Tom Holland’s Spider-Man was slated to appear in two Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Multiverse films.
It was in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home that the MCU’s new epic, the Multiverse, first came into view, and it featured a team-up of cinema’s Spideys.
Fans now know that Marvel Studios did not intend for No Way Home to be Holland’s only Phase 4 part.
Marvel Included a Cameo Appearance from Tom Holland’s Spider-Man
Tom Holland was meant to appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, according to MCU veteran costume designer Graham Churchyard.
Churchyard said in a recently discovered interview with LRM Online that Spider-Man was scheduled to make “a very brief cameo appearance” in Doctor Strange 2: The Return of the Ancient One.
However, due to scheduling issues at COVID, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” was released before “Multiverse [of Madness]” instead. So Doctor Strange and his new outfit, along with America Chavez, were scheduled to appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Spider-Man was supposed to make a quick cameo appearance in ‘Multiverse [of Madness]’. However, COVID completely changed the game.
Churchyard was right: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was scheduled for a May 2021 release, followed by Spider-Man: No Way Home two months later on Marvel Studios’ pre-pandemic calendar.
This time around, however, COVID-19 “shook it all up,” causing Marvel Studios to not only push back its slate but also rearrange its release schedule, especially in light of the fact that the studio was obligated to release Spider-Man 3 in order to satisfy Sony’s rights and distribution needs.
The final releases of No Way Home and Doctor Strange 2 both featured dramatically revised plots due to Holland’s omitted appearance.
So yet, Holland’s only part in the Multiverse Saga has been in No Way Home, although he is set to be the lead in Spider-Man 4.
While it’s unfortunate to learn that Spider-Man would have had a larger role in Phase 4, some baffling concept art from Spider-Man: No Way Home not only backs up Churchyard’s report but may explain why Marvel cut Holland’s appearance.
One artwork, from Doctor Strange 2, depicts Peter Parker visiting with a sick Stephen Strange in his Sanctum bedroom.
If Strange’s sequel came before Holland’s threequel, then using the same place makes logical.
However, the concept art of America Chavez at the last confrontation with Spider-Man 3 at the Statue of Liberty, as well as the picture of Chavez carrying a mystery book during a Multiversal event, are the most illuminating.
Here’s Why Spider-Man Was Cut From Marvel’s Doctor Strange Sequel
Fans don’t know why Tom Holland’s appearance in Doctor Strange 2 was cut, although it would make sense if it included America Chavez, who hadn’t been introduced to the public at the time.
Still, it’s hard to deny that Spider-Man’s inclusion in Multiverse of Madness (and the wider MCU’s connectedness) would have improved the story.
Given the connection of both Doctor Strange and the Multiverse, the appearance of Spider-Man was not only anticipated but also felt appropriate.
Wong and Strange’s admission of “an incident with Spider-Man” and some unsettling inquiries into the superhero’s abilities were all that the viewers received out of the exchange.
If we consider what may have been, the most intriguing topic is whether or not Spidey’s involvement in Multiverse of Madness would have altered his attitude toward Strange in No Way Home.
Peter, before making his own movie, surely must have heard of the Multiverse. That failed spell in the Sanctum never would have happened.
Maybe someday we’ll find out the details. Although one of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man roles was never completely fulfilled, it is reasonable to say he had an effect on the MCU in both.
