Will Spider-Man appear in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’? What we know as Kevin Feige clarifies MCU timeline
Tom Holland’s Spider-Man has not been officially confirmed for ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ but Marvel has now provided new timeline details that leave the possibility of his return open. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed that ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ takes place before the next Avengers film rather than after its events. Holland has also spoken about eventually joining the set of one of Marvel’s upcoming Avengers movies, although he did not identify which one. For now, Peter Parker’s involvement in ‘Doomsday’ remains unconfirmed. Feige addressed the MCU timeline during a Collider interview published on July 20. When asked whether ‘Brand New Day’ occurs before ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ Feige said, “It takes place before.” He was then asked whether the two stories take place immediately after one another, to which he replied, “No, it’s before.” Producer Amy Pascal added that the new Spider-Man film takes place “four years after ‘No Way Home.’”
The four-year time jump means Peter has spent several years living with the effects of Doctor Strange’s spell. At the end of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home,’ everyone forgot that Peter Parker existed, including MJ and Ned Leeds. Aunt May had also died, while Peter returned to fighting crime without the technology or support he had received from Tony Stark. The film follows Peter after several years of living with the consequences of Doctor Strange’s spell in a world that no longer remembers him. The film could help establish where Peter is in the MCU timeline when the events of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ begin.
Tom Holland was not among the actors publicly announced for ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ and he has not appeared in the promotional material released so far. The confirmed cast includes Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, and several returning X-Men actors. Chris Evans has also returned as Steve Rogers, but Marvel has not announced Holland's role in the film. Holland appeared to leave the door open during a Cinemania interview. The actor said Marvel had kept information from him because of his history of revealing details about upcoming movies. “I don’t know a lot about those movies, I think by design,” Holland said. He then added, “But when I do get to grace that set, I’m so curious—you know, what does that mean for Peter? And how does that work?" He could have been referring to ‘Avengers: Secret Wars,’ but the comment did not establish that he will appear in ‘Doomsday.’ His comment, therefore, cannot be treated as an official casting confirmation.
Online discussion increased after footage reportedly showed a Spider-Man sequence being filmed near Wembley while ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ was said to be completing additional photography in London. Online fan discussions suggested the shoot could be connected to ‘Doomsday,’ possibly involving Holland’s stunt double while the actor continued promoting ‘Brand New Day.’ Some fans acknowledged that the work could instead be additional filming for the Spider-Man movie. Marvel and Sony have not identified the project being filmed, so the footage does not confirm Spider-Man’s involvement in ‘Doomsday.’ There are repeated online claims that Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man could appear in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ before returning in ‘Secret Wars.’ Maguire has not been officially announced for either film. No trailer, cast announcement, or statement from Marvel currently confirms that his version of Peter Parker is involved. Any claims that Holland and Maguire will share scenes should therefore be treated as rumors.
The current answer is that Spider-Man could appear in ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ but Marvel has not confirmed it. Feige’s timeline statement establishes that ‘Brand New Day’ happens before the Avengers movie, while Holland’s comments indicate that he expects to visit an Avengers set at some point. Neither detail reveals whether his return happens in ‘Doomsday’ or in ‘Secret Wars.’ ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ opens in US theaters on July 31, while ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ arrives on December 18.
