Tony Stark is being replaced in Spider-Man: Homecoming 2 and that's big news for the MCU's future

Spider-Man: Homecoming may be somewhat Tony Stark-centric, but that won’t be the case for the sequel, with Tony Stark apparently not appearing in Spider-Man: Homecoming 2. In fact, he’ll be replaced by another MCU hero, possibly in the mentor role. What does this mean for MCU going forward and why, oh why, aren’t Marvel letting Spidey stand on his own two (webbed) feet?

The Hollywood Reporter’s sources indicate that a “to-be-determined Marvel character” will show up in Spider-Man: Homecoming 2, but it won’t be Iron Man.

So, who could it be? Sony would want a flagship hero to flank Spidey in his superhero sequel, so Cap, Thor or Hulk would be the frontrunners but with Chris Evans done after Avengers 4, and a lot of the MCU’s schedule confirmed ‘til 2020, it’s hard to pinpoint who could team-up with the webhead.

My best guess? It’ll be Hulk. He ticks all the right boxes: no solo film commitment, Mark Ruffalo would be great as a mentor, and the big, green wrecking machine has previous with Spidey in the comics.

Iron Man, though, is so closely tied to Spider-Man already in the MCU that is seems strange for sources to report that Tony Stark is 100% out. Homecoming 2 is out just a few months after Avengers 4 so it’s entirely possible Stark (read: Robert Downey Jr’s contract) won’t be coming back post-Avengers 4.

It’s disappointing that Marvel won’t let Spidey thrive as its own property without a prior MCU hero butting in but, hey, what Marvel wants, Marvel gets. One thing is for certain, however, and that Homecoming 2 is a major clue as to how the MCU will move forward, as it’s out with the old and in with the new (to an extent). And Marvel can bring in heroes into established properties without going through the hassle of another solo movie.

Image: Marvel