Just an Idea: MCU's Spider-Man 5

Spider-Man Homecoming. Taken from Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki.

This seems like a good time to go back to my derpy post from a couple of months ago about MCU's Spider-Man 4 (or "Spider-Man: Distant Neighborhood", as I suddenly decided to call it at the end of it; stupid title, I know) and continue this vision for the rest of his second trilogy. I kind of committed to it, went through third and fourth seasons of Spider-Man: The Animated Series and just think it's best to be done with it sooner rather than later. I mean, I already decided to myself that I'll watch the final season of the cartoon only after writing this "article". Some might consider this an interesting choice, but I'm sure those people won't be here. No, I have no idea why you're here either.

While I thought that this post could be smaller and more focused in comparison to the first one, currently I feel like it will end up being much closer to it and I think I might be okay with that. After all, it's basically just me being an odd nerd having fun in my own way. It is highly recommended for you to go through previously linked post to have better idea of what I'm writing about here, but I will try my best to offer a short summary simply because that would a right thing to do: not only refresh my memory, but accommodate for potential laziness. This only implies to self-imposed rules I defined before.

Scuffed Recap.

My concept for Spider-Man's fourth film in Marvel Cinematic Universe is called Distant Neighborhood because it's meant to reflect Peter Parker's attitude. It directly follows up the events of No Way Home and takes place after hypothetical end of Daredevil: Born Again where Wilson Fisk becomes the mayor of New York City. Roderick Kingsley is a founder of the Food, Emergency Aid, Shelter & Training (F.E.A.S.T.) Community Center who was one of Kingpin's opponents in mayoral race. He came up with Hobgoblin alter ego as a symbol of hope for people of New York, but slowly gets on darker path as he tries attacking Wilson directly and wreck havoc in the city to portray himself in better light. Bennet Brant forced to work for him as Crime Master, serving as "official" leader of criminal side of F.E.A.S.T. before Hobgoblin frames and kills him. Tinkerer is also back in action, working for Roderick on better terms.

Not only Matt Murdock shows up as Daredevil, The Daily Bugle also returns with both J. Jonah Jameson and Betty Brant still working there. Joseph "Robbie" Robertson is also supposedly there, as his son Randy is the one who is supposed to help out Peter with getting into Daily Bugle, and he could be a retired Tombstone in this universe. Despite this, Parker doesn't really talk to anyone and does bare minimum at Empire State University. His professors there include Spencer Smyther, Miles Warren and maybe Anna Maria Marconi. There's also Captain Jean DeWolff, who is on friendly terms with Spider-Man. The story is obviously about Peter learning to open up to people again while going through misery because the role of F.E.A.S.T. in New York's criminal world and seeing people that he keeps at a distance get involved with this mess takes it really personal to him. Again, I recommend you to read the previous post for more random details. Perhaps I will write down some short summary or essential parts of each part in different post for more structured vision. For now, this is about being all over the place.

As for limitations, I avoid to use character that were used in previous Sony projects in recent years and planned/rumoured to be used in the future (for example, Black Cat). Same kind of implied to Freshman & Sophomore Year animated series'. This approach based on expressed desire from Marvel's side to do something new with Spider-Man and their apparent trade of characters (Vulture for Venom symbiote) with Sony via the credit scenes of Venom: Let There Be Carnage, No Way Home and Morbius. While currently seems very unlikely to happen, I'm also fully commiting to the end of No Way Home and moving past Ned Leeds and Michelle Jones-Watson. They're not part of this trilogy concept. Besides a few exceptions, this is a new chapter in Spider-Man's story with new characters.

Currently (I'm writing this bit of text on February 25th) there's no major news from both parties that would be worth mentioning here. Third Venom movie is reportedly in pre-production phase and Amazon's Spider-Man Noir live-action series where the protagonist won't be called Peter Parker have been announced. In theory, Sony might utilize one of the characters I considered for this concept in aforementioned series. I have real doubts about that as to me it seems more likely that there's more collision with potential Black Cat and/or Silver Sable projects. I'm actually not really familiar with Noir stuff.

To The Starting Point.

