Having grown up with Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man, I understand why people want more of him in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — but his version of the character replacing Tom Holland’s in Avengers: Doomsday would, frankly, be insulting. There’s been recent speculation over Maguire appearing in Marvel’s next Avengers movie, though such rumors remain exactly that. Of course, it’s not impossible for Maguire’s Spider-Man Variant to show up in the film, as it deals with Marvel’s Multiverse and has returning characters from all over. Even players from 20th Century Fox’s X-Men movies are set to appear, so it wouldn’t be totally out of left field to have earlier iterations of Spidey show up as well.
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And an alleged Spider-Man figure leak (which is very likely fake) is fueling speculation, which started due to insider Daniel Richtman’s claims of Maguire’s involvement back in November (via The Direct). Some fans even believe that Maguire’s Spider-Man will replace Holland’s entirely in the upcoming film. I’m hoping these rumors are wrong, as Holland’s hero deserves better than that. I love Maguire’s Spider-Man, but replacing Holland in Doomsday would be a huge mistake.
Tom Holland Should Be THE Spider-Man of the MCU (Until His Newly Reset Story Is Over)
As incredible and nostalgic as Maguire’s Spider-Man is, Holland’s version should really be the Spidey of the MCU at the moment — especially with Brand New Day coming out this summer. Spider-Man: No Way Home essentially resets his character’s story, bringing him closer to the Peter Parker we know and love from the comics. With his slate wiped clean, and nothing left but the Spidey suit, there’s so much more the MCU can do with him. It just doesn’t make sense to give Maguire a larger role in Avengers: Doomsday‘s story, especially if it’s at the expense of Holland’s narrative journey, which is now reaching new levels of depth.
And as Holland is the MCU’s main Spider-Man, his latest story arc needs to collide with the rest of the Avengers’ at some point. They may not remember him, but that offers new opportunities for comedic character moments and drama. It’d be a shame to waste that in Doomsday, especially for the sake of a Maguire appearance that could prove difficult to pull off. Spider-Man: No Way Home already gives his hero a nice send-off. Doing more is risky.
No Way Home Was Great, but More Appearances From Toby Maguire & Andrew Garfield Are Risky
Perhaps the reason fans are so eager to see Maguire back in the MCU is because his appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home is so satisfying. He and Andrew Garfield both get the chance to give their Spideys proper send-offs, taking advantage of the film’s multiversal story to do so. They meet one another and assist Holland’s Peter Parker, and it makes for a heartfelt crossover. And with the MCU’s timelines set to collide again in Avengers: Doomsday, it’s technically possible they’ll show up.
However, it’d be seriously hard to top their returns in Spider-Man: No Way Home — probably to the point that it’s not worth trying. No Way Home offers the right amount of fan service with their arrivals, and it manages to give both characters closure. It even confirms that Maguire’s Peter is now happily making it work with MJ. Plus, it sees him choosing peace and mercy over justified anger at the Green Goblin. It really is the perfect swansong, and it’s hard to see where else the MCU could take the character. Further appearances would just be full-on fan service, and Doomsday already seems to have enough of that.
If Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man Appears in Avengers: Doomsday, It Needs to Be Alongside Tom Holland (& in a Smaller Role)
Bringing Maguire’s Spider-Man back for Avengers: Doomsday is risky, but if the MCU does go this route, it needs to feature him alongside Holland’s hero. Leaving Holland’s Spidey out of the fight would just be insulting, and it wouldn’t make much sense. Even if no one remembers him, it’s unlikely Holland’s Peter would sit out a massive threat to his world. To suggest it would be to contradict his characterization up until now. He has to return, and he should be the one playing the prominent role in the story, not Maguire’s Variant. Marvel could potentially include both of them and make it work, but Maguire should still have the smaller role. He’s passed the mantle, and it’s Holland’s turn to shine in the MCU.
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