SPIDER-MAN 4: 10 Storylines Marvel Studios Could Adapt For The Wall-Crawler's Next MCU Trilogy

After Spider-Man: No Way Home upped the ante for the web-slinger's MCU adventures, it's hard to say where Peter Parker can go next. However, we have some amazing storyline ideas for the next trilogy...

By JoshWilding - May 23, 2022 12:05 PM EST

Filed Under: Spider-Man

Spider-Man: No Way Home was one of the most awe-inspiring, ambitious comic book movies ever made. A fourth chapter is in the early stages of development at Marvel Studios, but likely at least a few years away as star Tom Holland looks to take a break from suiting up as this webbed wonder.

Trying to top what came before is one possibility, though we wouldn't be against Marvel Studios telling a story that's a little smaller in scale after Spidey teamed up with his Variants to save the Multiverse.

We've rounded up all manner of classic Spider-Man stories for this feature; some might be familiar to you, while others are a tad more obscure. They're also all vastly different as just as many have world-ending consequences as those that would be a little more personal for Peter Parker after the sacrifices he made at the end of his last adventure. They're all spectacular in their own way, though!

To take a look through these storyline suggestions, all you guys need to do is hit the "Next" button!

10. The Coming Of The Scorpion

This is long overdue. The inexperienced Spider-Man badly injured Mac Gargan in Homecoming, and a mid-credits scene revealed that the criminal was keen to take his revenge on the wall-crawler. Now, with J. Jonah Jameson determined to unmask Spidey and Gargan no doubt still keen to take his shot at the hero, Spider-Man 4 feels like the perfect place to bring them together on the big screen.

Just like in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man #20, Jameson should be responsible for transforming Gargan into The Scorpion in an effort to take the masked menace down. That would directly involve him in the story (the MCU's Jonah is definitely more antagonistic than his comic book counterpart), and the Spider-Slayers could even be thrown into the mix to really push the web-slinger to his limits.

9. The Master Planner Saga

This three-issue storyline played out through Amazing Spider-Man #31 to #33, and saw Peter tasked with trying to take down the mysterious Master Planner. He also had to attempt to get a cure from the villain that would help his Aunt May, while this Stan Lee and Steve Ditko story featured the introduction of new supporting characters like Gwen Stacy and Harry Osborn. It was a big turning point for Spidey.

While The Master Planner being revealed as Doctor Octopus wouldn't work (and May is, of course, now dead), there are elements here that might be a good basis for Spider-Man 4. The Master Planner could be reinvented somehow, and while we've seen that iconic shot of a buried Spidey lifting all that fallen debris, there are plenty of other iconic moments here that could make it into the MCU.

8. Coming Home

A storyline that quite appropriately has "Home" in the title, Kevin Feige actually wrote a foreword for "Coming Home" when it was released as a trade paperback. This modern classic by J. Michael Straczynski and John Romita Jr. saw Peter Parker meet a mysterious older man, Ezekiel Sims, who shared his spider powers and introduced a foe who was damn near unstoppable: the vampiric Morlun.

Watching this epic battle unfold on screen would be nothing short of astonishing, while exploring a mystical side to Peter's powers would make a refreshing change of pace for this franchise. If Marvel Studios isn't looking to head down that route, then Ezekiel could always be the creator of the spider that bit Peter, giving them the chance to finally explore the hero's origin story, albeit in an exciting way.

7. Back In Black

There's a lot about this story that would need to be changed for the MCU, but the core elements of this popular story arc could make for one heckuva movie. After his identity is revealed to the world, Spider-Man's Aunt May is targeted by The Kingpin in an effort to make the wall-crawler pay for their many clashes over the years. With her shot and fighting for her life, Spidey goes on the warpath.

That involves donning his black costume again, and with a piece of the symbiote now in the MCU, May's death could send Peter down a similarly dark path that's only enhanced by a new alien costume. We'd actually like to see Mysterio take Wilson Fisk's place here, especially as he's the one who outed Spider-Man's identity and set that chain of events in motion. He did know a lot about the Multiverse...