Well, now I just have to go in blind. There's really nothing to go off of since the fourth film is still not even officially announced: the only new information we get from Kevin Feige is that they're writing the script, but it's not relevant to this topic as it's about the fifth chapter in MCU's Peter Parker story:

"All I will say is that we have the story. We have big ideas for that, and our writers are just putting pen on paper now."

It would be funny if there's at least one thing I managed to somehow guess. Either way, this version of Neighborhood trilogy mirrors the Home one more and more. Similarly to Far From Home, this film is meant to take place after two Avengers films. In this case, Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars. I won't even try to guess what kind of major consequences they would have on entire Marvel Cinematic Universe (if any; maybe it would have something to do with Mutants). However, there's something that just has to happen and, it will be a big deal for Spider-Man: symbiote suit. It's out there, and they will definitely unite during one of these movies, mirroring symbiote's original comic debut.

Since Secret Wars will be the culmination of Multiverse Saga, there's a high chance for several characters from older movies to appear in some way. From two other versions of Peter Parker to maybe even Tom Hardy's Venom from Sony's Spider-Man Universe and much more. Marvel will surely try to lean into nostalgia as much as possible, resulting in too many characters appearing on one screen. No way to give everyone enough attention in scenes, so I have to keep that in mind. Some brief reunion of three Peters is a safe bet, and it would be logical for Tobey Maguire's version of Parker to try and warn this Spider-Man about the symbiote. Probably not successfully as that would just make things way too easy. Even though I think there's also a high chance for aforementioned variant of Eddie Brock to appear, he most likely isn't going to bump into MCU's Spider-Man in particular. Actually, it might not matter all that much in grand scheme of things, but I just can't help myself here. You can't simply ignore something like this. At the very least, you need to give some stupid explanation as to why it's actually not that big of a deal. Like I did right now.

What matters is that Spider-Man will have a symbiote suit from the start, so why not talk more about it? Starting with how this Venom actually works here. I'm not familiar with Venom films, but some looking around the Internet for specific videos and texts might be enough. SSMU's Carnage came to be after Cletus Kasady bitten Eddie's hand and devoured a small fragment of Venom. There's also Detective Patrick Mulligan, whose life was saved probably by a piece of Carnage since in the comic this character was a host for Toxin: Carnage's son and yet another symbiote that most likely will be the antagonist of Venom's third movie. The only assumption you can make is that symbiote's nature could be influenced by its birth and initial host. I guess Marvel is more likely to go in their own direction, but still.

My initial thought was to portray him similarly to Raimi's Spider-Man 3 version: in other words, much more feral. It could've started off from some animals and then jump from one human to another in order to do one thing: find Spider-Man. Right now, we have no idea of what exactly Venom could've known about Peter Parker from the symbiote hivemind and whenever he was fascinated and/or cautious. Venom was apparently drunk and upset about getting back to his universe so soon(?), but he had to leave a piece of itself behind before that. Still, I think that's enough to settle down his initial character. This Venom went looking for Spider-Man, wishing to learn more about this universe as he's probably like a lost lonely child with violent tendencies born out of desire to survive. I mean, this symbiote appeared alone in a strange world and his first thought is to seek out this specific creature. Of course this version of Venom would want to unite with Peter.

Protagonist.

I thought this would be easier, but I guess I had it coming by not even trying to guess what's going to happen in the Avengers films. Not that it would matter all that much to Peter in particular... For all we know, they might just make everyone forget the events of Secret Wars. I think that's how it was done in the comics or that was some other event? Anyway, I'm not exactly sure as to handle him here. I would've gone for something closer to The Animated Series and Spectacular Spider-Man, but it would result in an overlap with Raimi's Spider-Man 3. I suppose it should be less of "turning evil" and more Peter being constantly tired and suddenly aggressive at specific points in time. Besides that, it should follow Parker after the end of previous story: more social and hopeful. He's probably finishing college at this of time, still with The Daily Bugle, has some actual friends, etc.

Things get more intense on Spider-Man side of things because of something that happens at the start of this story. Death of Captain Jean DeWolff kicked off a series of murders across New York Series. She was Spider-Man's ally and friend, so naturally he won't receive this news well, and it would serve as a catalyst for this storyline. His initial goal would be to hunt down a person responsible for all these deaths while also facing off against a couple of familiar faces as Spidey gets more aggressive. Eventually Spider-Man would obviously part ways with the symbiote, but that would only cause more problems and a little tragedy.

