Iron Man and Doctor Strange have both been mentors to Spider-Man in theMCU, but Marvel Studios may have already set up the perfect replacement for them in Destin Daniel Cretton’s upcomingSpider-Man 4. Following the recent update thatSpider-Man 4will be released on July 01, 2025, anticipation has been rising about what story will unfold in Tom Holland’s fourth MCU solo movie. Marvel Studios’Spider-Man 4will kick-start anew trilogy for Holland’s Peter Parker, and this will likely move into more mature and heavy-hitting territory for the wall-crawler.
Spider-Man 4’sstoryline and possible casthave been a huge topic of discussion, with many speculating whether the project will be street-level, as set up at the end ofSpider-Man: No Way Home, or multiversal, fitting into the wider narrative of the Multiverse Saga. Thepotential villain forSpider-Man 4has also been theorized, naming the likes of Kingpin, Knull, Venom and Doctor Doom, but it’s also likely Spider-Man will partner up with new heroes.Forgotten afterNo Way Home, Spider-Man needs all the help he can get, and one hero may be perfectly primed to join him.
Spider-Man Needs A New Mentor After Iron Man & Doctor Strange
Spider-Man Has Learned From Some Of The MCU’s Most Powerful Heroes
Throughout his solo movies in the MCU,Tom Holland’s Spider-Man has always been seen alongside an older and more experienced mentor figure. Initially, Tony Stark’s Iron Man filled this role, with Robert Downey Jr.’s MCU veteran building a strong bond with Peter Parker inCaptain America: Civil WarandSpider-Man: Homecoming. Stark officially dubbed Parker an Avenger inInfinity War, and kitted Spider-Man out with a plethora of Stark technology and armored suits, butIron Man’s emotional and shocking death inAvengers: Endgameleft a huge void in Spider-Man’s life.
Spider-Man 4’s Newest Update Makes 1 Surprising MCU Hero’s Appearance Feel Almost Inevitable
The MCU’s Spider-Man 4 finally has a director, and this major update makes the surprise appearance of one powerful Marvel hero even more likely.
This huge void was filled by Nick Fury and, for better or worse, Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio inSpider-Man: Far From Home, but Peter Parker was officially aided by Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange inSpider-Man: No Way Home.Doctor Strange and Spider-Man fought Thanos together on Titan, forming a tight bond, but Strange and Parker had opposing views inNo Way Home. Despite their contrasting opinions, Doctor Strange and Spider-Man eventually joined forces, but now that he’s been forgotten by the universe, Peter Parker will need anew mentor inSpider-Man 4.
Star-Lord & Spider-Man Are More Similar Than Other MCU Heroes
Peter Quill’s Star-Lord Could Join Peter Parker In Spider-Man 4
It seems that the perfect new mentor figure for Peter Parker in Marvel Studios’Spider-Man 4could beChris Pratt’s Peter Quill, a.k.a. Star-Lord. Pratt debuted as Peter Quill in 2014’sGuardians of the Galaxyas a founding member of the titular team, but has found himself back on Earth at the end of 2023’sGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Surprisingly,there are many similarities between Star-Lord and Peter Parker’s Spider-Man, and this goes far beyond the fact that they’re both named Peter.
Guardians of the Galaxy
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
2017
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Thor: Love and Thunder
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
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Spider-Man fought Thanos alongside Star-Lord and the Guardians of the Galaxy inAvengers: Infinity War. While Quill won’t remember Peter Parker, he will have memory of Spider-Man being involved, which could lead to him joining forces with the web-slinger back on Earth.The events ofSpider-Man: No Way Homebrought Spider-Man’s story much closer to Star-Lord’s, as both have now been forgotten by the ones they love, MJ for Parker and Gamora for Quill. This shared experience could bondStar-Lord and Spider-Manmore than any other heroes.
Star-Lord Would Be A Perfect Mentor After Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3
Star-Lord Has Shown Off The Perfect Mentorship Qualities
When he was first introduced, it seemed very far-fetched that Peter Quill’s Star-Lord would be a good mentor to anyone. Now, however,recent events in the MCU have proven that Peter Quill could be the perfect hero for Peter Parker to team up with inSpider-Man 4.Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3showed just how strong Star-Lord is, as he fought alongside his love, who doesn’t remember him, and became a true leader of theGuardians of the Galaxy team in the MCU. Now on Earth, Peter Quill will surely want to continue being a hero.
Peter Quill led the Guardians of the Galaxy in battle against the High Evolutionary inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, hoping to save Rocket.
Partnering with Spider-Man creates the perfect opportunity for this to happen.Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3also promised that Peter Quill would return as the Legendary Star-Lord, though there has been no sign of this happening just yet.Spider-Man 4could be the perfect place to bringStar-Lord back into the MCUand develop his more Earth-based story away from the cosmic Guardians of the Galaxy, which could set him up for a huge future in the MCU while better connecting Spider-Man to Marvel’s other heroes.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Cast
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the first sequel to the MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy starring Tom Holland as the titular wall-crawler. After wiping his identity from the public’s memory in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker continues his crime-fighting adventures without the aid of Iron Man technology or the support of his former allies.
