Marvel Fans Want Charlie Cox's Daredevil in Spider-Man 3 With Tom Holland

Marvel fans want to see Daredevil pop up in Spider-Man 3. It's not a completely unsolicited wish. [...]

Marvel fans want to see Daredevil pop up in Spider-Man 3. It's not a completely unsolicited wish. Once upon a time, a rumor was going around that Charlie Cox would reprise his Daredevil role from the Netflix series and bring him into Tom Holland's film as Peter Parker needs some legal advice following Mysterio's big Spider-Man identity reveal in Spider-Man: Far From Home. Cox has since ruled out such a rumor but Kingpin actor Vincent D'Onofrio is not hiding a desire to join the movie. It all has fans wanting to see what would feel like an easy crossover in the MCU but there are some more challenges to it.

Spider-Man 3 is already getting very crowded.

Not only is Holland reprising his role as Spider-Man, obviously. Zendaya. Jacob Batalon, and Marisa Tomei are reprising their roles, as well. Michael Keaton's Vulture might be there. J.K. Simmons is playing J. Jonah Jameson. Jamie Foxx is in the mix as Electro. Plus, Benedict Cumberbatch is bringing Doctor Strange to the party. Toss in the expectation of Kraven the Hunter to be the main villain of the film and the ongoing rumors of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield reprising their roles from previous Spider-Man franchises and the film is packed. How much screen time will more supporting characters get without taking away Peter Parker's story in his third film of the trilogy, sixth overall?

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(Photo: Netflix / Marvel Studios)

In Spider-Man: Homecoming, Holland shared the screen with Robert Downey Jr. for much of the film. While it wasn't the earliest days of him discovering his Spider-Man abilities, it was very much an origin story as the character was somewhat reshaped and coached into the MCU's mold. Then, Spider-Man: Far From Home had the character working under Happy Hogan and Nick Fury's guidance on a trip through Europe. Spider-Man 3 seemed like it would be the film where Holland's Parker gets to film spin his own web with no outside interference or help. Now, it seems like it could be used as one big crossover play.

Now, there is no reason to complain about a Spider-Verse story or seeing more Marvel characters in the same film. After Avengers: Endgame, pretty much all of the Marvel heroes know each other. It would make sense that if they're in the same city, they would interact and help each other if one is in need. Furthermore, we don't know how big of a role Strange will have in Spider-Man 3 and the multiverse theories are still just that. Peter Parker could very much be on his own adventure with some simple run-ins with other characters which tee up future stories or films.

That said, if Peter Parker's next story is taking place in New York City (something Amy Pascal teased in any interview with ComicBook.com in 2019), there is a bit of room for Cox's Daredevil to show up. However, assuming Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios want to bring the Netflix stories developed by Jeph Loeb and Marvel TV into their franchise and continuity, Daredevil is one of the few character with whom Spider-Man does not have any relationship with. Through Infinity War and Endgame, Peter Parker met Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Thor, Star-Lord, The Wasp... pretty much everyone. But the Netflix heroes of Daredevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones were all left out.

This means Peter Parker and Matt Murdock would not only have to meet but they would have to develop some sort of relationship in run time of Spider-Man 3 which would prompt them to work together in any sort of satisfying way, especially if it's going to be one of the many awesome action sequences they have shared in comics.

If Cox's Daredevil were to simply be acknowledged as a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Spider-Man 3, leaving the potential action sequences or legal representation for a future story, Daredevil's fans would lose their minds. Passive viewers fans who are not familiar with the Netflix shows would not have their Spider-Man 3 experience hindered in any way, either. It seems like the best route, given the crowded nature of Spider-Man 3 already, is to give Cox a small role is Marvel Studios does turn out to have any interest in the actor and character.

But the comic and movie fans will ultimately be left longing for a greater crossover between the two characters and, hopefully, that happens somewhere down the line! You never know, there are people paid much more money than me because they are much smarter and more creative with this stuff, so Cox could show up in Spider-Man 3 and steal the show as Daredevil, and a bunch of fans would leave theaters happy. The #SaveDaredevil camp would certainly be pleased to know the glorious run is not over, especially ComicBook.com's Adam Barnhardt.

One last wild card idea which would be an entirely different story: maybe Charlie Cox's Daredevil exists in Maguire or Garfield's Spider-Man universe, or even the X-Men movie universe? What a plot twist it would be to see him walking through New York City, only to have Garfield walk by and say, "Hello!" in an opening sequence, roll the opening credits, and we're back in the MCU with Tom Holland's Peter. Lots of wild ways to introduce that story thread and expound upon it thinly in Spider-Man 3 before diving in deeper as the future of the MCU aims to explore multiverse tales.

Do you think Daredevil should appear in Sony and Marvel's Spider-Man 3? What sort of role should he have, if so? Share your thoughts in the comment section or send them my way on Instagram!

Spider-Man 3 is scheduled to hit theaters on December 17, 2021.

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