So this discussion is two-fold. Let’s start with my initial thoughts about Spider-Man. I love Spider-Man. I love Tom Holland as Spider-Man, I love that he is actually a teenager who is still trying to figure his life and powers out and I love Ned. Marvel, keep the sidekick. He needs him. But hear me out…Spider-Man should not be our new leader.
Ok so, Tony Stark is dead. He’s not coming back and all we have left are his sour jokes brimming with sarcasm, Happy and his tech. The end of phase three seems to be setting us up for Spider-Man to take that leadership role left vacant by Stark and personally, I think this is a misstep.
The main reason this is a bad idea is because Peter is a teenager. He is literally in high school and dealing with all types of personal emotions that have nothing with being a superhero. These are called distractions and remember Tony when he had “distractions”? He was later kidnapped so this is not good. Also, Parker hasn’t really developed sound leadership skills. I think in Spider-Man: Homecoming Stark was trying to instill in him the importance of not only being the guy in the suit who can save the day but being the guy that thinks before he acts and learns who he is without the suit. There were multiple times where Tony’s suit malfunctioned or someone was really winning in the fight and he had to resort his own strength. Can Peter do that over and over again? We’ve seen him attempt and succeed but is that enough?
One thing Parker does have going for him is that he’s young. He has time to grow into himself, but with that being said and as we saw in Spider-Man: Far From Home, sometimes that can be a detriment to the task at hand. It took him so long to trust in his instincts to be able to feel where Mysterio was in order to strike him. Yes, I get it. It’s a movie and there has to be some growth with the character and blah blah blah but think if Spider-Man was in the battle in New York. There was not time to come into himself and his spidey senses, or as Aunt May calls then–his “Peter tingles.”
Now, do I think Peter would be more ready to take the reins once he graduates or if he spends more time with Happy or even Hulk or Falcon? No, I do not so this begs the question, “Who should be the next leader of the Avenger?” That question kind of perplexes me because I don’t really have a clear answer.
Some of you might say T’Challa because he is already a leader of a whole country and I would say he is a possibility. I would also argue that he has an entire country to run so does he have time to be a dedicated leader to a team of….how many Avengers are left now? Does Hulk count? Some of you may be yelling “Captain Marvel” and I would say now she has something she can do that she’s made for–leading. She could be useful this time. (I said what I said!) But, she seems more interested in being off world to help other galaxies. She left Earth for a reason the first time. She wouldn’t stay in one place for very long. So who is left? Who else is responsible enough for this role?
Who is our next Tony Stark? Give me your thoughts!
BLACK WATCH 
So I have this theory that Marvel is going to do a bit of a soft split of the franchise. I think we’re going to get a Galactic MCU, focused on the Guardians, Thor, the Eternals, and maybe Captain Marvel. We’ll get a Mystic MCU, with Doctor Strange, Shang Chi, and maybe Black Panther. Then there will be the SHIELD MCU, which will be the remaining Avengers, and probably the Disney+ shows.
If this plays out, then Peter Parker doesn’t have to be a leader. Doctor Strange will lead the Mystic MCU (as he should, that’s his role in the comics). We’ve already seen a bit of a power struggle on the Galactic side between Star Lord and Thor. If Captain Marvel or Nova is added to the mix, that will just make things more interesting. For Earth-based stories that involve SHIELD, there’s the organization that will lead global efforts, which will leave Spider-Man to just worry about New York (again, this is mostly how it works in the comics).
The Avengers have almost always had a fluid roster in the comics, and while Tony and Steve are usually the leaders of the group, there’s nothing to prevent other members from stepping up when needed, just to back off later. I’m guessing that the MCU is heading in a similar direction and there won’t really be a true team leader until the next Thanos-level threat is clear. Instead, we’ll start seeing way more cameos and small team-ups, like we got in Ragnarok, rather than a full assembly.
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I like this theory. Actually love it; however, Marvel is famous for taking a nugget from the comics and creating their own cinematic lane. But I do think this is a genius idea!
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Nice piece! I definitely agree Spiderman shouldn’t be the next Tony Stark. I’m unsure who I’d pick to take on the Stark mantle; the image and power of Tony Stark is difficult to live up to.
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It will be HARD to fill those shoes but I think they’re crafting him to do it and. I dont think it’s the right move
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