The Marvel Cinematic Universe should present a whole new chapter of Peter Parker’s life in his next solo movie, and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man 4 has some interesting replacements for Zendaya’s MJ to shake things up. Zendaya has been a very important part of the MCU Spider-Man franchise. Starting as a loner, MJ grew into one of Peter and Ned Leeds’ best friends in the Spider-Man movies, eventually becoming Peter’s girlfriend and confidant.
However, Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s ending sets up a new status quo for the franchise, with Doctor Strange’s spell making it so that Ned and MJ do not remember their time with Peter. Holland’s character is now out of high school and all alone in the world. With that setup and a new director in place, Spider-Man 4‘s story could be about new beginnings, with Zendaya’s MJ giving place to one of many possible love interests that would fit Holland’s Peter Parker.
10 Betty Brant
Character Is Already In The MCU
The first love interest Peter could have in Spider-Man 4 is a throwback to Spider-Man’s MCU stories. Betty Brant is played by Angourie Rice in the franchise. Betty has already had a romantic storyline in the MCU, though it was not with Peter Parker, but Jacob Batalon’s Ned Leeds. However, things are over between the two, with Betty being single since her European fling with Ned came to an end.
The two could meet while working for J. K. Simmons’ J. Jonah Jameson in the MCU.
Betty possesses a similar vibrant personality to Holland’s Peter Parker, and the duo’s brief interactions have been fun. A relationship between the duo would need to be heavily established by Spider-Man 4‘s events, as they have not shown any romantic feelings for the other so far. Helping the potential romance is the fact that Betty Brant was Spider-Man’s first real girlfriend in the comics, and perhaps the two could meet while working for J. K. Simmons’ J. Jonah Jameson in the MCU.
9 Silver Sable
Character Still Needs To Debut In The MCU
Silver Sable is a potential love interest for Tom Holland’s Peter Parker that could shake things up for the Spider-Man franchise considerably. Sony’s planned Silver Sable movie has been canceled, leaving the character free for the MCU to use. Silvija Sablinova, aka Silver Sable, would be an interesting character to pair Peter Parker with, as Spider-Man would not have to fear for her safety as he did with Zendaya’s MJ.
Silver & Black, a Silver Sable and Black Cat movie, was originally in development at Sony. Later, the project was divided into a movie for each character, both of which were later canceled.
In Marvel Comics, Silver Sable is known for her deadly skills, which include being well-versed in various martial arts, as well as being an expert marksman. Silver Sable would bring a nice dose of unpredictability to Spider-Man 4, as she has been a villain and an anti-hero in the comics. The romance could bring a new kind of sacrifice to the MCU, as Silver Sable seemingly died — she actually suffered bad burns — to save Spider-Man in the comics, while Peter sacrificed his happiness to keep MJ safe so far in the MCU.
8 Liz Allan
Character Is Already In The MCU
Instead of pursuing a completely new love interest in the MCU, Holland’s Peter Parker could find his way back to Liz Allan. The character was the first romantic interest Spider-Man had in the MCU. Laura Harrier gave life to Liz Allan in Spider-Man: Homecoming, with her father being revealed to be Michael Keaton’s Vulture. That put a strain on their relationship, as Vulture discovered that Peter was Spider-Man and the young character did not reveal his secret to Liz.
|
The MCU Spider-Man Franchise |
|
|---|---|
|
Movie |
Year |
|
Spider-Man 4 |
TBA |
|
Spider-Man: No Way Home |
2021 |
|
Spider-Man: Far From Home |
2019 |
|
Spider-Man: Homecoming |
2017 |
Now that Doctor Strange’s spell has made the world forget who Peter Parker is, Holland’s Marvel character and Harrier’s Liz Allan could reignite their romance. Without Vulture knowing that Peter is Spider-Man or Liz remembering the times Peter let her down, the two could start fresh. Liz’s MCU return could also lead to a new kind of story for Keaton’s Adrian Toomes.
7 Silk
Character Still Needs To Debut In The MCU
Sony is developing multiple ways to explore its Spider-Man characters, which include TV shows. The first of which was supposed to be Silk: Spider Society by The Walking Dead showrunner Angela Kang. However, after some rewrites, the project was ultimately shelved. As such, Silk’s live-action future is up in the air, and Marvel Studios could scoop her up to add more Spider-Man-like heroes to the MCU.
Silk is a very interesting character for the Spider-Man movies due to her unique connection to Peter Parker. In the comics, Cindy Moon, aka Silk, was bitten by the same spider that bit Peter. Silk could provide Holland’s Spider-Man with a whirlwind romance that clears his slate for a more long-term relationship in the future. The characters only had a brief fling in the comics due to the spider that bit them having connected the two, who are attracted uncontrollably to one another because of pheromones.
6 Kitty Pryde
Character Still Needs To Debut In The MCU
Kitty Pryde’s MCU debut in Spider-Man 4 could shake up not only Tom Holland’s Spider-Man franchise but the shared universe as a whole. While multiverse X-Men characters have started to appear in the MCU over the past couple of years, the franchise still needs to debut its own version of the mutants. Instead of starting with the X-Men team, Marvel Studios could slowly introduce mutants before getting them together for a team-up.
