WARNING: The following contains spoilers for What If...? Season 1, Episode 5, "What If… Zombies?!" streaming now on Disney+.
It's safe to say there are many motivating moments in that Marvel Cinematic Universe that remind us how these superheroes lay it all on the line. It's not just in speeches, though, but through an array of selfless acts, with the likes of Iron Man, Black Widow and, of course, Captain America, going the distance to get the job done and protect everyone. However, come "What If... Zombies?!", it's confirmed that Spider-Man is indeed the MCU's most inspirational hero.
Whether it's in Civil War, his solo movies or the Avengers films, Peter Parker is quite a ray of sunshine. His wide-eyed innocence, naivety and willingness to thrust himself into battle to save everyone is why fans teared up when he was dusted away in Infinity War, after all. Now, though, in this zombie-infested alternate reality, we see more dimensions to the hero, shaping him as the most mature web-head yet.
Make no mistake, the wall-crawler's still a big kid at heart, vlogging on how to survive the undead apocalypse a la Zombieland, so folks can stay positive. This PMA is his way of coping and allows him to become a leader when the resistance takes a major hit. With Hope/Wasp, one of their best soldiers, infected, all looks dire as she lays on the train to New Jersey, losing faith in herself and the mission.
Pete, though, makes it clear they can't give up and won't kill her. When she asks why he'd take a gamble, Pete admits it's not a risk, "it's hope," in a sentimental moment that recharges her. Sure, she's sick, but she feels the warmth and asks how he stays so upbeat in the face of such adversity. He explains he's faced it all his life, so as a teen he's conditioned to persevere. In this world, he's lost his parents, Uncle Ben and also, Iron Man, so it's not easy to have this resolve, but Pete confesses Aunt May's words are still his bedrock.
"I've lost a lot but my Aunt May says -- used to say -- if we don't keep smiling when they can't, then we might as well just be gone too. And well, they'd want us to keep going!" he beams, with Hope tightly clutching his hand, producing a gorgeous smile. It's a nice mirror to an earlier moment when Peter donned the Cloak of Levitation and Hope encouraged him, saying he'd grow into it.
She believes in him and this conversation reaffirms he believes in them too. Bruce Banner smiles as well, with Okoye and Bucky feeling revitalized to see a junior hero stepping up to the plate like this when it seems like all is lost. Cynicism just isn't in his Spider-DNA and the fact he's lost Aunt May but is still here, using her words to rally the rebels, says a lot.
He thinks it's all like the myriad of movies he watches, but Hope and the team know he was born to be a beacon of light amid dark days like this. It's what encourages her to sacrifice herself so they can get to Vision at a S.H.I.E.L.D. base, in order to source a cure. As zombies swarm her, Hope tells Pete to smile because she knows with him at the helm, they'll find a way. And ironically, as Pete gets the Mind Stone to go tinker with in Wakanda, it seems like that could be a possibility, that is, until a certain Thanos appears.
What If...? releases new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.