The Marvel Cinematic Universe used to have the tradition of releasing a big Avengers movie to cap off every one of its phases, but that hasn't held true since the release of Endgame (and even then, Spider-Man: Far From Home was the one to conclude Phase 3). Throughout the entirety of the Multiverse Saga, we have yet to see Earth's Mightiest Heroes assemble once on the big screen and battle a threat that has been set up in prior projects. That's why fans are counting down the days to the release of Avengers: Doomsday and experience the joy of watching a big crossover yet again.
The Fantastic Four, New Avengers, X-Men, and Earth's Mightiest Heroes will all share the big screen in what's shaping up to be the biggest superhero film ever (until Avengers: Secret Wars eventually dethrones it, that is). Excitement levels are through the roof, and everyone has the same question in mind: Who will rise to the occasion when Doom finally shows up? While many iconic characters, such as Captain America, Thor, and Shang-Chi, will make an appearance, it seems a beloved Marvel legend won't have the same opportunity.
Tom Holland's Spider-Man won't be in Avengers: Doomsday, says report
After Iron Man's sacrifice and Steve Rogers' retirement, it's safe to say that Spider-Man is one of the main faces of the MCU. That's why it comes as a shocker to learn that he might not even appear in the next big superhero crossover. According to renowned and reliable insider Daniel Richtman, Tom Holland's Peter Parker won't be present in Earth's Mightiest Heroes' upcoming adventure. But don't worry, as not everything is grim.
Back in February, the very same source reported that Tom Holland's stunt double was filming scenes for Avengers: Doomsday. As it turns out, there was a mistake with this previous scoop, given that a Spider-Man stunt double was indeed on the movie's set, but it wasn't Tom Holland's. Instead, another version of the wall-crawler is presumed to fill that void.
Andrew Garfield "unequivocally" denied his participation in Avengers: Doomsday, despite giving a more positive update regarding Secret Wars. That means the only option remaining is Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man, and luckily for us, there's evidence to suggest he'll appear in the film. For starters, insider MyTimeToShineHello outright reported that Tobey will join Earth's Mightiest Heroes next year. Furthermore, "leaked" set pictures might've given us a first look at the very first live-action iteration of Spider-Man in costume yet again.
Fans have been asking to see Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker and Hugh Jackman's Wolverine interact for decades now, and it might finally happen. Granted, it's better to keep our expectations in check, as neither one of them has been confirmed to appear in Avengers: Doomsday. However, it's impossible to deny that all the pieces are falling into place for their long-awaited meeting. So, if Tobey Maguire's character is really set to steal the spotlight, what will happen with Tom Holland's Peter Parker?
Before the official reveal of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, there were a lot of rumors circulating that indicated the movie would be yet another multiversal adventure—meaning it could've been a great entry point for Avengers: Doomsday. Of course, it has since been confirmed that the wall-crawler's upcoming adventure will feature a street-level storyline, which means it will be harder to connect the dots from Peter saving New York to him preventing the multiverse as a whole from collapsing.
Even if it makes sense for Tom's Spider-Man to miss out on Avengers: Doomsday in order to give him time to have a proper street-level arc, the idea could prove to be a little disappointing. Fortunately, there's a silver lining. A previous report also claimed that the MCU's Spider-Man and Scarlet Witch won't appear in the upcoming crossover. However, the two iconic heroes will have a leading role in Avengers: Secret Wars, as Marvel wants to "save the best for last".
Regardless of who is under the mask, it seems audiences will see a version of Spider-Man on both Avengers: Doomsday as well as Avengers: Secret Wars, and we wouldn't want it any other way.
Avengers: Doomsday will be released on Dec. 18, 2026.