10 Marvel Studios Characters Most Likely To Show Up In Sony's SPIDER-MAN Reboot
Kevin Feige has confirmed that we'll see Marvel Studios characters in Sony's Spider-Man reboot, but which members of Earth's Mightiest Heroes are most likely to spend time hanging out with Peter Parker?
Kevin Feige's confirmation that Marvel Studios characters will appear in Spider-Man made headlines yesterday despite the fact that it's something we've known since those Sony Hack emails found their way online. Members of The Avengers showing up in Spidey's future movies was just as important to Sony as having Peter Parker in their Cinematic Universe was to Marvel, and we're now left to wonder who could end up making their presence felt in the wall-crawler's corner of the MCU next year.
However, going through all of the characters owned by Marvel, I think I've rounded up the ten candidates who stand the greatest chance of spending time with Spidey in his reboot. Some are members of The Avengers, others hail from the small screen, and a couple have yet to make their live-action debut, but one or more of these guys are definitely going to be part of the Spider-Man cast list when production kicks off a little later this year. So, simply hit NEXT for the strongest possibilities.
10. The Punisher
Spider-Man and The Punisher share a fascinating history, and while it's hard to picture Jon Bernthal's ultra violet vigilante fitting into this corner of the MCU, his and Tom Holland's chemistry could help make this a reality.
After all, Frank could very easily appear here if Sony drops the swearing and blood (neither of which are essential for a glorified cameo) and Spider-Man crossing paths with The Punisher during his quest to find the Blacksmith could work really well, and would make for a great launching platform for his rumoured solo series. Ultimately, it's quite unlikely, but given their many interactions on the page, I wouldn't be surprised if this idea is being thrown around!
9. Spider-Woman
It's thought that the rights to Jessica Drew are held by Marvel Studios, while Sony Pictures owns the "Spider-Woman" name. Now that they're working together, there's really no reason why this character can't finally hit the big screen, and Spider-Man would make for a great launching platform for that.
Making Jessica one of Peter's classmates could work, though an older version being introduced in some sort of villainous capacity (remember her ties to HYDRA) before finding redemption and possibly even a solo outing of her own as Spider-Woman also has a ton of potential. Either way, it's about time this character stars in a movie, and this is a pretty good place to start.
8. Ant-Man
It's been said that Ant-Man and Spider-Man steal the show in Captain America: Civil War, and if one rumour is to be believed, that could come during a fight scene between the two heroes. Assuming they patch things up though, these two quirky superheroes hanging out together might make for some of the funniest scenes to date in a Marvel movie.
Ant-Man would benefit from the exposure of this high profile team-up, while it's also the sort of cameo which is unlikely to cost the studios too much (similar to when The Falcon met Scott Lang). The fact that they're clearly on different sides of the conflict may make this one unlikely, but you can't deny that it would be fun to see.
7. Nick Fury
It doesn't sound like Nick Fury will be making his presence felt in Captain America: Civil War, so who knows where the former S.H.I.E.L.D. boss will show up next! Well, how about in Spider-Man? These two have worked together a lot in both the Ultimate Spider-Man comic book series AND the cartoon of the same name, so Marvel and Sony capitalising on their chemistry in this live-action adaptation would make sense.
Fury could serve as a mentor of sorts to Spidey, taking it upon himself to advise the youngster just as he's done with The Avengers on so many occasions. They could even make Peter's parents ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agents like in the comics if Marvel wants to risk revisiting that particular plot thread after The Amazing Spider-Man movies (probably not).
6. Daredevil
While this isn't the most likeliest possibility listed here, I think it's fair to say that it's the cameo the vast majority of us are hoping to see become a reality.
Spider-Man/Daredevil team-ups are always the best, and with the wall-crawler being more of a street level superhero than his fellow Avengers, him running into the Man Without Fear makes perfect sense (especially as Peter could then be the one to contact him for help during Avengers: Infinity War).
The very different tones of their respective corners of the MCU might make this crossover a little tough to figure out, but Sony could do a lot worse than utilising the lead character from a series which has been hailed as Marvel's best adaptation to date in this reboot.
5. Black Widow
Black Widow would be an unexpected choice of character to show up in Spider-Man, but there are a few different reasons why that's still a strong possibility. For starters, there's no way Marvel could have missed the backlash at the lack of a movie for the hero or lack of merchandise, so a strong supporting role here (which served her very well in Captain America: The Winter Soldier) could be their way of addressing that.
Pairing Spidey up with a gun toting former assassin would be odd, but if anyone can make that work, it's Marvel! These two once even came close to having a romantic relationship in the comics, but that we probably won't see in this movie considering the fact that Tom Holland is playing a 15/16 year old kid!
4. Captain America
For all we know, Steve Rogers isn't going to make it out of Captain America: Civil War alive, but if he does (and if Spider-Man sees the error of his ways and joins #TeamCap), then the patriotic superhero serving as a mentor to the young vigilante would work wonderfully.
After all, Peter serving under the watchful eyes of a the government just doesn't feel right for a hero unfairly branded a public menace, so the possibly fugitive Captain America making a brief appearance to assure him that he's doing the right think might make for powerful viewing and ultimately furthers both of their respective journeys. Chris Evans has become a box office draw too, so you can understand why Sony might take advantage of that.
3. Carol Danvers
You'll notice I said Carol Danvers and not Captain Marvel, and there's a good reason for that. We still don't know how the character will be portrayed in her movie, but what if she's a mixture of the Captain and Ms. versions of the character, and thereby a teenager in school with Peter?
That isn't really the direction I'd like to see the studio go in, but is at least a possibility. What would be more interesting is having Carol be introduced in some sort of authorotative role, making Spider-Man a prequel of sorts to her own solo outing.
These two have a great deal of chemistry in the comics which would be well worth recreating in live-action, and Marvel would be smart to introduce Carol to moviegoers in a movie as high profile as this before she takes centre stage in 2018.
2. Doctor Strange
J. Michael Straczynski developed quite the rapport between Spider-Man and Doctor Strange during his run, and it would be nothing short of spectacular to see their friendship brought to the big screen (especially if Marvel moves away from science and starts exploring the mystical side of Peter's abilities).
Tom Holland has already paid a visit to the set of the Sorcerer Supreme's movie, and while that likely didn't mean much, having Benedict Cumberbatch show up in Spider-Man - perhaps as he assembles a team of New Avengers? - would increase interest in both characters and is a solid way of upping Strange's profile before he presumably takes on a larger role in Infinity War.
1. Iron Man
While it's entirely possible that Spider-Man will switch sides in Captain America: Civil War, the fact that Tony Stark is responsible for the creation of Peter Parker's costume and is the kind of guy the young Peter would idolise makes me think that won't be happening.
Iron Man is a massive box office draw (he remains the only MCU hero whose solo movie has grossed over $1 billion), so you'd best believe that Sony want to see Robert Downey Jr. bring some of that luck their way with this reboot. Whether he serves as a mentor or someone who provides Spidey with tech upgrades to his suit, Iron Man showing up in Spider-Man feels like an inevitability, and I wouldn't be surprised if Tony ends up with a fairly major role here.
Which of these characters do you think is most likely to show up in Spider-Man? Have we missed any you'd like to see? As always, let us know your thoughts in the usual place.