In terms of suits, I think it would be cool if they copy the Spectacular approach with its design slowly changing from black-and-white version of previous style towards something closer to classic Venom look. Maybe even throw in a moment for reversed look for a change. After all, the symbiote in original comic story and The Animated Series could take on a form of non-dark cloths. Once Peter gets rid of it, I think that's when MCU's take on The Amazing Bag-Man costume based on in-universe Fantastic Four merch/cosplay. I know that Spidey and Marvel's first family are on good terms, but not sure how much of that would be carried over to Cinematic Universe. And, of course, there would be a slightly altered version of proper Spider-Man suit as it got damaged or destroyed in Avengers films.

Antagonists.

Obviously, I'm starting off with Sin-Eater. In previous Just an Idea post, I mentioned that Stanley Carter could have a minor appearance in Distant Neighborhood story because it would've served as a hint for future storyline and help with making narrative feel more connected. However, a former Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.) agent with "Carter" surname might feel strange. Perhaps I'm overthinking it, but I think it's better to use Emil Gregg name while staying true to Stanley's version of the character. That is, an insane detective who works on Sin-Eater's case and cooperates with Spider-Man. He also gets apprehended, but the end Emil will meet his ironic demise.

Now is the time to bring back Mac Gargan after his debut in Spider-Man: Homecoming, but not in a way most people would likely expect. After getting out of jail and gathering a new crew, his goal is to hunt down Spider-Man. He won't have mechanic suit as, while this Gargan is definitely crazy and dangerous, I feel like he's the type who "won't dress like a clown". Maybe start off with his Ultimate portrayal that apparently does exist. He just needs to be at the right place at the right time to take on the symbiote and become the Scorpion. Make him visually look like a mix of classic TAS-like suit and Venom design elements, but never use that name. While Mac is supposed to be the opposite Peter, closer to the end he literally turns into physical embodiment of Spider-Man's worst qualities.

Scorpion isn't the only one who comes back after Homecoming. We need Herman Schultz with proper Shocker suit and two Vibro-Shock Gauntlets. You can have him begrudgingly work with Gargan's gang essentially as a bait to Spider-Man. Someone who proves to be more effective against him than previously expected. The main reason I want him back is for live-action version of that legendary "I'll chase you to the ends of the Earth!" scene. Initially I thought about having an entire Superior Foes team, but it kind of feels like too much. You can argue that Sony would likely have their own plans for them, which I doubt. I think that they're more likely to do something with Enforcers (who I've also considered).

Supporting Cast.

Movie starts off with Jean DeWolff's death and Peter attending her funeral as Spider-Man. It would immediately set the tone of this story as Parker actually considers breaking his no kill rule to avenge her. Emil Gregg will take her place for a bit, but his interaction with Spidey just won't be the same. Especially after Spider-Man learns that he's the Sin-Eater. He would get close to killing him, but next mandatory Marvel cameo will reveal himself...

There're a couple of reasons for Frank Castle to show up in this story. He's coming after Sin-Eater since some "sinners" he killed were in fact innocent and Punisher is already not fond of those who chooses the similar path. Castle might initially have problems with Spider-Man specifically due to The Daily Bugle's narrative and/or some "anonymous source" convincing him that Webhead is actually a criminal. At first, I thought it would be cool if Punisher ends up defeating Spider-Man and indirectly helps him get rid of the symbiote, but now I think it would be more fitting for him to kill Emil after he gets captured by the police as his previous attempt would be foiled by Spidey.

Peter's neighbor, Randy Robertson, is doing much better. Still volunteering here and there, got back into college. One of his old friends could've tried to drag him into Gargan's band, but Roberson refuses. That doesn't stop Sin-Eater from trying to kill him for his "last sins". Spider-Man saves Randy's life again, even though he still ends up in hospital after getting severely wounded. Can't think of much else for him.

