Wholesome ‘Spider-Man 4’ theory finds the perfect way for the MCU to correct its biggest oversight

MCU fans are already thoroughly hyped for Spider-Man 4, and a few even have ideas for the film’s plot.

The first three entries in the MCU’s Spider-Man saga are some of Marvel’s best, and fans are expecting more of the same when Tom Holland returns for his fourth solo outing. Each of his films so far has seen the MCU carefully shake up fan expectations, first by skipping the tried-and-true origin story, then by facing Pete off against one massive illusion, and finally by breaking the entire multiverse, killing Aunt May, and erasing everyone’s memories of Peter’s identity as Spider-Man.

The next solo film in Spidey’s lineup is all but guaranteed to follow in similar form, as the franchise returns Peter to his roots and robs him of every human connection he’s built over the years. The potentials for Spider-Man 4 are nearly endless, but one fan has an idea for how it can approach Peter’s adjustment to his lonely new life. User @The_GM_is_God, who fittingly goes by “Ben” on Twitter, pitched a scenario that would finally clear up one of the MCU’s biggest missing pieces, and give fans — and Peter — some much-needed closure.

They proposed that the film focus “a ton on Peter being lonely,” and providing snippets, throughout the runtime, of “Peter as a kid experiencing the same thing.” That is, until Uncle Ben and Aunt May come in to save the day. These flashbacks would serve both as a long-overdue introduction to the MCU’s Uncle Ben, and as a motivator for present-day Peter, who desperately needs some sage wisdom to get him through whatever hurdles Spider-Man 4 presents.

The MCU chose to zero in on Peter’s relationship with Aunt May, rather than including Uncle Ben at all. In the ever-familiar Spider-Man origin story, it is Uncle Ben’s death that helps to motivate Peter, and his words, stressing that “with great power comes great responsibility,” become a sort of mantra for Peter. It is part of the culprit behind Spider-Man’s consistency in “lawful good” territory, even as so many of his peers veer into vigilante or anti-hero territory.

This line, and — honestly — this role, really aren’t necessary in the MCU anymore, however. May already delivered that vital line with singular impact in No Way Home, just before she died at the hands of Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin. She also served as Peter’s heart through many of his low moments, and gave him the hope — and spirit — necessary to forge through as both Peter and Spider-Man.

We certainly wouldn’t turn our noses up at the potential of a Ben inclusion, but we can’t deny the challenge this would present to the MCU. The franchise already gave May many of Ben’s most vital elements, but that’s not to say he couldn’t be an impactful character. Particularly given his existence only in Peter’s memory. Loss creates a strong connection to the people and moments we pine for, and our flawed human nature tends to mean we put more impact on people we’ll never see again. This could provide Ben with a singularly important role in Spider-Man 4.

This feels like a particularly tantalizing option for Spider-Man 4 when combined with a suggestion from a commenter. User @PhilipBostic2 added that they’d love to see Black Cat serve as the primary antagonist of Spidey’s fourth film — not as a villain, necessarily, but as a separate motivator, one that urges him to abandon Peter Parker for a full-time life as Spider-Man.

We’ve got nothing but rumors and fan theories to lean on, as we look ahead to the (distant) release of Spider-Man 4, and this is one of the best. It would certainly be a challenge for the MCU to pull off — especially while dodging the ever-present cheesy factor that comes with flashbacks — but if approached correctly, it could provide a very different version of the character than we’ve seen so far in the MCU. It might just be the refreshing dose of newness the MCU needs in these trying times, and fans would surely line up to see which actor received the honor of bringing Uncle Ben to life.