As expected, Spider-Man: No Way Home promises to throw Peter Parker's already-difficult life into further chaos. If dealing with his secret identity being revealed wasn't enough, the No Way Home teaser confirms Peter finds himself in a whole different mess after his attempt to change reality seemingly causes the Multiverse to fracture. As a result, the movie brings Peter face to face with all manner of villains -- something that, ironically, gives the Marvel Cinematic Universe a chance to fix its biggest "Spider-Sin."
Specifically, we're talking about Uncle Ben. He was only indirectly mentioned during Peter's first MCU film, Spider-Man: Homecoming, before Aunt May moved on to a fling with Happy Hogan in the sequel, Far From Home. It's odd, given how much Ben's shadow has hung over Peter and May's heads in other Spider-Man comics, animated series, and films. And there's a good reason for that: He's the spark for Peter becoming a superhero, whether he's giving the famous "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility" speech or otherwise motivating Peter to be the change he wants to see in the world.
Admittedly, the MCU skipping over Peter's origin story was an intentional choice after both Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy and Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man films explored the impact that Ben's death had on the fledgling web-slinger. Still, while it's understandable that Marvel Studios wouldn't want to rehash that plot point yet again, the MCU's Uncle Ben should have gotten some kind of acknowledgement. Instead, it seems he had little effect on Peter becoming a superhero, with Tony Stark and Happy Hogan filling the mentor role in his absence.
Luckily, with No Way Home's trailer confirming the return of the Raimi trilogy's Doc Ock, as well as teasing Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin and Electro from The Amazing Spider-Man 2, that leaves the door open for another shocking appearance. With the Multiverse in chaos, it stands to reason the MCU's Peter could end up coming face to face with one of Ben's variants in the film. That would give the latter a chance to help Peter grow as a person in a brand-new way, only this time through being alive rather than by dying.
This would not only be an emotionally powerful development but one that would buck a longstanding tradition in the Marvel Comics Universe, as Ben is one of the few characters the comics have avoided resurrecting in any shape or form. It could also create an interesting family dynamic, giving Peter yet another father-figure while shaking up May's world. And if handled correctly, it would be the perfect blend of drama, comedy, romance, and sentiment that the Spider-Man franchise at large is known for.
Spider-Man: No Way Home swings into theaters on Dec. 17.