If you follow me on social media, you know I’m a huge Spidey fan and have been nervously anticipating Spider-Man: Homecoming. No one could have ever imagined the historic deal between Marvel Studios and Sony, and now the wall crawler is officially a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film is a fun and innovative re-imagining of the web-head, and points toward a more risky, fresh direction for the MCU. Homecoming is packed with easter eggs and has sparked much online discussion, so I’m sharing four things that I wish to see in the sequel. Beware, spoilers for Homecoming are included!

1 – Breaking the formula and raising the stakes

Homecoming provided immense challenges for our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. From rescuing his classmates in DC to an epic plane sequence against Michael Keaton’s Vulture, the stakes were pretty high for the web-head. That being said, the AI updates to the Spidey suit and the assistance from veteran hero Iron Man, at times, served as a crutch for our young hero. Now that Peter has declined Tony Stark’s offer to officially join Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, the sequel could see him relying more on his instinct and humanity. It could see him continue to grow into the hero we all love.

Photo Credit: io9

It would also be a good space to break away from the formula that marvel has perfectly crafted. The formula clearly works and has made the studio a powerhouse in the industry, but it has also made their previous movies quite predictable and underwhelming. Spider-Man stories have a history of raising the stakes – The Death of Gwen Stacy for example – so the films should follow suit and shake things up. Tom Holland has proven that he is more than capable of rising to the occasion and I have faith that this property could move past the MCU formula.

2- Stay Away From The Sinister Six

One of Homecoming’s after-credit scenes is a dialogue between The Vulture and Mac Gargan AKA The Scorpion. This interaction clearly points toward the Sinister Six – a group of villians united in taking out Spider-Man. Sony has been trying to introduce the Sinister Six to the silver screen since 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man. Those films failed to organically weave the villains into the plot and as a result, caused Sony to reboot the whole franchise. Introducing the Sinister Six in the sequel to Homecoming would feel rushed and would fail to encompass the gravitas of Michael Keaton’s stellar performance.

Photo Credit: CinemaBlend

Instead, the sequel should include a villain who can stand on their own and serve as a bridge connecting to the Sinister Six in a later film. Doctor Octopus, Kraven the Hunter or Mysterio, previous members of the group, come to mind. “Homecoming 2” could also include an abundance of easter eggs and cameos setting up the evil team. Keaton’s Vulture is one of the few standout MCU villains, and Spidey has a brilliant rogues gallery to select from to ensure another marvelous performance.

3- A Step Forward in Diversity

Compared to previous MCU films, Homecoming is a refreshing take on living in a racially diverse world. Peter’s community paints a much more accurate depiction of life in major cities, and creates opportunities for young actresses and actors of color to be part of a major blockbuster film. With the sequel already greenlit and set to be the beginning of a new era for the MCU, Marvel has the opportunity to build upon Homecoming’s success and offer fans significant, well-written representation.

The pieces are already in place. Ned Leeds has proudly taken up the role of Peter’s genius sidekick, and the partnership could expand immensely into the sequel. Laura Harrier has expressed interest in her character developing superpowers and becoming Firestar, and we’re all patiently waiting to see what becomes of Zendaya’s MJ. With characters such as Tony Revolori’s Flash Thompson and Tiffany Espensen’s Cindy (Moon?), the possibilities for a sequel and for the talent are endless.

Photo Cred: TheVerge

Also…

MILES MORALES EXISTS IN THE MCU! A sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming would be the perfect place to introduce the character. While it’s clear that Holland’s Spidey will be sticking around for quite some time, planting the seeds and building off of Sony’s animated Miles Morales film will help introduce the character to mainstream audiences. It’ll also allow for the return of the hilarious Donald Glover in a much more complex, crucial role.

4 – Connection to the MCU & beyond

The deal made between Marvel and Sony was legendary, and has paid off big time. Taking such a huge risk and including an iconic character in the MCU lineup has benefited both studios and has pleased fans. A sequel to Homecoming could continue taking those sorts of major risks and connect Spidey to other ground level heroes – specifically the Defenders. The Netflix Marvel characters are all based in New York, and the threats they face would be enough to warrant Spider-Man’s involvement. Plus, how cool would it be to see Spidey team up with the Defenders and go against characters such as the Kingpin. Briefly including the Defenders in the sequel would bridge the gap between the films and television series, strengthening the MCU brand.

Photo Cred: CinemaBlend

Speaking of risks, now that the dust has cleared and the partnership has proven to be successful – maybe its time to seriously discuss the X-Men and/or Fantastic Four rejoining the family. Mutants could begin popping up in Peter’s high school, Peter could develop a friendship with the Human Torch or Deadpool, and iconic characters could follow in Spider-Man’s footsteps by joining the MCU. Marvel and Sony have proven that it is possible to work together, adding Fox to the mix (only if they reboot their properties!) could equal big bucks and extremely happy fans.

The risk has paid off for Marvel and Sony, and Spider-Man is officially part of the MCU. Make sure you join in on the fun and check out Spider-Man: Homecoming and let us know what are some things you want to see in the sequel.

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