Marvel Studios remains hard at work on Spider-Man 4, a movie we now expect to be released right between Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars in 2026.
Originally, we'd heard the idea was for the project to be a street-level adventure pitting Spider-Man and Daredevil against The Kingpin. Now, that storyline is likely being saved, with Sony getting its way with another Multiversal blockbuster set on Battleworld.
Whatever the case may be, with MJ no longer aware of who Peter Parker is, it might be time for the wall-crawler to find a new love interest. He's had many of them in the comic books and the characters listed below each have the potential to be a good fit for whatever kind of story Spider-Man 4 ends up telling.
See who we think Tom Holland's Spidey could swing into his next relationship with by clicking the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
7. Mockingbird
With Peter Parker now a wealthy CEO of his own company, Parker Industries (not a concept we're hoping to see in the MCU unless it's Peter #2 or Peter #3's new company), Spider-Man found an unexpected romantic partner in Bobbi Morse, a.k.a. Mockingbird.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent served as his superhero liaison, but their working relationship soon blossomed into something more.
Things initially looked good, but the collapse of Peter's business forced them to live together sooner than either of them would have liked, and they soon realised they didn't have that much in common when they weren't suited up and fighting crime.
While Mockingbird's introduction could contradict that big Hawkeye reveal with Laura Barton, we think there's potential here, even if Bobbi ultimately becomes an amalgamation of a few characters.
6. Kitty Pryde
In the Ultimate Spider-Man comics, Peter only briefly dated Kitty Pryde, but it's a romance that resonated with fans at the time. The two teen heroes had a lot in common and, honestly, made a surprisingly cute couple.
They eventually parted ways (unwillingly) to protect the wall-crawler's secret identity, but this is a relationship that could definitely work for Spider-Man 4, particularly if the Multiverse comes into play.
After what happened with MJ, Peter finding love with a girl who literally can't be harmed because she phases through solid objects would be a good way to address any concerns he might have that his next girlfriend will also be put at risk by his enemies.
If this somehow leads Spidey to cross paths with the rest of the X-Men, we'll have absolutely zero complaints.
5. Betty Brant
Peter had a complicated relationship with Betty Brant in the comic books, but she was his first love in many ways. The fact he was Spider-Man made things extremely difficult, though, and they'd eventually part ways (becoming close friends given the benefit of time).
While they met at The Daily Bugle, the MCU's version of Peter and Betty have obviously attended high school together.
Unfortunately, Doctor Strange's spell means she no longer remembers him, but that could open the door to an unexpected romance that blossoms when they cross paths at TheDailyBugle.net...where Peter is now providing JJJ with pictures footage of Spider-Man.
Where things could get really interesting is when Ned Leeds comes back on the scene. He was always Peter's love rival on the page, and now he no longer remembers his former best friend, it would be great fun to see the two former besties compete for Betty's affections.
4. Cindy Moon/Silk
Sony has seemingly scrapped plans for its Silk: Spider Society TV series, meaning Marvel Studios now has the perfect opportunity to bring Cindy Moon into Peter's chaotic life in Spider-Man 4.
We'd immediately scrap Dan Slott's creepy idea of having these two unable to resist each other sexually due to their pheromones (a concept he's since expressed regret over). Instead, they can bond over being bitten by the same spider and the challenges being a street-level superhero presents.
It will also show Peter he's not alone in a world that's forgotten he exists, reminding him there is someone out there he can relate to.
Spider-Man and Silk's comic book "romance" was short-lived, so Marvel Studios can take a lot of liberties with the source material to come up with some fresh ideas and finally give Cindy the chance to shine on screen.
3. Jackpot
In the comics, Jackpot was introduced in 2008 as Sara Ehret. A reluctant superhero who gained superhuman strength, agility, and stamina after being exposed to a gene therapy experiment while pregnant, she was fine later giving up the mantle.
It was then Alana Jobson took over; she relied on Mutant Growth Hormone to play hero and tragically died on a mission as a result of the drug's side effects.
Recently, Mary Jane Watson has suited as a new Jackpot; her gauntlet is a mix of magic and science and draws an ability with each spin, with the random combination of symbols determining the power's strength and usefulness. A decent pull could result in super-strength, while a bad pull could lead to projectile cotton candy, for example.
Marvel Studios can pull inspiration from all three versions of Jackpot to give Zendaya's MJ the chance to become a superhero. What a way that would be for Peter to reunite with his one true love, eh?
2. Black Cat
The world may no longer know who is beneath Spider-Man's mask, but many people are no doubt still convinced he killed Mysterio. The rest are likely being poisoned by J. Jonah Jameson's constant ramblings, so when Spider-Man 4 begins, Spidey is bound to be deemed a "menace."
That might not be easy for the web-slinger to accept given everything he's been through and sacrificed, so it probably wouldn't be too difficult to push him down a dark path.
There, he can encounter Black Cat, a bad influence who can take care of herself and is interested more in Spider-Man than Peter. Given recent events, that could be just the romance the hero is looking for.
We wouldn't necessarily expect these two to go the distance, but the start of a beautiful friendship could certainly begin with a brief fling. Rumour has it Sydney Sweeney is being eyed for the role so throw in Spidey's black suit and we have a perfect match.
1. Gwen Stacy
With the Amazing Spider-Man's mention of losing "Gwen" no doubt ringing in his ears, something tells us Peter #1 would initially be reluctant to fall for a girl named Gwen Stacy after they meet in college.
However, as she is the true love of his life, these two finding each other in the MCU could be inevitable. There's something poetic about Peter losing MJ in tragic circumstances and then finding Gwen, as that's the opposite of what happened in the comic books (similar to Aunt May's death being what inspired him to become the "classic" Spider-Man).
Marvel Studios could make some big changes to Gwen, of course, and combining her story with Silk's could lead to the long-awaited live-action debut of Spider-Gwen, a.k.a. Ghost Spider.
With the Multiverse potentially in play, that could also be used to explain Gwen's return. Either way, we'd love to see her and Holland's Peter share the screen for the first time.