SUMMARY
Spider-Man 4 should focus on a street-level adventure after Spider-Man: No Way Home’s ending.
Characters like Ms. Marvel, the Punisher, and Hawkeye could team up with Spider-Man.
Daredevil is the best hero to assist Peter Parker in Spider-Man 4, bringing experience against the rumored villain Kingpin.
Tom Holland will return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the near future with Spider-Man 4, and Peter Parker could use the help of a whole roster of street-level heroes for his next cinematic outing. Spider-Man: No Way Home perfectly set up a street-level adventure to be the driving force of Spider-Man 4′s story. At the end of his third solo outing, Holland’s Peter Parker was left all alone due to Aunt May’s death and Doctor Strange’s spell.
With Peter living all by himself, with no friends and Stark Tech, the MCU should show a new side to the character in Spider-Man 4. Marvel has been setting up an intriguing overall story for the MCU’s street-level corner, with Kingpin becoming the Mayor of New York City. With rumors pointing to Wilson Fisk appearing in Spider-Man 4, the film could see Peter team up with multiple heroes to take him down, making it one of the best MCU Spider-Man movies.
10Kate Bishop
She Has A Past With Kingpin
Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop would be a fantastic hero to team up with Holland’s Peter Parker in a street-level Spider-Man 4. Steinfeld’s character and Holland’s Spider-Man would be great friends, as both have a similar comedic style, leading to great banter whenever they meet. Recently, Kate was recruited to join Ms. Marvel’s new superhero team — the Young Avengers — in one of The Marvels‘ post-credits scenes.
With Kate starting to have more MCU appearances and entering the world of the Avengers, her path could soon cross with Spider-Man’s. While still young, Peter Parker has a lot of experience as a hero, even with the Avengers, and he could help Kate establish herself as the new Hawkeye. Adding to that, Kate has already fought Spider-Man 4‘s rumored villain, Kingpin, in Disney+’s Hawkeye, and her experience could help Spider-Man take him down if Marvel goes that route.
9The Punisher
Frank Castle Is Back In The MCU
Jon Bernthal was one of the most popular stars of Netflix’s The Defenders Saga. The actor gave life to Frank Castle, aka the Punisher, for two seasons of his own The Punisher series after making his debut in Daredevil season 2. Like all other Netflix Marvel shows, The Punisher was canceled, with Bernthal spending years without playing the anti-hero.
Tom Holland and Jon Bernthal helped each other with their Marvel auditions when they were filming Pilgrimage together, so Spider-Man 4 having their MCU characters team up would be fitting.
However, that has now changed. The Defenders Saga has been confirmed as MCU canon, with Bernthal spotted filming his Punisher return in Daredevil: Born Again, which will be released in March 2025. A major street-level event in Spider-Man 4 would have to include the Punisher, as Frank Castle’s anti-hero persona brings an air of unpredictability to what could be a gathering of heroes, with the Punisher not being afraid to get his hands bloody, thus proving himself a singular character to help Holland’s Spider-Man.
8Echo
The Closest MCU Character To Kingpin
Another street-level MCU character who could appear in Spider-Man 4 is Alaqua Cox’s Echo. The character was the first to have a TV-MA project in the MCU, with audience interest in Echo being high. As such, Maya Lopez seems poised to continue making appearances in the MCU for a long time, and Spider-Man 4, as well as Daredevil: Born Again, emerge as the best possible projects for her to return in.
As Hawkeye and Echo showed, Maya has a long history with Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin, who was a close family friend and helped raise her. If he makes his movie debut as the Mayor of New York City and declares war on NYC’s vigilantes, then Echo would most likely return to help take him down after their falling out. Having Holland’s bona fide hero, Spider-Man, team up with a villain-turned-anti-hero like Echo would be interesting to explore.
7Jessica Jones
A New Version Of The Character Has Been Teased
Jessica Jones and Daredevil were the two longest-running shows in The Defenders Saga, with three seasons each. While Charlie Cox will soon lead Daredevil: Born Again, Jessica Jones‘ Krysten Ritter still has to return under Marvel Studios. However, Ritter recently teased a return as Jessica Jones. On Instagram, the actress shared her new look, with Ritter sporting purple hair, which Jessica Jones had in the comics when she went by the superhero moniker Jewel.
If Jessica is back as a full-on superhero, then there would be no better project to have her return than in Spider-Man 4. While she could appear in Daredevil: Born Again, Jessica Jones’ superhero suit as Jewel would be a better fit for a more standard MCU movie. Spider-Man could use the help of one of Marvel’s best detectives in a street-level Spider-Man 4, be it to unmask Fisk’s web of lies, a mob plot, or whatever else the MCU might throw his way.