He's not the only one who would get a visit from Sin-Eater. Of course, J. Jonah Jameson would accuse Spider-Menace of all these murders and working with the likes of Mac Gargan and Shocker. The Daily Bugle's reputation is that of a controversial organization, so I think it's safe to assume that Emil would view Jameson as a sinner. If Joseph "Robbie" Robertson is present, he could also be targeted in case he's retired Tombstone. I think that this should be the final confrontation with Sin-Eater: he attacks The Daily Bugle, Wall-crawlers corners him and Punisher comes in.

I haven't elaborated much on proposed college professors and there's a good reason for that. Anna Maria Marconi was a last minute addition, and she's likely to be the only "proper teacher" (teaching whatever she's known for) type of character, if that makes sense. Spencer Smythe specializes in robotics and has some knowledge of arachnids thanks to his colleague. He's a good friend of Jameson, but has his own reason to hate Spider-Man. That reason is good enough to potentially inform Frank Castle about Spidey being up to no good. As for Miles Warren, he's master in biochemistry and biology. Unlike his friend Spencer, Miles is fond of Spider-Man and even helps him uncover symbiote's true nature by looking at samples of both symbiote and Spidey's blood.

Well, there's only one character left. Betty Brant and Peter Parker have a strong bond with each other since they both lost an important family member. Still no direct hints at romance, but something is definitely there. Let it build up slowly and naturally instead of going with Far From Home's approach of "well, he just likes her now". What should be more apparent, however, is that Betty suspects him to be Spider-Man since both are acting kind of out of character. She would be only reporting on recent events related to Sin-Eater and Shocker. And Brant gets kidnapped by Gargan after he becomes Scorpion.

Conclusion.

It's much shorter this time. I kind of expected this to happen, but not to a such degree. How would this part of Neighborhood Trilogy should be called? Spider-Man: Troubled Neighborhood sounds about right. This is darker story, after all. It doesn't relate to just Peter Parker having a hard time with symbiote and DeWolff's death, but also New York City suffering from actions of Emil Gregg and Mac Gargan. I think there's still some similarities to Far From Home, but it might be not that obvious until the end.

Speaking of which, I still need to write the ending. Scorpion takes Betty Brant as a hostage to George Washington Bridge in order to lure the Spider out. Symbiote revealed some things to Mac Gargan, but he doesn't care all that much about Spider-Man secret identity. He just wants to kill him, so Brant doesn't get to know that it's Peter under the mask. Webhead comes in to rescue Betty and engages in brutal battle against Scorpion. It would be a real struggle, but a fuel truck on the bridge would be a huge help for Spidey. Peter would still try to save Mac in spite of everything, but the symbiote will drag Gargan into the flames in clear act of sacrifice.

After another The Daily Bugle news report and some time skip, we get to see Peter again. I thought of it as a scene in Empire State University, but who knows if it would fit into proper timeline. Doesn't matter, it's not like Marvel and Sony would know either. Professor Warren reads another lecture as Parker comes in late yet again. He apologizes, but Miles notice that it's his lucky day because they have a new student who is yet to show up. Some folks in class clearly lost a bet and not happy about that. A few seconds later, women comes in and apologizes for being late. Peter looks at her and something is off. He never saw her before, but there's a sense of something familiar. She meets Parker's eyes and looks about just as puzzled. This mysterious women then quickly brushes it off and introduces herself to everyone as Jessica Drew. Cliffhanger.

Credit Scenes.

Mid-credit scene takes direct inspiration from the ending of Neversoft's Spider-Man game. Daredevil, Spider-Man, Punisher and Jessica Jones are sitting in some room and playing cards. They're talking about random stuff. Spidey questions The Man Without Fear about his whereabouts during the events of a film, and he says something along the lines of "that's a long story". Both of them criticize Castle for killing Sin-Eater, but he's having none of that. At the end, Jones asks them to shut up and just play.

Post-credit scene focused on a laboratory with certain animals and robotic parts. Smythe is not happy that Warren helped Spider-Menace and was reminding him of that as he was looking at the sample of Spidey's blood and some papers. As Miles argues that Spider-Man is a good guy and his action ultimately helped with getting rid of alien monster and actual criminal, Spencer looks at him furiously and asks Miles Warren if he knew. Knew what? Smythe suspected it for a long time, but now they had a solid proof that Spider-Man is their creation. Or, as Spencer puts it, "he stole it from us".