Spider-Man is quite possibly the most beloved superhero of all time. Granted, there's some competition there for old Spidey from equally popular heroes like Batman and Superman, but Peter Parker has indeed transcended his genre to become a pop-culture phenomenon. The fact that he managed to sustain those levels of popularity during the 2010s when superhero movies were at the height of their popularity without being a part of the franchise responsible for that is a testament to Spider-Man's everlasting appeal.
But he did join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2016, with Tom Holland playing the role in Captain America: Civil War. From that moment, he went on to headline a brand new trilogy set in the MCU and became a fixture of the Avengers movies. The character has also become a fixture of the Marvel Animation projects on Disney Plus, once again highlighting his importance to the franchise - multiversal variant or not.
We now know when Spidey will return in an MCU project and it's much sooner than you might think. What's even better is that the first trailer for the project showcases the webslinger at his full potential - something we don't see enough of.
First Marvel Zombies trailer showcases Spider-Man's full strength
Marvel Studios surprised MCU fans this week with the very first trailer for Marvel Zombies, the upcoming animated series that will reimagine the world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a wasteland in which The Avengers are infected by a virus from the Quantum Realm, turning them all into rabid zombies (and most of the world along with them). There are just a few survivors standing against them, including Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ms. Marvel, Kate Bishop, Blade Knight and, indeed, Spider-Man.
Although it doesn't look like Spidey will be one of the main characters, he does get involved in the action in a major way. The webslinger swoops down over a massive herd of zombies and begins, well, slinging some webs onto some of their heads. As he swoops past, he pulls his webs away, ripping all of their heads off in one single swing. And, well, wow.
Given how fun of a character he is (as well as the fact that he's often portrayed as an inexperienced youngster), it's often overlooked that Spidey is one of the most powerful characters in all of Marvel Comics. It's true; Peter Parker has some power behind his punches and he's pulled off some odds-defying feats in his time.
Seeing the character get the chance to showcase that strength in a pretty shocking action in Marvel Zombies is a big deal. It's also very welcome as a number of MCU fans feel that the franchise often downplays just how formidable Spider-Man is - especially in the strength department. Granted, Peter holds back a lot of the time because he's so strong and that fully matches with his character, but there are situations where he needed that strength and it just wasn't there.
One comparison fans always make comes from the events of both Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming. In the former, Spider-Man was able to prevent a punch from The Winter Soldier, stopping Bucky Barnes' own vibranium arm dead in its tracks. And then in the latter, he wasn't able to hold the two sides of the sinking boat together for long (although he made a very admirable attempt). Of course, boats are very heavy, especially when there are people and cars on them, but the argument still stands that he is strong enough to stop an arm made by the strongest material on the planet.
Nevertheless, Spidey won't have to worry about holding back when he battles the undead nightmares in Marvel Zombies, and it goes without saying that fans are ready to see him let loose. Given how they have been longing to see Spider-Man at his full potential, this trailer is everything they've wanted and more. Hopefully it will pave the way for Tom Holland to play a more unrestrained version of the MCU's primary Spidey in next year's Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Marvel Zombies is the next project in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Multiverse Saga. Based on the Robert Kirkman comic series of the same name (and a spinoff of a What If...? season 1 episode), this is set to be one of the MCU's most gruesome stories yet (just ask its TV-MA rating!). Although Tom Holland isn't reprising his role here, his likeness is used to bring the Spider-Man variant to life. Hudson Thames will voice the wall-crawler in Zombies, reprising his role from What If...? and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.
Marvel Zombies premieres on Disney Plus on September 24. Watch the trailer below: