Spider-Man cries in Far From Home and Tony Stark stands next to his Iron Man suit in Iron Man 3

Peter Parker could follow an upsetting path in Iron Man’s journey according to a Spider-Man 4 theory. After Spider-Man: No Way Home, the future isn’t clear for the MCU’s Spider-Man. The Homecoming trilogy was essentially a lengthy origin story for him, and he is now in a place where he can make his own destiny. Aunt May is gone, and all of Peter’s relationships have been reset since no one remembers who he is. It’s a situation viewers haven’t seen Spider-Man in before, and it’ll be refreshing to see where the series goes.

One criticism Tom Holland’s Spider-Man has faced is that he often feels like Iron Man Jr. and needs to establish himself as an independent character rather than Tony Stark’s apprentice. No Way Home‘s ending appeared to wipe that away, since Peter has no connections to the Avengers or their resources anymore. While he may not be living off of Tony’s technology, there is still one way that Peter could follow Iron Man’s journey in the MCU timeline, and that includes a troubling storyline for Spider-Man 4.

Peter Parker Could Be Haunted By The Events of No Way Home

Angry and violent Peter Parker in Spider-Man No Way Home

The events of No Way Home were the darkest moments of Peter Parker’s MCU story. The Green Goblin killed Aunt May, and shortly after, Peter gave up his relationships with MJ and Ned to save the multiverse. Since no one knows who Peter is anymore, he lost many opportunities for his future, and is shown living alone in a small New York apartment. He also discovered the multiverse, and that he isn’t the only Spider-Man, which would send any normal person into an existential crisis.

This all happened after Spider-Man was blipped for five years after Avengers: Infinity War, and then lost his mentor, Tony Stark, in Avengers: Endgame. Safe to say, Peter has been through the wringer for the last few years, and he finally has time to slow down and process everything that has happened to him. This could lead to many emotional complications, as he tries to come to terms with all the trauma and loss he’s experienced. Spider-Man 4 could show Holland’s Spider-Man experiencing PTSD, which would follow an important part of Tony’s character arc.

Spider-Man’s Journey Would Mirror Tony Stark’s PTSD In Iron Man 3

Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man flying in Iron Man 3

In Iron Man 3, Tony experiences PTSD after the events of The Avengers, where he fought aliens and barely escaped the closing wormhole. He has anxiety attacks, and he can’t sleep due to constant nightmares. These experiences cause him to hyperfocus on protecting Pepper and the world from imminent threats. It was an important step in his journey, as Tony normally has a charismatic, confident persona, and his anxiety showed a different side to the character.

It would be a logical step for Spider-Man 4 to show Peter struggling to cope with everything that has happened. The young hero needs to get back into the swing of things, not only in terms of school and his career, but also as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. However, it could be hard for him to do that at first if he tries to ignore his past trauma. This story would likely also mean that Peter would handle more localized problems before returning to multiversal, intergalactic threats with the Avengers.

A “Street Level” Threat Could Be What Peter Parker Needs To Get His Mind Right

Tom Holland as Peter Parker crying on a rooftop in Spider-Man: No Way Home

Kevin Feige has hinted that Spider-Man will be a more “street-level” hero moving forward. He will deal with smaller-scale threats in New York City, such as Kingpin’s criminal organization or any other villain from his massive comic book catalog. It’s unclear what conflict Spidey will encounter, but a smaller threat could be what Peter needs to get things in order. Spider-Man has always been about helping the little guy, and helping out a local community could remind Peter of why he took on the Spider-Man mantle in the first place.

Additionally, this kind of story sets Spider-Man up to encounter other street-level heroes, like Daredevil, who could help him through his emotional trouble. Matt Murdock is a hero who has taken a lot of hits, but he always gets back up and does what’s right. He could be the right hero Spider-Man needs to talk to about finding the light in a tunnel of darkness. Spider-Man 4 may be a darker story than the other MCU Spider-Man films, but it could be necessary to see Peter at his lowest so he can climb to new heights.