The MCU initially planned to give Spider-Man a different mentor than Tony Stark, which I believe would have alleviated the franchise’s modern Iron Man issues. Spider-Man’s MCU timeline began with 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, in which Tony Stark personally recruited the young hero. From then on, Iron Man became intrinsically tied to Spider-Man, with the former appearing in one of the three MCU Spider-Man movies, having a big role in another post-death, and forming a strong bond with Peter Parker in two Avengers movies.

The impact Tony Stark had on Spider-Man is evident in the upcoming MCU movies featuring the latter. In 2026, the story of Spider-Man: Brand New Day will take the webslinger into the MCU’s future, removing the influence of Tony Stark properly for the first time in 10 years. This may help to lessen a problem some have had with the franchise post-Endgame concerning Iron Man, yet this could have been avoided even earlier if the MCU’s initial plan to have another character be Peter’s mentor had come to fruition.

The MCU Almost Made A Different Character Spider-Man’s Mentor

Tony Stark Almost Took A Back Seat

When first coming to Marvel Studios about an idea for a Spider-Man pitch, filmmaker Jon Watts had another long-lasting MCU character in mind as the тιтular hero’s mentor. As revealed to io9, Watts initially drafted up the idea that Nick Fury was Spider-Man’s primary guide into the vast world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Watts stated, “That would be a person he’d want to get in trouble with.” Of course, Watts eventually got this dream when Nick Fury played a bigger role in Spider-Man: Far From Home, but if initial plans were followed, this could have become a reality much earlier.

Nick Fury Being Spider-Man’s Mentor Could Have Helped Deal With A Post-Endgame Iron Man Problem

The Focus On Iron Man May Have Been Lessened Somewhat

If Nick Fury had been introduced as Spider-Man’s mentor before Spider-Man: Far From Home, the MCU could have dealt with a modern Iron Man problem. The problem in question is the criticism that the franchise has been unable to separate itself from Tony Stark’s legacy since Avengers: Endgame, and that Spider-Man himself is “Iron Boy Jr.” Had Nick Fury been Peter’s mentor instead of Tony, though, both of these criticisms would have been alleviated.

While Peter Parker and Tony Stark could still have been friends, the former’s journey may have felt more singular than it did if Fury were the main link between Spider-Man and the wider MCU. For instance, Quentin Beck’s story in Far From Home could have been tied more to Fury and SHIELD than Tony and Stark Industries. This way, the film could still have explored Stark’s legacy through Peter Parker, while having an entirely different subplot removed from Iron Man. If this were the case, Iron Man’s grip on the post-Endgame MCU may have felt more natural and less restrictive.

Spider-Man’s MCU Change Could Have Also Made One Movie Plot Twist Hit Even Harder

Nick Fury’s Big Reveal Could Have Been More Consequential

Finally, if Nick Fury had been Spider-Man’s mentor since Spider-Man: Homecoming, the twist involving his character in Spider-Man: Far From Home may have hit harder. In the post-credit scene of the 2019 movie, it was revealed that Nick Fury was actually the Skrull Talos in disguise the entire time. As it was, the twist worked to recontextualize Far From Home while setting up future stories like Secret Invasion and The Marvels. If Nick had been closer to Peter, though, it could have been all the more impactful.

If Peter and Nick had a stronger relationship that had been building for three years in the MCU at that point, the twist would have felt more like a betrayal. Audiences would be more distrustful of Nick Fury on the whole, wondering whether his appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming was actually Nick or retroactively Talos in disguise. The lacklustre story of Secret Invasion meant this twist, as it were, did not amount to much, yet a stronger relationship between Nick Fury and Spider-Man could have made it mean more on an emotional level.