Spider-Man In What If? - Is Marvel Going To Retell This Classic Comic?

The journey of Peter Parker within the Marvel Cinematic Universe has seen him dealing with being dropped into the world of the Avengers, looking up to Tony Stark as a mentor while also battling against the likes of the Vulture and Mysterio, but it seems as if the upcoming Disney+ series, What If?, is looking to throw a giant curveball at the wall-crawler that might be pulling from a classic comic. With the latest poster for the series revealing a friendly neighborhood Spidey donning a cape, this new appearance might be pulling from an older issue of the comic series.

While at first glance, it might seem that Spider-Man is wearing the patented red cape of the Sorcerer Supreme Dr. Strange, the cape was also worn by the wall-crawler in a classic What If Marvel comic titled, "What If Spider-Man Had Never Become A Crime Fighter?" In said issue, we visit an alternate timeline in which a young Peter Parker decides to stop the thief ultimately responsible for his Uncle Ben's death, doing so strictly to boost his own popularity amongst the public following his wrestling debut. With Uncle Ben now alive and no tragic moment pushing him into crime-fighting, Peter becomes so famous that he is even given the role of the host of the Tonight Show.

Of course, as is the case with so many other events in Spidey's life, things end in tragedy as the Hell's Kitchen vigilante, Daredevil, is killed in a plot concocted by J Jonah Jameson who assembles the villains of the Sinister Six to eliminate Peter. Using this death as his impetus to become a crime fighter, the timeline sees Spider-Man becoming a hero once again, but at the cost of Matt Murdock.

While nothing has been confirmed regarding the story of Spider-Man in the upcoming animated series set to land on Disney+ this August, it's clear that the show is looking to make some major changes to the MCU via some alternate timelines which bring back some of the biggest names from the movies. With the likes of Chadwick Boseman, Chris Hemsworth, Hayley Atwell, and more set to return, it's clear that What If? is looking to be a big addition to the franchise.

Do you think this Spidey-centric episode will see Peter Parker becoming a celebrity? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the wall-crawler.