wouldn’t.
To Be Disliked
Peter is someone who didn’t have many friends and tried hard to be liked. He found it particularly difficult to be on the receiving end of the public’s wrath in Spider-Man: No Way Home when he was falsely accused because was widely disliked, which he found difficult to deal with.
He lived in so much apprehension about the possibility of being disliked that was overly nice to people, to the point where characters Flash would just walk all over him. If a friend became sour with him, Peter would be noticeably devastated, such as when Doctor Strange demanded Peter refer to him as “Sir” when the latter messed up Doctor Strange’s spell.
To Feel Responsible For Something Bad Happening Because Of Him
One of the most Spider-Man: No Way Home was when Peter had to watch Aunt May die. It brought to reality his fear of losing someone because of his own doing, as it was due to Peter’s botched spell that the Green Goblin had been transported to the MCU.
Peter had carried this fear ever since Uncle Ben had died, even mentioning it during his first scene in the series. He told Tony that he kept his identity hidden because he couldn’t put his loved ones in harm after being responsible for an earlier tragedy in his life.
To Feel Powerless And Without Control
There are several sad moments with MCU’s Spider-Man by now, including his mourning for his loved ones and when he felt alone. Peter remained fearful of these things happening mainly because he was powerless to do anything about it. The most striking moment was before he succumbed to Thanos’ Snap, where Peter told Tony he didn’t "want to go".
Being in the role of Spider-Man let Peter feel like he could prevent bad things from happening, and times when he was vulnerable scared him. He was in tears during Spider-Man: Homecoming when he was trapped under rubble, as this was a moment where he was completely powerless. To his credit, Peter overcame his fear and powered through, which is why it was such a big achievement.
To Live A Life Without Friends
The ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home made it clear that one of Peter’s greatest fears was to be forgotten by his friends. Peter’s confidence was directly related to his friends, who were seen as encouraging him during times when he didn’t believe in himself.
As a result, he was terrified to consider a life without them and it’s what caused Doctor Strange’s spell to be botched when Peter frantically attempted to include Ned and MJ so that they wouldn’t forget him. He was shattered when he came across MJ and Ned to learn that they didn’t him, which meant that Peter had to be all on his own now.
To Stop Being Spider-Man
Peter has been the happiest in the MCU as Spider-Man, as being the hero has made him feel like he has a purpose in life. He started considering it so important to who he was that he claimed that he was nothing without the suit, becoming terrified when Tony took it back from him.
His need to be Spider-Man was such that it ended up as the one thing he had left by the climax of No Way Home, where Peter was last seen carrying on his vigilante activities. His fear of potentially giving up this identity stems from his need to “help the little guy,” and ties in with his fear of losing control.
To Watch His Loved Ones Die
Peter has sadly been one of the MCU characters who experienced a lot of loss at a young age. He’s now had to watch the likes of Uncle Ben, Tony Stark, and Aunt May die before his eyes, and the fear of losing his loved ones is his primary concern.
He decided to make everyone in the world forget him mainly to keep Ned and MJ safe because they were his closest loved ones by then. Peter wanted to accompany Tony in his fight against Thanos to stand by his mentor rather than consider the possibility that he might die. Unfortunately for him, this fear is well-founded because most of the people in his life have ed away.
