Marvel Studios finally has a way of threading new ground with Spider-Man, focusing on a different side of the character Tom Holland hasn’t so far.
Spider-Man has been handled well by the Marvel Cinematic Universe; however, Marvel now has the chance to finally tell the Peter Parker story the MCU has yet to deliver. Tom Holland’s Spider-Man trilogy stands among some of the MCU’s best movies. 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, Holland’s latest turn as Peter Parker, was an unprecedented event. The movie brought Holland’s MCU Spider-Man with Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire’s versions of Peter Parker. After several appearances in Spider-Man movies, Captain America: Civil War, and Avengers films, Holland’s Peter should next be seen in Spider-Man 4.
While Spider-Man’s MCU timeline has been filled with exciting films and some truly shocking events, there is still much more Marvel Studios can do with one of the most popular superheroes in the world. Holland should continue playing the wall-crawler for quite some time, with the actor keen on playing Spider-Man for years to come. With the MCU’s Spider-Man 4 on the way, Marvel and Sony will continue their partnership on live-action Spider-Man stories. However, there is a way Marvel could finally tell Spider-Man adventures the MCU has yet to show without Sony’s input.
X-Men ‘97 Teased A Possible Spider-Man: The Animated Series Return
Marvel Studios Is Killing It In The Animated Side
Marvel Studios made its reputation by releasing live-action movies. With the arrival of Disney+, the studio was able to expand the MCU in exciting new ways, which included animation. Recently, What If…? season 2 improved on the show’s first season to deliver an exciting breadth of animated stories with some of the MCU’s most beloved heroes and villains. Now, Marvel Studios is finding success with its first X-Men project, though it is not tied to the MCU. Marvel is currently airing new episodes of X-Men ’97, a continuation of X-Men: The Animated Series, weekly.
X-Men ’97‘s episode 8 featured multiple exciting cameos, which included characters like Zemo, Doctor Doom, and Spider-Man. The version of Peter Parker that appeared in the Marvel Studios series has been confirmed to be the same one that starred in Spider-Man: The Animated Series. That appearance has led to fan demand for the show to be brought back as Spider-Man ’98, similar to X-Men ’97‘s case. Spider-Man: The Animated Series ended with Peter Parker searching for Mary Jane Watson in the multiverse, and Peter’s appearance in X-Men ’97 shows he has made it back to his Earth.
Spider-Man ‘98 Can Be The Adult Peter Parker Story Fans Want
Tom Holland’s Spider-Man Was In High School
Holland’s Spider-Man in the MCU has gone through quite the journey, growing up in a world filled with heroes. While the Avengers and other Marvel heroes were not part of the other two Spider-Man movie franchises, Andrew Garfield’s version of Peter Parker and Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Men also started their journey from a young age, going through high school — and college in Maguire’s case. Spider-Man: The Animated Series had a different approach to the character, with the series focusing on an older Peter Parker from the start. Peter was already in college when the show began.
Spider-Man ’98 could show what happened when Peter went to look for MJ, with the characters reuniting and Madame Web returning them to their reality. The series could then become the adult Peter Parker story that fans have been asking for. While Holland’s Peter Parker will likely be going to college next in the MCU, a continuation to Spider-Man: The Animated Series could focus on the next chapter of the character’s life after that, with a more mature story that focuses on Spider-Man as a married hero, and perhaps a father, bringing a new side of Peter to audiences.
Marvel Studios Can Have Two Separate Shared Universes
The MCU Could Find Animated Company
A continuation of Spider-Man: The Animated Series could be the next step towards the creation of a shared animated universe by Marvel Studios. Originally, series like the original X-Men and Spider-Man animated series, as well as Fantastic Four, Iron Man, The Avengers: United They Stand, and more, crossed over and existed in the same continuity. With Spider-Man appearing in X-Men ’97 and Captain America having shown up before him, Marvel Studios could be testing the waters for the return of an animated Marvel universe.
Spider-Man ’98 and a new animated universe would be perfect for fans of Peter Parker. Marvel Studios could finally tell a different kind of story with an older Spider-Man and bring back fan-favorite voice actor Christopher Daniel Barnes from Spider-Man: The Animated Series to do it. In animated form, Marvel would not need to have Sony involved in the project, giving Marvel Studios full control of a Spider-Man who lives in a universe with several other popular Marvel heroes and villains. This way, Marvel would get an exciting new Spider-Man project to run alongside Holland’s MCU Spider-Man.
