Peter Parker’s first solo movie,Spider-Man: Homecoming, made a big character change that may end up affecting theMCU’sMiles Morales, but Marvel Studios could flip this problem and turn it into an advantage. Tom Holland’s MCU Spider-Man story reached a benchmark inSpider-Man: No Way Home, which marked the end of an era for the web-slinger and forced him to find a new beginning in every aspect of his life.The upcomingSpider-Man 4will see Peter Parker rebuild his life almost from scratch, meeting new people along the way.
Miles Morales' live-action debut is imminent, both because of his popularity in the comics and the massive success of Sony’sSpider-Versemovies. Miles is usually depicted as Peter Parker’s successor, meaning thatTom Holland’s Peter will probably act as Miles' mentor in a future movie, just like Iron Man tutored Peter inCaptain America: Civil WarandSpider-Man: Homecoming. However, Miles' introduction hasn’t been announced yet, and the only hint about his existence was dropped back inSpider-Man: Homecomingby his uncle Aaron Davis.
Tom Holland’s Spider-Man Stole Miles Morales’ Best Friend
The MCU’s Ned Leeds Is Based On Marvel Comics' Ganke Lee
Spider-Man: Homecomingintroduced Peter Parker’s friends and acquaintances, including Zendaya’s MJ, Tony Revolori’s Flash Thompson, and Jacob Batalon’s Ned Leeds. Ned Leeds was clearly based on Miles Morales' best friend Ganke Lee, both in terms of his physical appearance and personality. Throughout the years, Ned Leeds has cemented his status as Peter Parker’s best friend, andSpider-Man: No Way Home’s ending could be but a temporary obstacle to their friendship. Unfortunately,Peter Parker’s friendship with Ned Leeds also means that the MCU’s Miles Morales probably won’t be friends with Ganke Lee.
Ned Leeds is a completely different character in the comics. He’s a Daily Bugle reporter who gets manipulated into thinking he’s the Hobgoblin.
Whenever Marvel Studios introduces Miles Morales in the MCU, he could make his debut with a best friend — either an original MCU creation or one based on the comics. While the MCU could introduce a new version of Ganke Lee that doesn’t resemble his comic book counterpart or Jacob Batalon’s Ned Leeds, Miles' best friend might be more likely to be a different character altogether. Miles Morales and Peter Parker may be friends for a while, butTom Holland’s Spider-Man will eventually need to retireand pass on the torch.
The MCU’s Miles Morales Could Switch Best Friends With Peter Parker
Marvel Studios Could Shake Up Miles And Peter’s Friend Groups
The MCU has already established Peter Parker’s strong relationships with MJ and Ned Leeds. Regardless of whether Peter reunites with MJ and Ned or not, no other character is likely to be as close to Peter as them. In order to help Miles Morales' close circle stand apart from Peter Parker’s, the MCU could make good use of the Spider-Man characters the franchise has ignored so far; that is, characters as famous as Harry Osborn and Gwen Stacy.Harry Osborn in particular could be a creative replacement for Ganke Lee when Miles Morales makes his MCU debut.
Harry Osborn’s MCU introduction as Miles Morales' best friend would be one of the clearest ways to differentiate the MCU’s Harry Osborn from previous live-action iterations of the character
While Marvel Studios could focus on these dynamics inSpider-Man 4and other sequels, Harry Osborn’s MCU introduction as Miles Morales' best friend would be one of the clearest ways to differentiate the MCU’s Harry Osborn from previous live-action iterations of the character. Harry’s love-hate relationship with Peter was a key part of both Sam Raimi’sSpider-Mantrilogy andThe Amazing Spider-Man 2. This time around, Harry’s story could explore other venues. Harry Osborn’s MCU debut could also bring with it a new version of Norman Osborn, andNorman Osborn could become Miles Morales' enemyin the MCU as well.
Why Harry And Norman Osborn Still Deserve To Appear In The MCU
Norman And Harry Osborn Are Too Important To Spider-Man’s History To Be Ignored By The MCU
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has explored aspects of Peter Parker’s story that previous franchises hadn’t, andSpider-Man: No Way Homegave Tom Holland’s Peter Parker the chance to fight Green Goblin. In fact, Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin became Peter Parker’s biggest enemy after killing Aunt May. Still, the MCU’s Earth-616 doesn’t have its own version of Norman and Harry Osborn, as seemingly confirmed by Dafoe’s Norman. Even if they never meet Peter Parker, Norman and Harry Osborn’s sixty-year history makes them a welcome addition to the main MCU timeline.
Marvel Just Replaced The MCU’s Ned Leeds With Harry Osborn And Now I’m Even More Convinced Spider-Man 4 Needs To Introduce The Green Goblin’s Son
Despite appearing in two different live-action iterations of Spider-Man, Harry Osborn has never received a perfect Marvel Universe story until now.
Norman Osborn’s evil persona, shady links to secret organizations, political goals, and Oscorp are all huge opportunities that the MCU could adapt into multi-project storylines. Harry Osborn’s often strained relationship with Norman and his friends, plus his stints as a villain, could also complement Peter Parker orMiles Morales' character arc. InYour Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man,Colman Domingo’s Norman Osbornand Zeno Robinson’s Harry Osborn prove both characters have plenty of potential for reinvention.
