Spider-Man: No Way Home has been described as "the end of a franchise" by Tom Holland, while the actor saying that "if we were lucky enough to dive into these characters again, you'd be seeing a very different version" has us a little concerned. It could be that the web-slinger is about to find his way "home" to Sony's Marvel Universe and that might not end well for Spidey... or us.
There are only a couple of months to go before we get to see the film, so answers are coming. However, with all those rumours about the likes of Andrew Garfield, Rhys Ifans, and Emma Stone making cameo appearances, what about the surprises that haven't circulated on message boards?
You just know that Marvel Studios is going to have some shocks in store that no one will have predicted or reported, and it's those we're now attempting to figure out with this feature!
Some hail from Sony's Marvel Universe, while others are part of the MCU. A couple would be just for fun, while a few might help change the very direction this franchise is heading in from this point on...
5. Spider-Girl
After Holland's comments a little earlier today, we can't help but wonder if the plan is for Spider-Man: No Way Home to end his time in the MCU. That would be a real shame, but a new reality means new storytelling opportunities (and the chance for Sony to finally start using Spidey in their slate of films).
If Peter Parker is about to embark on a trip through the Multiverse, then this feels like the perfect opportunity for us to visit a world where May "Mayday" Parker is Spider-Girl.
This character's live-action debut is long overdue and a cameo like this could nicely set the stage for a future spinoff or give us an idea of what's to come in a possible future for Spider-Man. Who should be beneath the mask? Well, we wouldn't say no to giving Zendaya a slight makeover so she could take on a second role in this threequel as MJ and Peter's possible or eventual future daughter!
4. Scarlet Witch
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will follow the Sorcerer Supreme on a trip through who knows how many alternate realities, but Spider-Man: No Way Home is more than likely the adventure that opens the door to that (Strange even mentioned the Multiverse in that teaser trailer).
With that in mind, an appearance from the Scarlet Witch is surely a given. If it's true that the Doctor Strange sequel will follow Wanda Maximoff as she tears through these different timelines on the hunt for her children, then it could even be that which leads to the events of No Way Home.
We're betting the Scarlet Witch appears in a post-credits scene, more than likely in footage shot by Sam Raimi. That technically means he'll have directed scenes in a Spider-Man film fourteen years after he bid farewell to the iconic superhero with 2007's mostly disappointing Spider-Man 3.
3. Captain America
The MCU's timeline has become a little muddled since the events of Avengers: Endgame, but by the time Spider-Man: Far From Home begins, we're hoping Sam Wilson will have become Captain America.
This film does pick up where Spider-Man: Far From Home left off, but it appears we'll then jump ahead by a few months. With Peter Parker framed as Mysterio's murder, it would be great for Sam to show up and impart a few words of advice now Spidey no longer has Iron Man to turn to. The cameo would be a minor one, but a good showcase on the big screen for the new Cap.
We'd by no means expect the star spangled hero to factor into the overarching plot, but with set photos hinting that the Statue of Liberty will be transformed to pay homage to Captain America, why wouldn't he appear? We're sure production took place at the same time as The Falcon and The Winter Soldier's reshoots too, and everyone loves Holland and Anthony Mackie's off-screen rivalry!
2. Venom
Admittedly, this feels like a given following Venom: Let There Be Carnage's post-credits scene, but there have never actually been rumours about Tom Hardy showing up in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
We're not anticipating Eddie Brock being the mystery sixth member of that interdimensional Sinister Six, but not using Venom in a post-credits scene would be a baffling move. At the end of his latest movie, Eddie had seemingly been transported into the MCU (just like Doctor Octopus, Electro, and the Green Goblin). How and why are these Spider-Man villains from other worlds now in this reality?
That's a question we're anticipating being answered in No Way Home, and it would be immensely disappointing to leave that Venom cliffhanger just "rolling down the street like a turd in the wind." We're sorry to quote that 2018 film, but c'mon, this is a cameo that needs to be included.
1. Madame Web
Sony Pictures is said to be developing a Madame Web film, but we've heard nothing about the cast or even a director. Despite that, we don't think it's outside the realm of possibility an actress has been chosen to play this mysterious presence in Peter Parker's life. After all, had Sony made this film without Marvel Studios, this film would have needed Sony's own Doctor Strange.
If, by the time all is said and done, Spider-Man is established as a hero who will travel from world to world protecting realities without a Spidey...well, that'd be a little weird. It would, however, give Sony the chance to use Holland's web-slinger in multiple franchises for many years to come.
Madame Web guiding him through that does make sense, and we could see this happening. Regular moviegoers might be confused, but for fans, this is a cameo that would carry some weight.