Spider-Man 4 needs to let go of the first trilogy's most important character

Spider-Man 4 is scheduled to come out sometime in 2025, between Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

While many are predicting it’ll be another multiverse story, and trust me I’ve got plenty to say about that topic of discussion, the thing I want to see most in the next Spider-Man film is a Peter Parker that’s not chasing a girl.

Elsewhere in the multiverse, Tom Hardy is gearing up for his final dance with Venom, the trailer of which you can see below

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a weird habit of giving us compelling relationships and then tearing them apart right before our eyes. Think of Wanda and Vision, Peter Quill and Gamora, Tony Stark and Pepper Potts. Seeing these relationships torn apart through cosmic interference or noble sacrifice always makes for some great cinema, and I’ve sort of liked how the MCU has never pushed for happy resolutions.

That’s the reason I adored the ending on Spider-Man: No Way Home, which saw Peter Parker make the ultimate sacrifice, forcing Doctor Strange to cast a spell that made the whole world forget who he was. His enemies, his friends, his fellow Avengers and his high-school sweetheart MJ all forget the man under the mask, meaning as far as the world is concerned there is only Spider-Man.

It’s heartwarming, and shows a maturity in Peter by protecting those he loves from the dangers of his superpowered life, even if they don’t know he’s doing it. He was handed great power, and he’s done the responsible thing with it.

Disney

But now there’s talk of MJ returning for Spider-Man 4, and while nothing has been confirmed as of yet I’m scared to death as to how this could alter that beautiful ending in No Way Home.

Don’t get me wrong I loved the MCU interpretation of MJ, and part of me does hope we see her again one day but after a trilogy of Peter being held up by those who know him and the world he operates within it’s high-time we just had a film where he stands on his own.

It’d be great to see Spidey doing his thing, making some saves, becoming the friendly neighbourhood hero nobody really knows only for Peter to come home to his rubbish apartment and prepare for the next day ahead of him, Nobody really knows who he is, but more importantly nobody knows how he feels. Have him miss MJ, maybe having a picture of her on his phone or in his room, maybe do the Amazing Spider-Man 2 thing and have a scene where he watches her and Ned hanging out from the rooftops. Have him reflect on what he’s lost but remember why he lost it.

After a near-death experience with Scorpion where he just narrowly saves the day we can see the toll of not having his friends on speed dial to support him anymore. Ned’s not the guy in the chair tracking the villain with a drone while MJ patches him up, he’s got to do it for himself.

Disney

While MJ is rumoured to appear there’s also talk of Black Cat joining the fray, and while you could argue that she’d be just another love interest I think her inclusion could fit the story Spider-Man 4 needs to tell.

In Spider-Man’s world Black Cat is temptation, a person like him with a tragic background hidden by a mask but the difference is Peter uses his talents to save the day whereas Felicia uses hers to turn a profit. Sure there’s some overlap of morals every now and then but Black Cat is not a hero.

With everything he’s been through it’d be great to see MCU Peter Parker tempted by that alternate life. Black Cat could feed his ego by calling him amazing, tell him all the ways he could lead a good life if he just used his powers for himself rather than others. On the flip side Peter would see a character far less fragile than the people he used to know and someone he doesn’t have to protect in the same way. Of course he wouldn’t take that life, a line would be crossed and he’d choose the right thing to do but the point is he’d do it on his own.

If MJ does return for Spider-Man 4, I won’t kick up a fuss. I’ll smile, laugh and cheers like I would in any Spider-Man film where he gets the girl, but part of me will always think about what could have been.