Yesterday, the news broke that before returning as the Sorcerer Supreme in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Benedict Cumberbatch will return as Stephen Strange in Spider-Man 3.
While an announcement like that was always going to generate a lot of speculation, the fact this comes after Jamie Foxx's Electro return has fans convinced that the threequel will take the wall-crawler into the Marvel Multiverse. It's an unexpected direction for the hero, but one that does make sense.
So, if Doctor Strange really is taking Tom Holland's Peter Parker into the Spider-Verse next year, which alternate realities should they visit and which "Spider-Men" should the MCU version wind up meeting?
That's what we're looking at here, so simply hit the "Next" button below to check them out...
10. Last Stand
In the pages of Amazing Spider-Man #500, Peter Parker found himself witnessing a possible future where his loved ones were dead, and he had become a wanted murderer after killing his foes.
Pushed over the edge by Kraven, this Spider-Man makes a last stand against the police, seemingly falling in battle, and showing Peter how one wrong decision could lead him down a dark path that there would be no coming back from. Strange showing the web-slinger this would be an effective way of stopping the hero from allowing Mysterio's machinations to dictate how his life unfolds.
We know that Kevin Feige has taken inspiration from J. Michael Straczynski's Amazing Spider-Man run for these movies, so this seems like a given if we are indeed heading into the Marvel Multiverse.
9. Spider-Man 2099
Talking of the future, Spider-Man 3 could serve as an amazing opportunity for Marvel Studios to look ahead to what might be in store for the Marvel Cinematic Universe decades from now.
The year 2099 has always been pivotal to Marvel Comics, with Spidey often at the forefront of that. As well as a grim future, Peter Parker realising that his mantle has a legacy would be a solid way of establishing how important Spider-Man is to the MCU and the way "Spider-Man" continues beyond him.
Miguel O'Hara is a great character, and seeing Oscar Isaac make a cameo appearance as a live-action version of this Spider-Man would be a nice way of setting up Into the Spider-Verse too.
8. Sam Raimi's Spider-Man
Moving away from the future, it seems like a logical choice for Tom Holland's Spider-Man to meet Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man in this movie, especially with Sam Raimi stepping into the director's chair for the Doctor Strange sequel (where this Spidey could find himself reunited with Strange).
In an ideal world, we'd like Maguire's Spider-Man to have a significant role in Spider-Man 3, but if it's still a little too soon for that, checking in with this older Peter Parker could be a lot of fun.
As well as seeing what became of him in the years that followed Mary Jane Watson's fateful look out of that window, this could very well set up something bigger for In the Multiverse of Madness.
7. Spider-UK
With the Marvel Multiverse set to be introduced in the MCU in the coming years, it makes sense for Captain Britain to finally make his big screen debut. As a protector of the Multiverse, he deserves to have a leading role in this shared world moving forward, and his story is one that can obviously tie into Betsy Braddock's as well (his sister and the X-Man known as Psylocke).
That's something Spider-Man 3 can tease in a big way by taking us to Spider-UK's world.
A member of the Captain Britain Corps, Holland could actually be beneath the mask, using his natural English accent, and filling in both the MCU's Peter and Doctor Strange on the Multiverse's existence.
6. House Of M
It appears as if WandaVision will follow the Scarlet Witch after she resurrects The Vision and takes over an entire town with her reality-altering powers. In that bubble, she will have created a sitcom setting similar to the ones she and her brother Pietro grew up watching in Sokovia years earlier.
If that is indeed the case, then it's likely her powers will increase moving forward, with some sort of House of M adaptation likely considering how easily Wanda's abilities can be manipulated.
It's hard to imagine us getting a glimpse of a world ruled by mutants as soon as Spider-Man 3, but there are ways to allude to that, and the celebrity Spider-Man who inhabited that world would be an interesting one for Peter to meet as he arguably has everything the teenager has ever dreamed of.
5. Spider-Wolf
Remember how Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 followed that team as they were blasted across the universe? Well, it goes without saying that a similar sequence in this movie would be a blast.
As Spider-Man and Doctor Strange travel through the Multiverse, it would be hilarious seeing him meet Spider-Wolf, a werewolf version of the web-slinger Peter would no doubt be pretty shocked by.
This would be a cool way of teasing the supernatural stories the MCU will soon start telling too!
4. The Amazing Spider-Man Franchise
Look, we're not overly keen on revisiting The Amazing Spider-Man franchise after that abysmal sequel in 2014, but Spider-Man 3 could go some way in redeeming Andrew Garfield's web-slinger.
Even if he doesn't make an appearance, the MCU's Spider-Man could still visit his world, with some insight given into what became of that Peter Parker after he witnessed Gwen Stacy's death. This would certainly explain why Jamie Foxx is returning as Electro, not to mention rumours about Dane DeHaan making his (unwanted?) return as this world's Harry Osborn/Green Goblin.
There's still some potential with this world, and it seems a given now Foxx has been cast in the movie.
3. Old Man Logan
Again, we're not expecting mutants to pop up in Spider-Man 3, but we could still visit another desolate future that comic book fans will recognise as having some significant ties to Old Man Logan.
In that, we learn that Peter Parker - who died when villains took over the Earth - had a daughter with an unknown woman, and it's then we meet Spider-Girl (who is of mixed race), a character who, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, could quite easily be the daughter of Peter and Zendaya's MJ.
More than setting up the introduction of Wolverine, this would be a cool way of showing what could result from the romance between Peter and MJ decades from now in this shared world.
2. Spider-Ma'am
Another fun cameo, this character hails from Earth-3123, a world where Aunt May was bitten by the radioactive spider instead of Peter, leading to her taking on the identity of Spider-Ma'am.
It's unlikely Marisa Tomei will have a huge role to play in Spider-Man 3, so why not have her nephew bump into a version of May who has become a superhero and protects her family just as Peter does on his world. The revelation each of them is a hero in their respective realities would likely shock them both too.
Plus, let's face it, Tomei in spandex? That would be no bad thing for this highly anticipated threequel.
1. Into The Spider-Verse
We're not expecting Spider-Man 3 to suddenly become animated, but just imagine how spectacular it would be for Tom Holland's web-slinger to briefly cross paths with a live-action Miles Morales?
The character wouldn't have to unmask (meaning Shameik Moore could continue voicing him), and this would nicely set the stage for the upcoming sequel to the Oscar-winning blockbuster.
If this leads to Holland playing a role in Into the Spider-Verse 2, then that would be even better...