Marvel Studios' The Avengers.
While the MCU now has access to mutants and Marvel's first family as a result of Disney purchasing Fox, the use of Spider-Man throughout Phase 3 was only possible by Sony and Marvel Studios working together. The unthinkable happened in 2015 when the two studios announced a deal to share Spider-Man, with Tom Holland later cast to play the character in a solo franchise and other MCU films. The original deal included his debut in Spider-Man: Far From Home. Holland's portrayal as the MCU's Spider-Man has been widely praised, making him presumed to be one of the cornerstones of the future.
Marvel and Sony are currently working on shared universe of Marvel characters of their own with Venom (Tom Hardy), Morbius (Jared Leto), and more, and they want Holland's Spider-Man to be part of that future. If Spider-Man's time in the MCU is nearing an end, it is possible that the newly announced Fantastic Four movie could include the friendly neighborhood hero - and be his final MCU appearance.
Tom Holland's MCU Contract As Spider-Man Explained
The Spider-Man deal between Sony and Marvel Studios/Disney came to an end after Spider-Man: Far From Home's release in July 2019. It wasn't too long after the film's release that reports circulated that talks between the studios to renew the deal hit an ime. For some time, that stance meant Spider-Man would suddenly be taken away from the MCU, while the biggest movie franchise in existence would be without one of its most popular characters at a moment's notice. It took a few months but the major studios eventually came to a new agreement to share Spider-Man and make the third solo film.
But, the of the new deal also included the confirmation that Holland will appear in one more MCU movie outside of his solo franchise. This sparked plenty of speculation about what film Spider-Man could appear in, with Avengers 5 and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness among the most popular suggestions. But, it also left many wondering how much longer Spider-Man would be part of the MCU. The two film contract doesn't guarantee that Spider-Man will be part of the MCU's long-term future. And even though Marvel and Sony could come to an agreement on another deal after the current one expires, there was a report that Kevin Feige was looking for a way to write Spider-Man out of the MCU. He even mentioned in the initial announcement that Spider-Man holds the unique ability to travel between cinematic universes, pointing to the possibility that his future will see him move between the MCU and Sony's universe.
Neither Marvel nor Sony are discussing Spider-Man's future beyond Spider-Man 3, a film which is rumored to include the past iterations of Spider-Man played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. The movie is now even confirmed to connect to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which strengthens the belief that some multiverse storyline will play out. With Benedict Cumberbatch already set to appear in Spider-Man 3 too, it wouldn't be too difficult to imagine Spider-Man then appearing in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness for his final MCU appearance. However, there is now a better option on the table.
Spider-Man Director Is Making Fantastic 4
Over a year after the Fox-Disney deal went through, Marvel Studios officially confirmed that a Fantastic Four movie is on the way. The logo reveal during Disney's Investor Day 2020 came with the announcement of who is directing it, and its a familiar name in the MCU. Feige revealed Jon Watts is set to direct Fantastic Four after he completes work on Spider-Man 3. Watts directed the previous two installments, which were both critical and financial hits. Even before this announcement, Watts had quickly established himself as someone Feige is a big fan of. When the Spider-Man deal initially fell apart, it was reported that Feige wanted Watts to direct another MCU project. It wasn't known what that project was at the time, but we now know that these discussions led to Fantastic Four.
Watts' involvement in Fantastic Four is a great sign for the movie itself, but it also makes sense considering the possible legwork he's already done to set them up. One of the biggest but subtle mysteries of the Spider-Man: Homecoming franchise is who bought Avengers Tower from Tony Stark. Fans originally believed this could be set up for Norman Osborn and the formation of Oscorp, but the Fox-Disney deal raised the possibility of Avengers Tower becoming the Baxter Building, the Fantastic Four's base of operation. Watts could now make this official with Fantastic Four or even include the reveal in Spider-Man 3.
Theory: Spider-Man s Fantastic 4 Movie
Not only does Watt's involvement in Fantastic Four make the possibility of Spider-Man 3 planting seeds for Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm to the MCU, but the crossover could go both ways. Watts has played a vital role in crafting Spider-Man's journey in the MCU to this point. Although Spider-Man 3 should wrap up some storylines to form a nice trilogy of films for Spidey in the MCU, it is guaranteed that it won't be his final appearance. It would be fitting for Watts to continue handling the character in pivotal spots and bring Spider-Man into the cast of Fantastic Four and an MCU movie for the last time.
Spider-Man has strong ties to the Fantastic Four in the comics too, as Marvel's first family even appeared in the very first issue of The Amazing Spider-Man in 1963. This might not have been Spider-Man's first comic appearance, but it was the beginning of his solo run. Since the Fantastic Four were used back then to help add some star power to Spider-Man's first comic, it would be somewhat ironic if he then became the guest star in the MCU's first Fantastic Four movie. Beyond this initial encounter, though, the characters have teamed up multiple times, with Spider-Man ing the team on a few occasions and furthering the friendship between him and Johnny Storm.
How Fantastic 4 Can End Spider-Man's MCU Story
Figuring out how Spider-Man's MCU story can end is completely open to speculation given how little is known about the actual plot of Spider-Man 3. The solo film could progress Peter Parker's story in plenty of surprising ways, especially with the multiverse in play. After all, the last solo film surprised everyone with J. Jonah Jameson outing Peter Parker as the man underneath Spider-Man's costume, so with the multiverse, other Spider-Men, and maybe even Daredevil included, there's no telling where Peter Parker will be at when Fantastic Four happens.
No matter what happens to Peter in Spider-Man 3, the possibility of Fantastic Four ending his MCU story means that he'll need to be in a place to choose such a path. Marvel could easily have this happen against Peter's will, but that would only make him want to return to the MCU, not leave it behind, and possibly for good. While we might not know what is coming next for the character, there are some possibilities on the table that could fit with Spider-Man's story.
Spider-Man's unmasking at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home has led to some theories that the third film could be a loose adaptation of One More Day, a storyline where Peter's life is dismantled by Spider-Man's biggest villains now that his identity is known. This leads to the death of Aunt May for a time before Peter makes a deal with Mephisto to fix reality in exchange for erasing his entire relationship with Mary Jane. If Spider-Man 3 includes more tragedy for Peter and teases the possibility of other universes, he might want to go find a new universe to live in. The Fantastic Four are no strangers to the multiverse and other dimensions, so they could offer to help him achieve this. Although it could be messy, it ends Peter's MCU story looking for a new place to call home.
It's also possible Peter doesn't end up defeating Spider-Man 3's many villains. Instead, it could see Peter stop the villains from hurting his reality but escaping to try and conquer other universes or attack other versions of Spider-Man. This could result in Peter feeling the need to go after them, making his exit from the MCU a bit more heartbreaking as he potentially leaves behind people he loves for the greater good of others. This could similarly lead to Peter being in Fantastic Four and working with them to find a way to chase down his enemies.
