After the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker has been left without a mentor in the MCU, but that could be for the best. No Way Home delivered a Spider-Man story that has never been told in live-action before, introducing the concept of the multiverse to the friendly neighborhood Avenger and teaming him up with variants of himself, portrayed by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. No Way Home also featured a continuation of Doctor Strange’s MCU story, with Benedict Cumberbatch returning in the wake of Avengers: Endgame, but Spider-Man’s future MCU projects might see him avoid the typical team-up with an adult hero.
Since Tom Holland debuted the character in the MCU during Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker has grown significantly, becoming a member of the Avengers, fighting Thanos on Titan in Avengers: Infinity War, and dealing with multiversal threats with his variants in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The ending of the Phase 4 epic left Parker completely alone in the world, having sacrificed everybody’s memories of him to protect the stability of the multiverse thanks to Doctor Strange’s spell. With confirmation that the MCU’s Spider-Man 4 is in the works at Marvel Studios, Peter Parker’s future adventures will be very different from those that have come before.
Spider-Man Has Always Had A Mentor In The MCU
One of the key changes will be that Peter Parker probably won’t be taken under the wing of an adult mentor as he has been in every previous Spider-Man film in the MCU. This started in Holland’s first appearance as Spider-Man in Civil War, which saw Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark recruit the hero to fight alongside him against Captain America. Stark became Parker’s idol, which continued through Spider-Man: Homecoming, Infinity War, and Endgame, with Spider-Man: Far From Home putting Parker’s grief over his hero’s death front and center. Even so, Parker would find a new mentor in the Infinity Saga’s epilogue in the shape of Quentin Beck, a.k.a. Mysterio.
Mysterio soon turned out to be a fraud, but Peter Parker still learned valuable lessons from him in the project, which also saw him receive guidance from Nick Fury, though he was revealed to be Talos, the leader of the Skrulls, in disguise. For Spider-Man: No Way Home, this mentorship role fell on Doctor Strange, who formed a connection with Parker in Infinity War and became one of the few people Spider-Man could turn to in a moment of need. Strange provided expertise and context for Spider-Man’s multiversal quest but was also shown to be much less patient with the young web-slinger than Stark or Fury had been.
Peter Parker Grew Up A Lot In Spider-Man: No Way Home
Spider-Man: No Way Home marked a huge milestone in Peter Parker’s MCU journey, as he not only found a new mentor in the form of Doctor Strange but also immediately defied Strange’s demands to do what he thought was right. Trapping Strange in the Mirror Dimension in order to find a way to save the multiversal villains’ lives, avoiding their imminent deaths in their own realities, was step one in Parker’s road towards independence. Even before seeking help from Doctor Strange, Parker set out to try and convince MIT to enroll his friends, trying to clean up his own mess, which would become a major theme in No Way Home.
Parker’s growth didn’t stop there, as Spider-Man: No Way Home saw him lose Aunt May, bond with his multiversal variants over their shared experiences and differences, and work with his enemies to try and spare their lives. However, it was Spider-Man’s final act in No Way Home that proved he no longer needs a mentor, as he willingly chose to sacrifice everyone’s memory of him in order to protect the multiverse. This epic self-sacrifice cemented the fact that Peter now has the ability to make his own way in life, even though he was forced to as Strange’s spell eliminated anybody’s knowledge of the man behind the mask.
No Way Home Set Up An Independent MCU Spider-Man
The fact that nobody in the world remembers who Peter Parker is by the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home means that Parker is now completely alone. Subsequent MCU projects, including Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, have confirmed that people still remember Spider-Man, but he now operates under complete anonymity, with his identity of Peter Parker being erased. While MJ and Ned were eventually accepted into MIT, Parker had to enroll in a GED, as well as find his own accommodation in New York City in the form of a small studio apartment.
These steps set up an independent Spider-Man for future projects in the MCU, no longer seeking the guidance of adult superheroes but trusting his own decisions. In this spirit, Spider-Man: No Way Home saw Parker design his own Spider-Man suit, not with the help of fancy tech, but hand-sewn and inspired by the designs of his variants’ costumes. This marked a significant change for Parker in the MCU, as future projects may feature crossovers with various other heroes, as his Marvel Comics storylines do, but he could finally be the one taking the lead rather than falling under someone else’s command.
These steps set up an independent Spider-Man for future projects in the MCU, no longer seeking the guidance of adult superheroes but trusting his own decisions. In this spirit, Spider-Man: No Way Home saw Parker design his own Spider-Man suit, not with the help of fancy tech, but hand-sewn and inspired by the designs of his variants’ costumes. This marked a significant change for Parker in the MCU, as future projects may feature crossovers with various other heroes, as his Marvel Comics storylines do, but he could finally be the one taking the lead rather than falling under someone else’s command.
Peter Parker Should Become A Mentor Himself In His MCU Future
In a way, the MCU’s first Spider-Man trilogy explored the full origin story for the character, bringing Peter Parker to the point where he can finally operate as a superhero in his own right, fully embracing his role as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. He has been shown to take on the most noteworthy pieces of advice from all his previous mentors but is no longer performing under the shadow of Iron Man, Mysterio, or Doctor Strange. Instead, the MCU’s next Spider-Man trilogy could see Peter Parker himself fill the role of mentor, as there is speculation that Miles Morales could finally be introduced to the live-action franchise.
In Marvel Comics, Miles Morales was Peter Parker’s successor as Spider-Man from the Ultimate Marvel continuity, and the character has seen a monumental amount of success in Sony’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse animated film series. Since Peter Parker’s introduction into the MCU, many have been wondering how long it would take for Morales to join the franchise too, particularly after his uncle, Aaron Davis, made an appearance in Spider-Man: Homecoming, played by Donald Glover. Spider-Man 4 and beyond could see Peter Parker mentor the MCU’s Miles Morales, and after Spider-Man: No Way Home, he is perfectly fit to pass wisdom onto the next generation of superheroes.
