What’s the only way for Marvel and Sony to out-do Andrew Garfield’s comeback in No Way Home in Spider-Man 4? How about bring back his former girlfriend/co-star, two-time Oscar-winner Emma Stone!
The rumor mill is positively aflutter following speculation that the Poor Things performer might be returning to the Marvel Universe for a starring role in Tom Holland’s next outing as the webslinger. As always with these things, it doesn’t take much for the excitement to spread, as the source of this rumor is a viral tweet from a Twitter account of dubious veracity, but now the idea has been planted in fans’ heads, they’re holding onto the notion of Stone’s comeback as desperately as Peter Parker holds onto Gwen at the end of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. What, too soon? I know, it’s always too soon.
Marvel lovers are keeping their fingers crossed, of course, since Stone’s portrayal of Peter Parker’s post-MJ love interest captivated our hearts (and our tear ducts) in the Amazing duology. While reports of Stone reprising this role remain unconfirmed (and would require some explanation given the character’s tragic demise), that hasn’t stopped fans from reveling in the speculation, with one X user saying the La La Land star “was and is a perfect cast for that role.”
Another fan declared that Stone, one of multiple actors to take on the role of Stacy alongside the likes of Bryce Dallas Howard and Hailee Steinfeld, was “the best Gwen” we’ve seen throughout all Spider-Man films. Others questioned whether the speculation means that “there will be another love story” between Stacy and Parker, and took the casting rumor as evidence that Spider-Man 4 “is going to be a blockbuster.”
Of course, Stone’s return to the franchise requires some suspension of disbelief given her character’s fate, but with all the multiverse shenanigans delivered by Marvel of late, it isn’t totally implausible that somewhere out there, Stacy is still alive in an alternate timeline. If Garfield and Tobey Maguire got to play in the Spider-Verse again in NWH, then why can’t Stone get another piece of the action?
Adding fuel to the speculative fire, Garfield recently refused to confirm or deny his involvement in Spider-Man 4. In a recent interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the actor confusingly stated that the assumption he’ll return to the Holland-starring franchise “is not unfounded.”
“No matter what I say, I could be held liable for that,” Garfield said of whether he’s had conversations about appearing in Spider-Man 4. “I’m going to decline to comment.” The rumor mill around Stone’s involvement is only accelerated by the fact that, after the release of No Way Home, Marvel revealed that earlier drafts of the film toyed with the idea of bringing back supporting characters like Stacy, before those plans were ultimately ditched.
In terms of what Stone herself has said about the rumors, the actress has been a little cagey. Before the release of NWH, she denied speculation that she would appear in the film, and later said she didn’t know whether she would be open to reprising the role since The Amazing Spider-Man 2 “was so challenging.”
It’s been widely speculated by fans that Spider-Man 4 will be a multiverse battle against symbiotes, and if those rumors turn out to be true, there is room for Stacy to return in some capacity. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see whether Stone brings back her iconic character, but in the meantime, it’s just plain fun to speculate.