AVENGERS: SECRET WARS Rumor Says Spider-Man Will Be the Film’s Main Hero
Spider-Man may be going from friendly neighborhood hero to the guy carrying the fate of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe on his shoulders.
A new rumor claims Tom Holland’s Spider-Man will be the central protagonist of Avengers: Secret Wars, potentially giving Peter Parker one of the biggest roles he’s ever had in the MCU.
According to insider James Mack, Holland’s Spider-Man will drive the story of Avengers: Secret Wars, with his character arc following a similar path to Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark in Avengers: Infinity War.
Marvel hasn’t confirmed the report, so this should remain firmly in rumor territory for now. Still, making Spider-Man the emotional center of the movie would be a pretty fitting choice considering his history with Stark.
Tony was one of the most important characters in Infinity War, and much of what happened with Thanos hit him on a personal level. The billionaire playboy audiences met at the beginning of the MCU had gradually become someone willing to put everything on the line to protect everyone else.
The Battle of New York left Stark terrified of what might eventually come for Earth, while the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron showed just how far that fear could push him.
When Thanos finally arrived with a plan to collect all six Infinity Stones and wipe out half of all life, Tony was confronting the nightmare he'd been anticipating for years.
His guilt, fear, love for the people around him, and determination to stop Thanos helped give the Infinity Saga its emotional backbone.
It all eventually led to Tony taking the Infinity Stones from Thanos during their final battle in Endgame and declaring, “And I… am.. Iron Man.” He then snapped his fingers, destroying Thanos and his army at the cost of his own life.
Spider-Man was right there for the heartbreaking aftermath. Peter and Tony's relationship had developed across multiple MCU movies, with Stark becoming a mentor and father figure to the young hero. Their final exchange made Tony's death even harder to watch.
Giving Peter a comparable role in Secret Wars is interesting. Peter has already been through hell during his time in the MCU. He lost Tony, lost Aunt May, and ultimately sacrificed his own personal life to protect the people he cared about.
Putting him at the center of the next massive Avengers conflict could allow Marvel to show how all of those experiences have changed him and what kind of hero he's become.
Of course, a Stark-style role doesn't necessarily mean Marvel plans to repeat Tony's story or give Spider-Man the same fate. The more interesting possibility is that Peter could become the emotional perspective through which audiences experience Secret Wars, much like Stark helped anchor the battle against Thanos.
If it does turn out to be true, Peter Parker leading the MCU through Secret Wars feels like a natural evolution for a character who entered this universe looking up to the Avengers.
Avengers: Secret Wars is currently scheduled to hit theaters on December 17, 2027.