Spider-Man: No Way Home may be the final chapter in this Marvel Cinematic Universe trilogy, but with producer Amy Pascal confirming that three more movies are on the way, it's far from the end!
We need to see how the story wraps up in this upcoming threequel before having a better idea of the franchise's future, but that doesn't mean we can't share some early ideas. Looking ahead to what comes next, there are a lot of exciting possibilities, including specific villains and potential plot points.
Here, we dive into what could be in store for Peter Parker after his stint in high school, the bad guys who have the most potential in the MCU, a whole new tonal direction, and some major character introductions. There's room for all this and more, as Spidey's big screen future is looking bright.
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6. Peter Parker Goes To College
It's been fun to spend time with Peter Parker in high school, especially as that's something the previous movies glossed over for the most part. However, after three movies, it's time to move on.
College is the logical next step for the wall-crawler, and gives this Spider-Man the chance to grow up. Whether the entire trilogy should be based around his time there is up for debate, though we certainly wouldn't be against giving the franchise chance to rest for a few years before picking up with a Peter who is in his final year of college and thereby closer to Tom Holland's real age.
From there, Marvel Studios and Sony could take the character down any number of routes; he could become a scientist for Horizon or find work with The Daily Bugle. Either way, it's time for Spider-Man to be aged up and this trilogy presents the perfect opportunity for us to follow him into adulthood.
5. New And Familiar Foes
Spider-Man: No Way Home looks set to pit the hero against Doctor Octopus, the Green Goblin, Electro, Lizard, and Sandman, and after previously facing off with The Vulture and Mysterio, you might think Peter is quickly beginning to run out of bad guys.
While this MCU franchise has definitely used some big names, there are plenty of places the next three movies can go. For starters, we'd love to see Willem Dafoe stick around as Norman Osborn as a new big bad for this series, while it's about damn time Mac Gargan returns suited up as Scorpion. Hobgoblin, Rhino, and Black Cat are also exciting possibilities.
There are more obscure possibilities too, of course, but after Venom: Let There Be Carnage's post-credit scene, we'd be surprised if Venom isn't Spider-Man's next sinister foe. We're not sure exactly how Marvel Studios and Sony will make that work, but it would definitely be a lot of fun.
4. Gwen Stacy
We don't know what will happen with MJ in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but it would be no bad thing for this new trilogy to kick off by giving Peter a new love interest in the form of Gwen Stacy.
That character was reimagined for Spider-Man 3 and became a focal point in The Amazing Spider-Man movies before her disappointing demise at the hands of Harry Osborn; Marvel Studios could deliver the comic-accurate take on Gwen we've been waiting for, albeit with a potentially intriguing twist. As you might have guessed, we're talking about her suiting up as Spider-Gwen!
That would definitely differentiate this Gwen from previous versions, ensuring she's much more than just a love interest. It would also give Spider-Man a new ally, and a hero Sony could choose to put the spotlight on with a movie franchise of her own connected to their Marvel Universe.
3. Spidey's Supernatural Side
In J. Michael Straczynski's Amazing Spider-Man run, the writer explored the concept of Peter's powers being rooted in the supernatural. He put forward a lot of interesting ideas, including the fact that while the spider was created through science, it was always destined to find its way to Spider-Man.
During this period, the webbed wonder battled a whole host of new villains, with Morlun among the most memorable (it would be epic seeing him take aim at Spidey on screen). Later, writers would expand on this to include the Spider-Verse and the idea that Morlun was one of many "Inheritors" travelling from world to world in order to feed on every and any possible Variant of Spider-Man.
We're sure you can see how that would tie into the Marvel Multiverse, and it would be something new for the Spider-Man franchise as we get set for the character's third trilogy.
2. One More Multiversal Team-Up
It doesn't look like we're getting the Sinister Six in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and while five villains is a formidable threat, we can't help but be a little disappointed by that missed opportunity.
Well, what if it's something that's being saved for down the line? Ultimately, a Sinister Six made up of villains like The Vulture, Mysterio, Scorpion, and the MCU Spidey's future foes makes more sense, and could set the stage for Peter to once again seek out help from the wider Marvel Multiverse. Call us greedy, but yes, we'd like to see Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield return...again.
There's bound to be an appetite for this if it happens in the upcoming threequel, and the two former Spider-Men could be open to suiting up again - assuming they had a good time on this movie. Heck, by the time Spider-Man 6 rolls around, there could be other Variants in the mix to lend a hand...
1. Miles Morales
Tom Holland has made it clear that while he's open to another Spider-Man trilogy, this probably isn't a role he intends to keep returning to beyond the age of 30. It's easy enough to understand why he wouldn't want his entire acting career to be defined by one role (no matter how profitable it would likely be), so what does that mean for the future of this iconic character on the big screen?
The logical next step is to shift the spotlight to Miles Morales; his existence was confirmed in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and like the Spider-Man video games, the teenager could quite easily be introduced as Peter's protege. That would set the stage for him to take over as the new Spidey - regardless of what happens to the original - and set the stage for yet another series of movies.
Miles' popularity is significant and continues to grow. While he may be the focal point of the animated Spider-Verse trilogy, a live-action debut is a must and this new trilogy is the place to make it happen.