What’s Going On With Spider-Man 3?

Tom Holland’s Spider-Man 3 is set to begin filming this month. With production starting up in earnest, rumors and leaks have been flying almost daily. It started with Jamie Foxx posting and then deleting a snippet about him coming back as Electro. Since then we’ve heard that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield are signing on. In addition, we’ve heard that both Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch would be appearing in the film. That’s on top of old rumors about lawyer-turned-vigilante Daredevil playing a prominent role in the movie. There are even some rumors starting to circulate that Marvel and Sony are looking to cast a Miles Morales as well. With all the rumors and news coming out about the film, it’s only a matter of time that they start to get confirmed from set photos as they begin filming. So, what’s the likelihood that each of these rumors could be true? And if they are, what could it mean for the film?

Matt Murdoch Defends Spider-Man

Let’s start with the oldest rumor, my favorite, and what I thought most likely, but sadly will not come true. The theory here was a really good one. It stated that since Peter Parker’s secret identity had been revealed he would be tried for a number of crimes including numerous counts of vigilantism. Who better to defend him than Nelson and Murdoch? This would also fit in well with what we’ve heard of Marvel wanting to re-cast Charlie Cox as the fan-favorite Man without Fear. Sadly, Charlie Cox stated back in April that he will not be in Spider-Man 3. Crazier things have happened and casting news for two other Spider-Men only JUST happened, but I wouldn’t hold your breath. It seems we’ll have to wait a bit longer to see Matt and Foggy back in the courtroom. But I’ll always lament this as the perfect opportunity to put Murdoch on the silver screen. It would’ve also been a great move to put soon to be She-Hulk, Jennifer Walters, opposite him as the prosecuting attorney to hype up her Disney+ Series.

Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch Guest Star

The other big leak to happen recently was that Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange would be joining the movie. Part of this leak also states that he would be serving a mentor role to Peter Parker. There’s a bit to unpack here, so we’ll start with the mentor part. After flying under Tony Stark’s wing for Civil War, Homecoming, and Infinity War Peter gets the chance to truly fly on his own in Far From Home. So, it is a bit weird that they’re setting him up with another mentor in Spider-Man 3. If Marvel allows Peter to stand next to Doctor Strange on equal footing and Strange is just there as an expert guest (more on this in a minute) then it should be fine. Shortly after the Doctor Strange rumors we also heard the Wanda (aka the Scarlet Witch) may be accompanying him as well. We’ll be fresh off the events of Disney+’s WandaVision and if that sets up the Multiverse like a lot of people are theorizing, it makes sense for both of them to be there. It also cracks wide open the biggest rumor and theory of all…

Into The Spiderverse

With Jamie Foxx reprising his role as Electro, it stands to reason they were working towards a live-action Spiderverse. There is more than enough evidence to support this and it’s only growing. Foxx did say he won’t be blue in this one, so there’s a chance he may be playing a different version of Electro. However, let’s take a look at a few other stray facts… After Far From Home left theaters, Marvel and Sony had their first break-up. But when they got back together Kevin Feige said something interesting. “Spider-Man is the only character who can swing between universes,” or something along those lines. Now, we have cast and signing rumors of both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. The rumors seem to state that in the final act of Spider-Man 3 for the big fight finale, Spidey would be pitted against a horde of his past enemies. This includes villains from other worlds or timelines. And when he’s in most need of aid, two other Spider-Men will swing in, similar to the Avengers coming to Captain America’s aid in Endgame.

How Does It All Fit Together?

If they’re aiming for a Spiderverse in any way, then we see why they want to include Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch. Strange has the know-how to fix it and it falls right into his area of expertise. While the Doctor has the knowledge, Wanda has the tools to actually fix whatever is wrong. Whether that means pushing everyone back home or closing whatever brought them in. I love all of these ideas, but I don’t know if I love all of them in one movie. We still have to deal with Peter’s identity being revealed at the end of Far From Home. I’m not sure what that story-line has to do with Spiderverse and I’m really afraid it’s been crammed in the last minute due to fans loving the idea so much. The Spiderverse story-line could stand entirely on its own and would be better served teased at the end of Spider-Man 3 and perhaps spun out of Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.

The Silver Lining

No one would be as hyped about the idea of a Spiderverse movie if it wasn’t for Sony’s Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse. A massive part of the success of that movie was Miles Morales. Doing any kind of live-action adaptation without him is disingenuous at best and just downright wrong. Luckily, if recent rumors hold true Sony and Marvel are looking to cast a Miles Morales. No idea if that means he’ll play a role in Spider-Man 3 or if this movie maybe sets up Miles’ own adventure through the Spiderverse. Maybe adapting the Spidergeddon story-line just for Miles? That would make whatever this Captain America: Civil War-level movie ends up being, totally worth it.

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