Iron Man successfully launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008 and, while it is a genuinely incredible and important movie, it also started one worrying trend in the franchise that has persisted to this day. While the MCU is a beloved franchise, after more than fifteen years, certain patterns, such as the MCU post-credit trend of never following up on teased details, have bothered some. With that said, I am a little worried now about something even bigger that it seems the franchise has been unable to escape to this day.

While many MCU decisions have aged well, others have caused problems as the franchise has gone along. The series had to work hard to retrofit many of the comics’ most popular stories into tales of a smaller and different cast. This has often worked, with Captain America: Civil War being an acclaimed film, despite being very different from the comics. Some changes can be great. Still, I find myself concerned about how one of the fundamental details of superhero stories has been almost entirely avoided in the MCU.

Iron Man Set The MCU’s Secret Idenтιтy Agenda In Phase 1

Tony Stark Revealed His Iron Man Idenтιтy To The World

The ending of Iron Man made secret idenтιтies unimportant to the MCU from the very beginning of the universe. At the close of the film, during an impactful moment, where Tony Stark holds a press conference, he reveals his idenтιтy to the world. “The truth is… I am Iron Man,” Tony says, and the film closes with an exciting moment. This ending was unexpected and shocking, sending ripples throughout the larger superhero genre that continue to have important effects to this day.

With an MCU ending that is so good, many of the franchise’s choices were built around Iron Man. The character of Tony Stark set the shape of the universe, and essentially played the lead role in the entire series all the way through until Avengers: Endgame. This made for excellent stories that played well with Robert Downey Jr.’s charisma but has left the state of the MCU in a strange place ever since Tony’s death. This continues to have rippling effects on stories in the franchise in both live-action and animation.

Very Few MCU Superheroes Are Allowed A Secret Idenтιтy

Iron Man Set An Unusual Precedent By Revealing Himself

Many MCU characters have secret idenтιтies in the comics, but this is mostly done away with in the films. Following in Tony Stark’s footsteps, characters like Thor had their secret idenтιтies taken away in order to tell stories that aligned better with Iron Man’s. Much of this has been incredibly effective. However, it seems to have been a challenge for some of the other heroes in the franchise. While characters like Hawkeye, Black Widow, Captain America and more are publicly known, Spider-Man has always had a secret idenтιтy.

Perhaps as a result, it became important in the MCU for Spider-Man’s idenтιтy to be revealed to the world. Many MCU characters knew Spider-Man’s idenтιтy throughout his films, and the franchise expanded the scope of this at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home and into Spider-Man: No Way Home. Following those films, the franchise has left Peter with a secret idenтιтy once again. Although based on a new series, I wonder if the MCU even knows how to tell stories of secret idenтιтies.

I Can’t Believe How Quickly So Many People Learned The Newest Spider-Man’s Idenтιтy

More People Discover Peter’s Idenтιтy On Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Each Week

In Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, it seems that Peter is incredibly unsuccessful in keeping his idenтιтy a secret. While the series has confronted many Spider-Man superhero criticisms, it has leaned into the MCU’s pattern of having the hero’s idenтιтy known. Norman Osborn figures it out early in the series, and other characters like Harry Osborn and Nico Minoru discover the same truth along the way. This has set up a version of the hero that is far too well-known.

Granted, in the age of technology, I believe that keeping an idenтιтy secret would be an incredibly difficult thing to do. Norman discovers Peter’s idenтιтy through his surveillance cameras, and it is honestly surprising that Peter’s idenтιтy isn’t discovered that way more often. The character is only a kid, and there is simply too much to be aware of at all times for him to keep his idenтιтy secret. Still, that idenтιтy used to be core to so many of the hero’s stories, and it is disappointing that we are unlikely to get more of those any time soon.

I love the MCU and I love Spider-Man, but I wish that the franchise was able to take a more case-by-case approach to their heroes and their secret idenтιтies. Sometimes, having a secret idenтιтy and leading a double life can be an important part of a comic hero’s journey. Despite this, I love what the Marvel Cinematic Universe has done with Spider-Man, both in animation and in live-action, and I eagerly await whatever stories the franchise wishes to share in the months and years to come.

Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Thunderbolts*

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  May 2, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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  July 25, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  
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  Spider-Man Homecoming 4

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  July 24, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

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  May 7, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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