No matter what piece of Spider-Man related media it might be, Uncle Ben has appeared in all of them. That streak was broken in the Marvel Cinematic Universe where he’s not only been absent but hasn’t even been referred to despite Peter Parker showing up numerous times.
This has led to fans speculating over what exactly happened to Uncle Ben, as his presence in Spider-Man’s life was so immense that it’s almost impossible to fathom a world without his uncle in it. Many have come up with valid theories over what took place before Peter’s first appearance, along with some theories that take a look into what Uncle Ben’s characterization would’ve been like.
10 Uncle Ben Died In The Battle Of New York
According to this theory, Uncle Ben died before Peter even knew how his powers worked. Much longer ago, in fact, in that Peter’s uncle perished during the Battle of New York in The Avengers, which took place many years before Captain America: Civil War.
It makes a lot of sense, seeing as the casualties for Loki’s invasion were said to be so many that there couldn’t be a headcount. Uncle Ben would have gone to work as usual that day, making him one of the very likely candidates to have died during the attacks that took place in the streets.
9 Mysterio Killed Uncle Ben For Shutting Down The Film Production He Was Working For
It might be a bit of a stretch to get this theory, but Mysterio’s insertion in the events of Captain America: Civil War retroactively makes this a possibility. The theory considers the possibility of Uncle Ben working on a movie that involved Mysterio as well.
After Uncle Ben had to shut down production, Mysterio was angered and killed the former as he was convinced he could complete the project himself. This theory is based on the comics’ background of the character as a special effects coordinator and stuntman. Since it would have happened a long time ago, it can be assumed that Mysterio might have worked in the entertainment line before his eventual job working for Tony Stark.
8 Peter Was Making A Movie To Show To Uncle Ben
Rather than look into how Uncle Ben died, this theory considers what he was as a person. According to it, Uncle Ben was a film nut who loved old movies, inspiring Peter to watch them too, hence why he’s always quoting old films.
It goes further by considering the chance that the recordings that Peter was making in Spider-Man: Homecoming had originated with him attempting to make a film for Uncle Ben to watch as he wanted to do something his uncle enjoyed.
7 Uncle Ben Went To The Future To Meet Peter Before His Death Due To Doctor Strange's Powers
There have been many versions of Uncle Ben in the multiverse, with this theory positing that the MCU’s version has already been to the future. The theory goes that Doctor Strange, who will be in Spider-Man: No Way Home, will wipe out everyone’s knowledge of Peter’s identity at the end of the movie and give him a gift.
This will be the return of Uncle Ben for five minutes, in which Peter will meet his time-displaced uncle and get the closure he always wanted. To this end, Uncle Ben will appear in the MCU despite his death.
6 Uncle Ben Died Because Of Peter's Ignorance Of His Powers
According to this theory, Uncle Ben’s fate was revealed in Peter’s first scene itself in Captain America: Civil War. This ties into what Peter said to Tony Stark, claiming that when someone who could do what he had the power didn’t act, something bad would happen.
The theory is that Uncle Ben died due to Peter not using his powers when he could have to save him. The most plausible direction this was going is toward Uncle Ben’s most popular death of being shot, but what the person behind the theory is certain of is that Peter revealed that he was responsible for not averting his uncle’s demise.
5 Uncle Ben Has Been Alive The Whole Time And Simply Separated From His Family
Uncle Ben’s disappearance has always been listed as one of the things in the Spider-Man movies that don't make sense. This might not be as complicated as it seems, as this theory assumes that Uncle Ben was always alive since it’s not mentioned that he died.
Instead, Uncle Ben was something of a deadbeat father figure who was separated from Aunt May and broke Peter’s heart with his abandonment to the point where he sought Tony Stark as his replacement father figure. This would make sense in a way, seeing as it would explain why Aunt May and Peter never mention Uncle Ben.
4 Uncle Ben Died During A Mugging That Was Unrelated To Peter But Inspired Him To "Help The Little Guy"
There are several ways Spider-Man is different in the comics, with the inclusion of Uncle Ben being the most obvious there. This theory claims that Uncle Ben’s death in the MCU did happen but was unrelated to Peter, unlike most depictions.
What seemingly happened was that Ben was mugged and got shot during it, at a time when Peter was nowhere nearby and only learned about it later. However, he realized that being Spider-Man would allow him to help the “little guy” like Ben who needed a vigilante to keep the streets safe.
3 Tony Stark Is Supposed To Represent Uncle Ben Who Doesn't Exist In The MCU
There has been a lot of talk over who between Tony Stark and Uncle Ben is the better mentor. This might not be an issue in the MCU, as this theory claims that there is no Uncle Ben in this universe. In his place, Tony Stark was the figure Peter needed.
Peter would never have had an uncle, with May always being single and gaining custody of Peter after his parents’ death. This means Uncle Ben hasn’t been mentioned so far because there is no one with that identity to refer to as he was never there.
2 Ben Parker Is Aunt May's Father In The MCU
One of the facts about Uncle Ben is that he is Peter’s biological uncle, as he was the elder brother of Peter’s father. This makes Aunt May only related to Peter by marriage, but this theory thinks things are much different in the MCU.
Instead of May being married to Ben, the latter was the father of May all along. This would mean that May being a Parker is a name inherited by birth rather than taking her husband’s name as Ben died due to age since he was Peter’s grandfather.
1 Ben Parker Worked For The Daily Bugle And Was Present For Tony's Interview After His Return
According to this theory, Uncle Ben was among the first characters to be introduced in the MCU. It posits that Ben was the reporter whom Tony referred to by name in the press conference scene. The idea is that he was working for the Daily Bugle at the time.
Under this theory, it would give Peter the motivation to work for the Daily Bugle himself as a way to make the memory of his deceased uncle proud. It would also mean that both of Peter’s father figures had already met about a decade before Tony met Peter.