Could Spider-Man 3 Be Setting Up A Superior Spider-Man Movie Arc?

Spider-Man 3 has Marvel fans guessing about the 14,000,605 possible ways the threequel's storyline could play out. Spider-Man 3 has been generating big headlines since it started production, as casting rumors have pointed to major stars from past Spider-Man movies making a return for Spider-Man 3 - including Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, Alfred Molina, and Kirsten Dunst. Before that, we got word that Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange will also be showing up in Spider-Man 3, suggesting that the film could be tied to a larger multiverse story arc unfolding in Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The question at hand is: what could Spider-Man 3's big multiverse storyline be leading to? With so many different versions of Spider-Man showing up (and Marvel and Sony entering the next phase of their work relationship), could things end on the major twist of introducing the Superior Spider-Man into the movie universe?

The "Superior Spider-Man" was a 2010s arc that saw Doctor Octopus pull off a dark scheme: swapping bodies with Peter Parker, in order to escape his own death. Octavius was able to masquerade as Spider-Man for quite some time, in an effort to prove that he's a better (or "superior") Spider-Man to Peter Parker - and a better man than Otto Octavius was. Eventually, walking in Spider-Man's shoes led to Octavius eventually having his evil ways influenced by Spider-Man's code of responsibility, and got pulled toward being an actual hero.

Spider-Man 3 could easily turn Alfred Molina's re-appearance as Doctor Octopus from Spider-Man 2 into something much bigger. Doc-Ock is someone that could easily use the chaos of a multiverse collision to give himself a second lease on life - as Spider-Man. An even easier way to play it would be to have a big climactic third act to Spider-Man 3 that sees these various versions of Spider-Man all come together - but when they all go back to where they're supposed to come from, maybe "the original" Spider-Man left behind isn't the original, at all.

So why is now the time for Superior Spider-Man? Well, in terms of the film franchise: it's something new. Genuinely new. The Spider-Man movies have been rebooted so many times there's no room left for another do-over of Peter Parker's story; however, there is room for a new Spider-Man character to get a spotlight on the big screen.

Obviously, Miles Morales/Spider-Man is a major character that fans want to see onscreen - but Miles currently has his own animated movie series (Into the Spider-Verse), and video game (Spider-Man: Miles Morales). He's not hurting for exposure in the franchise. Superior Spider-Man would be a less-expected surprise twist for fans; it would also be a great way to give one of the Spider-Man actors (whether it's Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, or Tom Holland) something fun and new to do with the role. Maguire would be the most ironic choice, as he would get the chance to do something deeper with his "Evil Peter Parker" bit part from Spider-Man 3.

The best part? If Spider-Man 3 is really opening the door to a live-action Spider-Verse, then Holland's Spider-Man, Miles Morales, and a Superior Spider-Man storyline are all on the table. Would you like to see it happen?

Spider-Man 3 hits theaters on December 17, 2021.