As the first film to take place following Avengers: Endgame, there is a lot riding on the shoulders of Spider-Man: Far From Home. The sequel not only has to give fans an idea of what a post-Endgame world looks like, but it also has to further the story of the young Peter Parker and his web-slinging alter-ego, Spider-Man.
When you factor in Endgame's five-year time jump, the return of all the dusted heroes, Iron Man's death and its effect on Spider-Man, Far From Home has a lot to accomplish. And in a surprising move, the film will also fully introduce the MCU's version of the multiverse.
The spoiler-filled Far From Home trailer saw Nick Fury reveal Mysterio is from an alternate Earth after introducing Quentin Beck to Spider-Man. A special clip that aired on The Ellen Show a few days later elaborated on the characters' first meeting, with Mysterio designating the MCU as Earth-616 and his world Earth-833. Of course, 616 is a nod to the comics, where that is the name of the Marvel Prime Earth.
While everyone was going crazy over the MCU-616 shocker, the presence of an Earth-833 shouldn't be overlooked. The knowledge that an Earth-833 does exist in the Marvel Universe has major ramifications for both Far From Home and an Easter egg in Endgame.
Earth-833 Is Home To A Braddock With Ties To Spider-Man
After the Avengers fail to claim the Mind Stone when they traveled back to the Battle of New York in 2012, Tony Stark and Steve Rogers use the last of their Pym Particles for a trip to 1970. This was the last place Tony remembers both the Mind Stone and Pym Particles existing in the same location: a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility in New Jersey.
While Tony is busy bonding with his father, Howard Stark, Steve spends a quiet moment spying on Peggy Carter, who is now serving as S.H.I.E.L.D. director. From her office, Steve watches as Peggy and another man discuss a missing S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Though the audio is pretty low, some fans were able to pick up on the name "Braddock," which could be an Easter egg referencing Brian Braddock, Captain Britain.
There has been a lot of online chatter regarding Captain Britain and the MCU, with reports first surfacing in 2016 that producers were putting together a pitch for Marvel Television starring the character for a proposed television series. While promoting Spider-Man: Homecoming, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige admitted the following year there had been discussions about possibly introducing Captain Britain into the MCU.
Now, you may be wondering what does Captain Britain have to do with Spider-Man: Far From Home? For one, Brian Braddock is from England, and Peter and his friends travel to Europe for their overseas vacation, so there is a small connection there. Secondly, and far more importantly, Mysterio's Earth-833 also has a Captain Britain with ties to Spider-Man: Billy Braddock aka Spider-Man UK.
Created by Jason Latour and Robbi Rodriguez, William "Billy" Braddock first debuted in 2014's Edge of Spider-Verse #2 as a member of the multiversal superhero group, the Captain Britain Corps. He would go on to play a role in Spider-Verse, Web Warriors and the Spider-Verse sequel, Spider-Geddon, where he was killed by the Inheritors.
It's too much of a coincidence that Endgame would drop a reference to a Braddock, just for its follow-up movie, Far From Home, to also introduce Earth-833 with its own Spider-Braddock. Our theory is the missing Braddock from Endgame isn't a nod to Captain Britain, but for Spider-Man UK.
So we know one of the Endgame Infinity Gauntlet snaps causes a tear in the fabric of reality, opening things up for a full-fledged multiverse. If you also factor in the time-travel element and alternate worlds, there is a way to explain a Braddock in the 1970s playing a role in a 2020s Far From Home. There could have been a great deal of time between when we saw Tony and Steve leave 2012 and show up in 1970. As an example, they had to ditch their clothing to get a dress suit for Tony and military garb for Steve. What if they spent a week or more casing the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility? That may have been enough to create a divergent timeline that causes Braddock to go off the grid to investigate a time anomaly. Then, once the snap happens, he finds himself lost on Earth-833.
As for the time gap from the 1970s to 2020s, perhaps it was Billy Braddock's father who ends up on Earth-833. Then after some years, he fathers a young boy named Billy Braddock, who goes on to become that world's Spider-Man UK. We have to remember that Mysterio is not to be trusted. He may seem heroic in the Far From Home trailer, but we all know he's a master illusionist. There is a scenario where Fury confirms the multiverse aspect of the story, but Mysterio hides his villainous nature.
Are Mysterio and Spider-Man UK mortal enemies on Earth-833? Could we even see him make a surprise cameo appearance in Spider-Man: Far From Home? If our theory is correct, it allows the Spider-Man sequel to introduce our first official hero from the multiverse, while also allowing Marvel Studios to debut Captain Britain down the line in Phase 4 and beyond.
Opening July 2, director Jon Watts’ Spider-Man: Far From Home stars Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, JB Smoove, Jacob Batalon and Martin Starr, with Marisa Tomei and Jake Gyllenhaal.