6. The Hobgoblin Saga

A whole host of villains have held the Hobgoblin mantle over the years, but it's become apparent that many fans would like to see Ned Leeds take on this role in the MCU. What many seem to forget is that Ned was framed by the actual Hobgoblin, Roderick Kingsley. With that in mind, we'd rather Marvel Studios head down the same route of Peter's friend being unmasked before the real deal appears.

This would be as simple as having Kingsley stumble across the Green Goblin's weapons cache (he seemed to have time to upgrade his gear) and decide to pick up where he left off. Needless to say, seeing another Goblin would push many of Spider-Man's buttons after his clash with Norman Osborn, and throwing Ned into the mix as a patsy could bring him and MJ back into Peter's life in a clever way.

5. Spider-Verse

If Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures are looking to top Spider-Man: No Way Home, then this would be the way to do it. Avoiding similarities to the animated Spider-Verse franchise would be key, but another team up for the three live-action Peter Parkers would be welcomed by moviegoers. A few more Variants being added to the mix is a given, and once again embraces the idea of an expanding Multiverse.

We hate to repeat ourselves, but Mysterio returning once again makes perfect sense. He somehow knew that the MCU had been dubbed "Earth-616," and there's precedent in the comic books for the villain travelling between worlds. If Tom Holland's Spidey is just the latest in a long line of Spider-Men to have their lives ruined by Quentin Beck, an interdimensional team-up is the perfect next step.

4. Superior Spider-Man

One of the most controversial Spider-Man stories of all time, there's an awful lot about Dan Slott's Superior Spider-Man run that should, without a shadow of a doubt, never make it into a movie. However, the concept of a villain taking over Peter Parker's body is a fun one, and would give Tom Holland the opportunity to deliver a very different performance as a Spidey we've never seen before.

Who could be pulling the strings? That's a tough nut to crack. Doc Ock has been done (and redeemed), so perhaps this could be a parting gift from the Green Goblin? Alternatively, Spidey taking control of those arms could have resulted in him being infected with the same A.I. that sent Otto Octavius down a dark path? Regardless, we think there's fun to be had here even if it's just for half of a movie.

3. Nothing Can Stop The Juggernaut!

Playing out in Amazing Spider-Man #229 and #230, this action-packed tale saw the webbed wonder forced to leap into action against one of the X-Men's greatest foes to battle an unstoppable foe. With The Juggernaut on the warpath across New York City as he looked to kidnap Madame Web at the behest of Black Tom Cassidy, Spider-Man found himself taking on one of his toughest opponents yet.

This is more likely to make for an amazing extended action scene than the basis for an entire movie, but now Marvel Studios can use The Juggernaut, why not adapt this storyline for Spider-Man 4? To finally overcome the massive bad guy, Spidey had to trap him in concrete, resorting to inventive means to stop the unstoppable. This is a fun tale and one we'd love to see translated to live-action.

2. The Death Of Jean DeWolff

Peter David's "The Death of Jean DeWolff" saw Spider-Man deal with a very human enemy in The Sin-Eater. A cop who goes off the deep end, this villain started gunning down those he felt had committed sinful acts and even killed one of the wall-crawler's closest allies in the NYPD, Jean DeWolff. Several people close to Peter are targeted and he eventually takes Sin-Eater down with Daredevil's help.

However, the Man Without Fear has to stop Spidey from crossing a line he can't come back from and there's lots of interesting material to explore here. A deranged former cop going on a shooting spree might be too dark for the MCU, but there are ways to reinvent this story that works for the new street-level Spider-Man. Plus, we're never going to say "no" to Spidey teaming up with Matt Murdock!

1. Spider-Island

When The Jackal and Spider-Queen take aim at Manhattan, the entire population was infected with spider-powers. Many succumbed and transformed into monstrous spiders, though plenty of familiar faces (as you can see above) gained amazing abilities akin to Peter Parker. This was a batsh*t crazy tale, and on we'd have a blast seeing this version of Spider-Man thrown into the midst of.

As well as some high-profile cameos, we'd expect to see Spidey forced to step up and protect his home from a threat not even The Avengers can counter. Along the way, characters like MJ and Ned could "suit up" and get in on the action, and unlike many of the darker stories we've mentioned here, this would be flat out fun from start to finish. If anyone can pull this one off, it's got to be Marvel Studios.