Several rumors had been circulating for several days / weeks regarding the arrival of Charlie Cox in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actor who lent his features and his physical abilities to the demon of Hell’s Kitchen in the series Daredevil and The Defenders is therefore making his comeback. Netflix character lands on the big screen in Spider-Man: No Way Home, not in his superheroic form, but simply as Matthew “Matt” Murdock. He plays here the role of defense lawyer in charge of the case of Peter Parker whose alter-ego Spider-Man is held responsible for the events of London at the end of the film Far From Home.
Daredevil’s presence in the MCU has several direct consequences for the Disney multiverse. The first and not the least is the official integration in the latter of the various vigilantes and antagonists of the Netflix series. previously mentioned as well as Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, The Punisher and Iron Fist. It would not be surprising to witness the reunification of the Defenders, but especially the enthronement of Wilson Fisk masterfully interpreted by Vincent D’Onofrio, aka the Kingpin of New York. Pending confirmation from Marvel Studios, speculation is rife.
Following the revelations of Quentin Beck, aka Mysterio, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, Spider-Man has become a traitor to the nation. Worse yet, his secret identity is revealed which results in the ruin of the life of Peter Parker, but also those of Michelle Jones, Ned Leeds and Aunt May. Spider-Man then turns to Dr. Stephen Strange in hopes of rectifying the situation. The wizard suggests that the entire population forget the individual behind the superhero. Unfortunately, the fate takes an unexpected turn.
By manipulating space and time, Dr. Strange breaches the multiverse, attracting all those with knowledge of Spider-Man’s true identity, starting with the villains of the universes put into images by Sony Pictures. This is how Otto Octavius aka Dr. Octopus, Norman Osborn aka The Green Goblin, Curt Connors aka the Lizard, Max Dillon aka Electro as well as Flint Marko aka the Sandman make their appearance on Earth-19999 (or Earth -616). During the final climax, we even see a silhouette… that of Kraven the Hunter.
Sony and Disney have succeeded to the end not to sell the wick, even if the revelation that will follow is in fact an open secret. The arrival of the greatest antagonists from the universes successively imagined by directors Sam Raimi and Marc Webb could only herald one and only one thing … the reunification of the three Spider-Men on the big screen. Fans will be delighted to learn that the theories developed since the very first trailer aired have proven to be correct.
Tom Holland officially teamed up with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield for a few lines and an epic fight. on the heights of a Statue of Liberty bearing the shield of Captain America. Older than the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Spider-Man, the other two superheroic entities seem a bit resigned to a capricious fate, too often inclined to make the motto “With great power comes great responsibility.” an overwhelming reality.
… Great responsibilities, and even greater sacrifices. The fate of Peter Parker and his alter-ego Spider-man has always been linked to the tragic death of his uncle Ben. Until now, Peter Parker version Tom Holland had not had to suffer the loss of a loved one, a loss directly linked to his vigilante activities. It’s now done in No Way Home. In a clash against Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, Aunt May played by Marisa Tomei dies in the arms of her nephew.
In her last breath, the tutor of Peter Parker then declares this sentence which has become iconic and inseparable from the Spider-Man: “With great power comes great responsibilities”. With the death of May Parker, Spider-Man truly becomes Spider-Man. Anyone who was still a teenager with dreams full of dreams becomes, by necessity, an adult. The very title of the film – No Way Home – announces the color. Aunt May’s death represents the loss of the family home for Peter Parker.
Faced with the impossibility of closing the multiversal breaches caused by his own incantation, and therefore with the massive arrival of all those who know from near or far the secret identity of Spider-Man, Doctor Strange under the impetus of Peter Parker sees only one solution. The magician must make all thinking beings forget the very existence of Peter Parker, as well his relatives, his allies, his enemies as complete strangers.
Once the spell is cast, the multiverse returns to its natural state. The different dimensions are closed. The world is finally at peace with the exception of the main interested party, who despite himself is making a new start. His personal life is a blank sheet of paper. No one knows this post-teenager who is forced to move into a dingy apartment and abandons the costume bequeathed by Tony Stark to put on his own… an outfit much closer to those worn by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.
The MCU’s first trilogy was sort of an Origin Story for this superhero who is now much closer to the comic books he openly draws inspiration from. The Spider-Man enthroned by Iron Man is only a distant and hazy memory. Sony thus regains control in a way over this character who still belongs to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but which now evolves outside the framework imposed by the Avengers. A new trilogy would even be already in the works on the side of Marvel studios with Tom Holland under the mask.
In October 2024, Venom: Let There Be Carnage post-credits scene featured reporter Eddie Brock and his symbiote in the Marvel Cinematic Universe following Doctor Strange’s incantation. A simple television news then aroused the curiosity of the excited alien. However, the encounter between Venom and Spider-Man will not take place. Indeed, the first post-credits scene of Spider-Man: No Way Home sees the anti-hero leaning on a counter trying to catch up with the entire MCU story.
The spell cast by Dr. Strange at the end of the film forces Eddie Brock and his alter-ego to return to their universe… the Venom-Verse… not without leaving before leaving a tiny part of the symbiote. This simple fact announces the color. Venom is making a (too) low-key entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The symbiotic creature and Spider-Man are doomed to meet, clash, or even ally depending on the circumstances. The fate of Spider-Man is linked to that of Venom, which could herald a future “black” costume parasitized by the famous extraterrestrial entity.
The second post-credits scene looks a lot more like a trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness whose release date is scheduled for early May 2024 provided the reshoots are not the cause of a further postponement. . During this short “trailer”, the presence of Wanda Maximoff, alias the Scarlet Witch, is confirmed while the scenario is explained. Stephen Strange must answer for his actions following his uncontrolled spells that have undermined the fragile balance holding the multiverse in place.
It is in this interdimensional context that makes the “unexpected” appearance of another Dr. Strange already crossed in the animated series Marvel’s What If…? ”. During episode 4, the surgeon becomes the Sorcerer Supreme, and gives in to the advances of the dark side of magic. Dark Dr. Strange is thus born, but is forced at the end of the series to sacrifice himself to save the multiverse. Nonetheless, the ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home suggests that this dark version of Stephen Strange is about to make a smashing comeback.