Kitty Pryde and Spider-Man’s romance could come to live-action, showing how different a relationship with another hero would be for Peter.
Having dated Peter Parker in the Ultimate Spider-Man comics, Kitty Pryde would make sense for Holland’s Spider-Man 4. In that comic book run, when Peter and Mary Jane Watson broke up, Kitty started dating Spider-Man. As Zendaya’s Michelle Jones is occupying the role Mary Jane has in Peter’s life, and the MCU pulls a lot from the Ultimate Spider-Man comics, Kitty Pryde and Spider-Man’s romance could come to live-action, showing how different a relationship with another hero would be for Peter.
5 Kate Bishop
Character Is Already In The MCU
Kate Bishop is a unique case, as she has not had a romance with Peter Parker in the comics or other Marvel adaptations. However, the young Hawkeye did strike a romance with another Spider-Man, Miles Morales, in Marvel Comics. As the MCU has borrowed elements of Miles’ stories for Holland’s Spider-Man, like making Jacob Batalon’s Ned Leeds pretty much Miles’ best friend Ganke in all but name, Kate Bishop could end up dating another Spider-Man.
Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop is primed to take Clint Barton’s role as Hawkeye when actor Jeremy Renner retires. That could lead to Peter Parker striking a romance not only with another hero but a member of the Avengers, providing a fresh angle for Spider-Man’s MCU stories. Steinfeld and Holland imbue their characters with similar charm, nerdiness, and impeccable comedic timing, which means Peter and Kate could be a match made in heaven.
4 Julia Cornwall/Spider-Woman
Character Still Needs To Debut In The MCU
Despite its name, Sony’s Spider-Man Universe does not feature a version of the wall-crawler. One of the movies that could have changed that in a way was Madame Web, which featured four Spider-Man-like heroines, only they got their powers and superhero costumes merely in visions from the future, lasting no more than a couple of minutes. With Madame Web bombing at the box office, those characters are unlikely to be seen again in the SSU.
That is where the MCU could come in. Madame Web‘s Julia Cornwall, more famously known as Julia Carpenter in the comics, could debut in the MCU and date Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. In the comics, Julia said she considered dating Peter, but his personality turned her away.
Sydney Sweeney could come to the MCU as a new version of Julia Carpenter, ensuring that the fan-favorite actress joins the franchise even if it is not as Black Cat, like fans have requested.
Due to the differences in their personalities, with Julia being more serious than Peter, their dynamic would be fun to watch. Julia has also served as Spider-Woman, which could help develop the MCU’s Spider-Man corner.
3 Mary Jane Watson
Character Still Needs To Debut In The MCU
Mary Jane Watson is Peter Parker’s ultimate love interest, no matter the medium. While the character appeared in Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man movies and was cut from Andrew Garfield’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 despite being cast, the MCU went on a different path. Zendaya’s Michelle Jones is not similar to Mary Jane personality-wise at all; however, the MCU character being called MJ makes it clear that she is occupying Mary Jane’s role in the franchise.
That said, with Michelle possibly playing a minor role in Spider-Man 4 and other movies after Doctor Strange’s spell, Mary Jane Watson could make her way to the MCU. The fact Marvel went out of their way not to name Zendaya’s character Mary Jane and gave her a different personality means that there is a chance that Spider-Man’s ultimate love interest could still come to the MCU in the future.
2 Gwen Stacy
Character Still Needs To Debut In The MCU
Gwen Stacy’s immense potential as a Spider-Man love interest in live-action was shown in Andrew Garfield’s The Amazing Spider-Man movies. Now that Tom Holland’s first Spider-Man trilogy is out of the way, enough time has passed for the MCU to start using characters who played key roles in the past Spider-Man movie franchises. Gwen Stacy is one of those who would make the most sense for Spider-Man’s current story.
Not only is she the hero’s second most popular love interest, but Gwen first met Peter in the comics when the two went to the same college. After graduating from high school in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Holland’s Peter Parker could meet the MCU’s Gwen Stacy when he attends college, which would be a natural story for Spider-Man 4. Like Emma Stone’s Gwen, the MCU’s version of the character could be an inquisitive genius who helped Peter.
1 Black Cat
Character Still Needs To Debut In The MCU
Finally, Black Cat would be the ideal love interest for Tom Holland’s Peter Parker in Spider-Man 4. The character has been the biggest name in the rumor mill leading up to the movie, though nothing official has come out of it yet. Felicia Hardy leads the same double life that Peter does, so the two could both bond not only as Peter and Felicia, but as Spider-Man and Black Cat.
Peter let Zendaya’s MJ go out of fear for her safety, something that would not be a factor in a possible relationship with Felicia. Black Cat is also the perfect character to be part of a more mature era of the MCU’s Spider-Man movies, as she has faced her fair share of darker and more deadly stories in the comics. Without a formal live-action appearance, Spider-Man 4 could finally bring Black Cat to life on the big screen, making her the ideal romantic interest for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man.