6Ms. Marvel
The “Nick Fury” Of The Young Avengers
Iman Vellani’s casting as Ms. Marvel is one of the best decisions Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has ever made. The actress has incredible energy and is deeply passionate about both her character, Kamala Khan, and the franchise. After a delightful turn in Disney+’s Ms. Marvel, Vellani returned as Kamala opposite Captain Marvel and Monica Rambeau in The Marvels.
One of the movie’s post-credits scenes had Kamala recruiting Kate Bishop for the Young Avengers in a scene similar to how Nick Fury revealed the Avengers Initiative to Iron Man. Kamala could continue her streak of recruiting heroes for the Young Avengers in Spider-Man 4. While Holland’s Peter Parker has joined forces with the original Avengers, the character is still young enough for Ms. Marvel to try to recruit him; however, Spider-Man belongs in the team that will form in 2026’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
5Iron Fist
The Hero Could Bring Mystical Elements To Spider-Man 4
Iron Fist was the most criticized of The Defenders Saga shows. However, there have been rumors that Marvel could be bringing the character back in the near future, with actor Finn Jones recently teasing an Iron Fist return. Danny Rand would make sense to be one of the characters to show up in Spider-Man 4 for a major street-level event. Iron Fist could even add some mystical elements to the film.
If Spider-Man 4 is really a major event film like Spider-Man: No Way Home, only going for a street-level route instead of the multiverse, then the Defenders are all great choices for the film. Having all the main players from The Defenders Saga would only help the world-building of the movie and make a story that pits so many heroes in one location — New York City — feel expansive.
4Luke Cage
Marvel Could Reveal The Answer To A Major Cliffhanger
Luke Cage would then be the final member of Netflix’s Defenders squad to show up in Spider-Man 4. When he was last seen, Mike Colter’s Luke Cage had assumed the role of the new crime boss of Harlem in order to change the system from within. However, Luke Cage was canceled right after its season 2 cliffhanger, with the audience never knowing if Luke ended up becoming a villain or not.
Luke Cage would fit pretty much every possible version of Spider-Man 4 if the movie does indeed go for a street-level story. The character would be especially good if the rumored Kingpin plot pans out, with Luke’s last known appearance setting him up to either be a partner or a fierce rival of Wilson Fisk as he rises to become even more powerful than he already was.
3Moon Knight
Oscar Isaac Needs To Interact With The Wider MCU
Moon Knight was not as bloody or violent as it was promised to be, but the MCU series did turn in a pitch-perfect performance by Oscar Isaac in the lead role — or roles. It would be exciting to see how Moon Knight would fare with a team of heroes in Spider-Man 4 instead of operating like the lone wolf that Marc Spector would prefer to be.
Holland’s Spider-Man would likely have great banter with the Steven Grant identity of the character, while Spector’s interactions with a character like Bernthal’s Punisher — something fans have asked for in live-action for some time — would be a delight to behold. Moon Knight needs to be thrust into the wider MCU, and a street-level event in Spider-Man 4 would be the perfect next step for the character before a role in the Phase 6 Avengers movies.
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2Hawkeye
One Of The Remaining Original Avengers
Half of the MCU’s original Avengers have left the franchise. Of the remaining members, the only street-level hero is Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye. Clint Barton would make for an exciting addition to Spider-Man 4. The character has already fought alongside Spider-Man in the MCU, and Barton also has a history with Kingpin. After the events of Hawkeye, the MCU now has two versions of the hero running around.
Both the Clint Barton and Kate Bishop versions of Hawkeye could team up with other heroes and Peter Parker in Spider-Man 4. As one of the original Avengers, Clint could take a leadership position within a group of heroes and help lead the tie against Kingpin or another major street-level villain. With his more serious outlook, the character would pair up nicely with Holland’s lighter Spider-Man, just as was his dynamic with Kate in Hawkeye.
1Daredevil
The Best Hero For Spider-Man 4
Finally, Charlie Cox’s Daredevil is the best possible hero who could appear to help Holland’s Peter Parker in Spider-Man 4. Years after Netflix’s Daredevil was canceled, Cox returned as Matt Murdock for the first time in a cameo role in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. Audiences loved Matt’s scene as Peter’s lawyer, as well as the tease of his Daredevil persona, and it would be exciting to finally see the two heroes team up in the MCU.
Adding to that, no one has had more experience onscreen with the rumored villain of Spider-Man 4 than Daredevil. Cox’s Matt Murdock fought D’Onofrio’s Kingpin for three seasons of Netflix’s Daredevil. As such, any major event to include the villain in the MCU would also most likely need to have Daredevil present. Given his experience against the villain, prior Spider-Man connection, and overall popularity, Daredevil is the perfect hero to lead a team in Spider-Man 4.
