Tom Holland has been playing Spider-Man since he appeared in Captain America: Civil War, but ten years on, the character could be coming to the end of their story in Avengers: Secret Wars in a way that mimics Tony Stark’s sacrifice in Endgame. Holland may still be a relatively young actor compared to other heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)
, but he’s been suiting as Spider-Man for a long time now, and the physicality and intensity of the role will undoubtedly wear on his body over time. In addition to the Sony-Marvel Studios drama which has created complications about his continued participation in the wider MCU.
However, with the end of the Multiverse Saga just around the corner, it could be the perfect time to give the character a send-off that reflects their importance and value to the MCU as a whole. And if one Spider-Man 4 theory is anything to go by, Holland’s time playing a solo hero is very possibly ticking down. But more than Peter Parker simply stepping back to let a new hero take his place, his ending in the MCU could be a lot more definitive as he prepares to face his greatest foe to date, with a familiar face behind the mask.
Tom Holland’s MCU End As Spider-Man Has Been Teased In Recent Years
The MCU’s Spider-Man Has Been Around For A Long Time
As mentioned above, the Sony and Marvel Studios relationships have not always been smooth sailing. Sony owns the film rights for Spider-Man, and a large range of the heroes’ greatest villains. This led to Sony producing several spin-off movies featuring Spider-Man villains, which evidently struggled at the box office and in the ratings, leading to Sony retiring their universe of stories. However, they have repeatedly toyed with the idea of reclaiming Spider-Man from the MCU, with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, in an effort to regain control of the narrative and get a larger share of the profits.
However, with Holland appearing in the MCU, fans of the Marvel brand as a whole have adored seeing the fan-favorite hero join forces with other big names from the comics, leading to explosive profits that would not be guaranteed if Sony separated him from the MCU. In order to avoid the complications, and the lack of control due to Sony’s power struggle, Marvel Studios could decide to use the next couple of movies to say goodbye to Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, and move forward in a new direction. And the Avengers: Secret Wars comics set up the perfect story to adapt to do just that.
Avengers: Secret Wars’ Source Material Makes No Way Home’s Variant Reveal Even More Notable
The Secret Wars Comic Could Hint At A Major Change For Spider-Man
The 2015 comic book run of Secret Wars, which acts as a sort of sequel to the original 1984 storyline, features an expansive story where multiple realities collide. Within the story, the Beyonders, a race of super-powerful beings that exist outside of reality, make plans to destroy and reset realities by planting Molecule Men in each reality ahead of a multi-universal detonation that would lay waste to everything and everyone from across these numerous realities. Of course, the heroes come together to squash the Beyonders’ plans, but the 616 reality looks very different after the dust settles.
One of the major differences is the fact that Miles Morales, a younger Spider-hero from another reality joins the 616 reality, becoming one of the official Spider-Men in the mainline stories. While the comic is unlikely to be copied in precise detail for the MCU, it would make sense to apply several elements of the comic book run, and bringing in a Miles Morales Spider-Man to take over for Peter Parker is another way to solve problems for the MCU, though Sony still holds the rights to Miles Morales too. But at the very least, this would open the door for Sony to make stories featuring Peter Parker, and avoid overlapping with the MCU.
Why Killing Spider-Man In Avengers: Secret Wars Makes Sense
Spidey’s Sacrifice Would Create A Beautiful MCU Symmetry
On top of this, from a storytelling point of view, Marvel Studios has to go bigger and better in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars to hope to compete with the success of Avengers: Endgame, and reinvigorate the franchise nearly 20 years after it all began. That is an incredibly tall order, considering Endgame was able to claim the top spot as the highest grossing box office of all time for a brief period, before Avatar’s re-release knocked it from the top spot. And part of what made Endgame such a success was the inclusion of all the biggest heroes in the series at that time.
Doomsday and Secret Wars are set to deliver similar spectacles, but as far as the stakes, nothing has been confirmed just yet. At this point in the Infinity Saga, it was clear that Thanos was lurking around the corner, and his plan to wipe out half of all life in the universe was popping up in whispers. In order to counter Thanos, it took all the Avengers, and an army of other heroes, but more than that, it took the sacrifice of the hero who started it all, Iron Man. While making another sacrifice should not be made to simply mimic these events, and the death will need to be meaningful, killing Spider-Man at this stage, with an adequate reason and story, would certainly deliver the desired impact and intensity.
Spider-Man: No Way Home’s Ending Means The Avengers: Secret Wars Theory Might Be Too Intense For Spider-Man’s MCU Story
Spider-Man Has Suffered A Lot Of Tragedy Lately
However, killing Spider-Man off in Secret Wars is by no means a guarantee. There are a lot of ways to conclude the story that has been set up in the Multiverse Saga, and Marvel Studios has the capacity to be able to pivot and focus on different heroes. In addition, Peter Parker’s story has just taken an interesting turn in Spider-Man: No Way Home, with the hero’s alter ego being erased from everyone’s memory collectively. And considering his popularity, Spider-Man is a big character to wave goodbye to, so this decision would need to be carefully considered.
Killing Spider-Man off in Secret Wars is by no means a guarantee.
In addition, there are rumors that Holland recently signed on to a multiple-picture movie deal for the MCU, but nothing has been confirmed. And a multiple movie deal could mean that Holland will appear in the fourth and final Spider-Man solo film starring Peter Parker, and then the final two Avengers movies. Ultimately, the story for Peter Parker could go anywhere, but judging by the comic books, and theories swirling about the character, Avengers: Secret Wars could be the end for the old friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
Upcoming MCU Movies
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Captain America: Brave New World
- Release Date
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February 14, 2025
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Thunderbolts*
- Release Date
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May 2, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Release Date
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July 25, 2025
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Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
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Spider-Man Homecoming 4
- Release Date
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July 24, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars
- Release Date
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May 7, 2027
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