The first batch of Spider-Man 3 images could be hiding an appearance from Doctor Strange.
The three new pictures of the Marvel threequel show Tom Holland's Peter Parker, Zendaya's MJ, and Jacob Batalon's Ned together in a mysterious setting. The actors released the images alongside three fake titles for the film – all sticking to the "Home" theme.
Fan theories are already flying about what the three fake names could mean – but interestingly, it looks like a major hint at the film's plot could be tucked away in the pictures. Eagle eyed fans have spotted that the floor tiles of one image bears an uncanny resemblance to the flooring of Doctor Strange's Sanctum Santorum.
If you look closely, the first official still of ‘SPIDER-MAN 3’ features what seems to be the same tile pattern we’ve seen in Doctor Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum! #SpiderMan3 #SpiderManPhoneHome pic.twitter.com/Qgb5gLXwoDFebruary 24, 2021
It looks like something has happened to cover the majority of the walls and floor in what seems to be dust – or snow, considering the film is set over the holiday period – and that could explain the look of surprise on Peter's face, too. But, close to the characters, a patch of clear flooring can be seen, which is where the distinctive pattern emerges.
Meanwhile, another of the images seems to suggest that the trio aren't in the American Santorum, but are potentially in Hong Kong. A bow lies on the table next to them, which might be the Bow of Apollon, an ancient weapon featured in issue two of the movie tie-in comic Doctor Strange Prelude. The Bow and Arrow of Apollon were eventually taken by Karl Mordo and the Ancient One and put in the Hong Kong Santorum.
Here me out on this: none of the Spider-Man shots look like America, one has the same floor tiles as Dr Strange's sanctorum while this shot has a bow on the table which could be the Bow of Apollon mentioned in the Strange movie prelude comic & stored at the Hong Kong sanctorum. pic.twitter.com/jMnXGCA1eKFebruary 24, 2021
Considering Spider-Man 3 is rumored to have a multiverse element to its plot, it would make sense for Doctor Strange to be involved somehow – plus reports have already signaled he will appear in a mentor-like role. The sorcerer's sequel is titled Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, after all, and will feature Wanda Maximoff – whose own Disney Plus show, WandaVision, featured a multiverse tease in episode 7. Could Wanda's reality-twisting shenanigans in the series have a knock-on effect on the wider MCU, with the aftermath getting mopped up in Spider-Man 3 and Doctor Strange 2? It's looking likely.
Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness arrives March 25, 2022, with Spider-Man 3 swinging into theaters a few months earlier on December 17, 2021. WandaVision wraps up this March 5, and is followed almost immediately by The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which premieres March 19, 2021. Until then, check out how to watch Marvel movies in order for a catch-up movie marathon.
