'Secret Wars' Mega-Theory - Part 5: The beginning (and end) of the Spider-Verse
Will all three Parkers team-up in 'Spider-Man: No Way Home'?
Previously on Secret Wars Mega-Theory:
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The next big Marvel Cinematic Universe story arc, on par with The Infinity Saga, is Secret Wars.
As Act One in this new saga, Phase 4 will lay the groundwork for the multiversal, reality-ending saga to come.
“Twins” is one of the core themes of Phase 4, as nearly every film or Disney+ show tackles a twin issue, whether biological twin, doppelganger, shape shifter, namesake or mental condition.
Wanda is revealed to be a “nexus being,” a person who not only wields immense power - and acts as a multiversal anchor - but can easily travel between dimensions.
It also introduces us to one of the saga’s key players: Immortus.
Earlier today, Marvel unveiled the official title of Spider-Man’s third MCU outing: Spider-Man: Now Way Home. Expect a lot of speculation about what this title could mean.
I expect the title refers to a number of themes. Remember, at the end of Spider-Man: Far from Home, J. Jonah Jameson outed Peter Parker as the web crawler, likely driving Parker underground. After all, what criminal or villain won’t be gunning for puny Parker now? And the police likely want to talk to him about the alleged murder of Quentin Beck, aka Mysterio.
In this way, Peter might feel as though he has no way home - both emotionally, as his life will have irrevocably changed as a fugitive from both the law and the lawless, as well as physically, since he can’t risk seeing or being with his friends and family.
Then there’s the multiverse interpretation.
An incursion, explained
Universes tangled together
There’s a lot of speculation that Spider-Man: No Way Home will act as Sony’s live action Spider-Verse. Confirmations and rumors abound that characters from the original Spider-Man trilogy and The Amazing Spider-Man duology will appear in No Way Home. Those characters include Jamie Foxx’s Electro from The Amazing Spider-Man and Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus from Spider-Man 2. Rumors also suggest Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield will return as versions of Peter Parker, along with Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson and Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy.
I don’t think this film will play out like its animated namesake. Remember, we recently learned that, linearly speaking, Spider-Man: Far from Home takes place after the events of WandaVision. This makes Quentin’s pronouncements about arriving from another timeline in the multiverse more believable, since we’ll likely learn more about this phenomenon by the end of WandaVision. Also remember that there’s plenty of talk about how WandaVision, Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness act as a trilogy of sorts, introducing us to the multiverse and all its problems.
It also suggests that Spider-Man: No Way Home could introduce us to our first full incursion.
For those unfamiliar with the concept, an incursion, as they played out in Secret Wars, might be best imagined as two trains speeding toward one another on the same track - except instead of trains, two universes collide, destroying both. In the comics, the collision point is always the Earth, gifting readers with tension-filled panels of enormous Earths filling the sky above.
The MCU will likely treat incursions differently, though the concept will be the same. Rather than colliding, I theorize each universe will become entangled with one another, like insects trapped in a web, until they absorb one another and become one new universe. And I think we’ll see this play out in No Way Home.
The Web of Life and Destiny, where the Spider-Verse collides
The Web of Life and Destiny
I predict we will learn that the MCU is becoming entangled with the Maguire and Garfield universes, and as this entanglement becomes more pronounced, characters from each reality appear. It won’t be exactly clear what’s happening beyond the merger of universes, until the Parkers come together to untangle the knot.
Dollars to donuts Maguire’s Peter Parker turns to a colleague at the lab where he works, his world’s pre-eminent egghead, Reed Richards. This won’t be the Reed Richards who forms the MCU’s version of the Fantastic Four, however. Let’s hope it’s Ioan Gruffudd (and Chris Evans’ Johnny Storm makes a cameo). Maguire’s Spider-Man and Gruffudd’s Richards existed around the same time, so it’s a great nod to that franchise and a reminder that the Fantastic Four is on its way.
Chances are, Richards is already working the problem, as all Mr. Fantastics do. Richards has discovered the Nexus of All Realities (which may be revealed in WandaVision - or may exist because of WandaVision), which Richards deems the Web of Life and Destiny, because of all the Spider-Men around him. The Web of Life and Destiny in the Spider-Man universe allows interdimensional travel between the multiverse.
Richards also knows that strands on the web - or multiverse realties - are becoming entangled. When they do, he hypothesizes, they merge to become one, with the dominant universe only absorbing a fraction of the other universe. And this phenomenon - these incursions - will continue until only one reality is left.
To confirm this theory, both Parkers, Holland and Garfield, suddenly realize Maguire is no longer with them. Without a moment to lose, Richards gathers the evidence and information he has and downloads it into Holland’s suit (assuming he still has the Stark version) or maybe his phone. Reed tells Holland’s Parker to deliver the information to his world’s Reed Richards. Holland agrees, right before Richards disappears and Holland and Garfield’s Spider-Men find themselves in what is essentially a totally different building in New York.
The Baxter Building
Delivering the goods
Now fearing that his universe may disappear, and that he could literally have no way home, Holland’s Spider-Man makes a desperate third-act attempt to find his world’s Reed Richards. That also means coming out from underground to face a Sinister Six composed of supervillains from all three realities. Thankfully, he has Garfield’s Parker by his side.
Before we go any further, understand that the plot points above are all tied to my greater Secret Wars theory and not the core story of Spider-Man: No Way Home. That story likely builds on the relationships between each character and their future together. In other words, expect that emotional no way home theme to play a bigger part in the plot than the collapsing multiverse.
The Sinister Six provides the perfect obstacle to thwart the Parkers plan, though. And the “get this plans to Richards” MacGuffin creates a nice catalyst. But don’t expect Parker to complete the task before the credits roll. When has anything easy ever come to Peter Parker?
No, it’s more likely that Parker turns his attention to his friends, family and Garfield’s doppelganger, ensuring their safety and happiness above all. And whatever it takes to ensure their safety likely will prove Parker’s innocence and make him a local hero.
But that final scene? Expect another web-slinging trip through New York City before Spider-Man alights atop a building. Once more content, Parker pulls off his mask and stares across the skyline at the old Avengers Tower, now emblazoned with a new name: BAXTER.
Friends? Or enemies?
Stay for the credits
Credits role and we get a mid credits scene that propels us into Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness:
A message from across the multiverse to Stephen Strange in the Sanctum Sanctorum from - Stephen Strange. A powerful witch is traversing the collapsing multiverse, hastening it’s destruction as she searches for her twin boys. Strange prepares himself for battle, but before he can Scarlet Witch appears as if from nowhere and destroys that world’s Dr. Strange.
Next! Part 6! Coming soon!
THE DOCTOR WILL SEE (ALL OF) YOU NOW
Catch up! Part 4!
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