Tom Holland's Spider-Man may be one of the MCU's biggest fan favorites, but there's a key reason he won’t be swinging into the next Avengers film.
Since debuting in Captain America: Civil War (2016), Tom Holland’s Spider-Man has rapidly become one of the most beloved heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His iteration of the character has since spanned multiple Avengers films and three solo outings, culminating in the box office juggernaut Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), which united three generations of Spider-Men to redefine the character's MCU future.
Of course, at the end of No Way Home, Peter makes the ultimate sacrifice by allowing the world—including his closest friends—to forget he ever existed, resetting his life as the MCU's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. The film’s conclusion leaves him alone, struggling to rebuild his identity without Tony Stark’s resources or Avengers connections.
Spider-Man MIA from ‘Avengers: Doomsday' Cast
Unsurprisingly, this has left plenty of fans wondering where the character will go next in Spider-Man 4. Holland's fourth standalone film in the MCU is set to start production later this year, with filming taking place in the UK – which, coincidentally, is where Avengers: Doomsday (2026) also started production this week.
Yet when Marvel unveiled the cast list for the latter just days ago, Holland's name was noticeably absent. The omission has sparked debate, with many questioning why the studio would sideline one of its most bankable heroes.
According to a recent report from Jeff Sneider, however, there's a simple reason why the character won't appear in the film.
Sneider, who has previously shared several reliable scoops on the MCU, claims that the events of Spider-Man 4 will take place at the same time as the events of Avengers: Doomsday. As a result, Spider-Man won't pop up until Avengers: Secret Wars (2027), which will act as a ‘part two' to the story, similar to how Avengers: Endgame (2019) followed Avengers: Infinity War (2018).
What Will Happen in ‘Spider-Man 4'?
The question of what exactly will happen in Spider-Man 4 seems to hinge on what will happen in Avengers: Doomsday.
What seems inevitable is that the film will dip back into the multiverse, with cameos from Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire's Peter Parkers a distinct possibility. It was recently announced that Stranger Things star Sadie Sink has also been cast in the film. Fans have theorized that she will appear as everything from a variant of Zendaya's MJ (unlikely, in our opinion) or the daughter of Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man and Kirsten Dunst's Mary-Jane.
Sneider has also claimed that The Chameleon will act as the film's villain. In the comics, the character – whose real name is Dmitri Smerdyakov – is a master of disguise with the ability to impersonate anyone, originally relying on makeup and costumes before later gaining advanced technology and even shape-shifting abilities in some versions.
In live-action, the character made a brief, unmasked appearance in Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), portrayed by Numan Acar as Dmitri, a mysterious member of Nick Fury’s (or, to be more accurate, Talos in Nick Fury form) team. Though his true identity wasn’t confirmed, fans speculated he could be a setup for a future appearance as The Chameleon.
Are you more excited for Avengers: Doomsday or Spider-Man 4?
