Marvel Studios may have the perfect opportunity to solve a major MCU villain problem in the upcoming Spider-Man 4 after a huge update concerning Sony"s Spider-Man Universe. Aside from the comparatively-successful Venom franchise, Sony"s Spider-Man Universe has delivered some of the lowest-rated live-action superhero movies of all time. The disappointing premiere of 2024"s Kraven the Hunter is the final nail in the coffin for the faltering franchise, but there are many loose ends in the SSU that should still be addressed.
While Sony will continue to develop its animated Spider-Verse franchise and the new live-action Spider-Noir series, the SSU as we know it appears to be coming to an end after Kraven the Hunter. This has raised hopes that Marvel Studios may gain creative control of some of Spider-Man"s most powerful villains, allowing some iconic stories to be integrated into the MCU proper. This also presents the opportunity for Marvel Studios to solve some of Sony"s biggest pitfalls and missteps, including one involving a veteran MCU villain.
Michael Keaton’s Vulture Moved To The SSU In Morbius Michael Keaton Debuted As The Vulture In 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming Close Adrian Toomes" Vulture was introduced to the MCU in 2017"s Spider-Man: Homecoming, with Michael Keaton expertly portraying the villainous father of Peter Parker"s love interest, Liz. Despite his best efforts, the MCU"s Vulture was eventually defeated by his own ego and the commitment of Tom Holland"s Peter Parker, leading to his incarceration, which is where he was seen in the post-credits scene of 2022"s Morbius, the third movie in the SSU. While Doctor Strange"s memory-wipe spell in Spider-Man: No Way Home sent everyone back to their home universes, it also curiously sent Adrian Toomes across the multiverse.
Michael Keaton"s version of the Vulture being sent into Sony"s Spider-Man Universe caused a huge wave of confusion, as this seemed to completely break the rules and parameters of Doctor Strange"s spell. In the SSU, this may have planted the seeds for the Sinister Six to come together, as Toomes seemed to partner up with Jared Leto"s Michael Morbius, but Sony never followed through with this set-up. The fate of Adrian Toomes" Vulture hasn"t been confirmed, and Sony"s recent news leaves his future hanging in the balance.
The Vulture's Return Would Be Perfect For Spider-Man 4 The Vulture Was A Fantastic MCU Villain Now that The Wrap (via Discussing Film) has reported that Sony"s Spider-Man Universe will be practically ending after the release of Kraven the Hunter, Marvel Studios may have the chance to gloss over some of the SSU"s biggest problems. Since the Vulture"s existence in the SSU was one of the franchise"s most confusing plot points, bringing him back to the MCU would easily solve this issue. The best place for Michael Keaton"s Adrian Toomes to be seen, or even just teased, back in the MCU would be in Destin Daniel Cretton"s upcoming Spider-Man 4.
Spider-Man 4 is expected to kick off a new trilogy of solo MCU movies for Tom Holland"s Peter Parker. Since Adrian Toomes" Vulture was his first major villain in the MCU, it would be fantastic to see him return or get a mention in Spider-Man 4, creating a solid connection to Spider-Man"s MCU history, while perhaps setting up even bigger threats for the wall-crawler"s future. The Vulture is too brilliant a villain to be forgotten, and since Sony itself seems to be abandoning its Marvel movie franchise, Adrian Toomes should be folded back into the MCU"s proper.
Teasing The Vulture's Return For The MCU Could Be Huge For Spider-Man’s Future Spider-Man Could Face An Iconic Marvel Supervillain Team After The Vulture's Return The ending of 2022"s Morbius seemed to be making an attempt at setting up a version of Marvel Comics" Sinister Six for the SSU"s future. This dream now seems to be dead in the water, but Marvel Studios may have the perfect chance to introduce the formidable supervillain team into the MCU proper, particularly if the Vulture is brought back in Spider-Man 4. A more comic-accurate Sinister Six could pose a threat to Tom Holland"s Peter Parker in the MCU, and the foundations for this iconic group could be laid in Phase 6, which is a very exciting prospect.
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Spider-Man Homecoming 4 Not Yet Rated SuperheroActionAdventure Spider-Man: Homecoming 4 is the first sequel to the MCU's Spider-Man trilogy starring Tom Holland as the titular wall-crawler. After wiping his identity for 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.
Release Date July 24, 2026 Franchise(s) Marvel Cinematic Universe , Spider-Man Cast Tom Holland , Zendaya , Jacob Batalon prequel(s) Spider-Man: Homecoming , Spider-Man: Far From Home , Spider-Man: No Way Home Upcoming MCU Movies Your changes have been saved

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