Tom Holland’s Spider-Man Isn’t Alone Anymore: Five MCU Projects Bring a New Web-Slinger into the Fold
Tom Holland’s been slinging webs across the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, turning Peter Parker into a household name with a trilogy that peaked at Spider-Man: No Way Home’s $1.92 billion haul. As of March 8, 2025, when FandomWire dropped the news, the MCU’s got five confirmed Spider-Man projects in the pipeline—and Holland’s not the only one suiting up. Hudson Thames, the voice behind Peter Parker in What If…?’s zombie romp and the animated hit Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, is stepping up alongside him, splitting the webhead’s legacy across live-action and animation. With No Way Home’s multiverse floodgates wide open and Wilds selling 8 million copies in three days elsewhere in gaming, Spider-Man’s everywhere—and Holland’s sharing the load. This isn’t a handover; it’s an expansion, and fans are feasting.
Holland’s run is far from over. He’s locked in for three of these projects, starting with Spider-Man 4, slated to start filming in summer 2025 for a July 24, 2026, release, per Sony’s October 2024 announcement. Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi) is directing, and X buzz pegs it as a street-level reset post-No Way Home—Peter’s identity erased, MJ and Ned gone, just a kid in a homemade suit. Then come the Avengers doubleheader: Doomsday (May 1, 2026) and Secret Wars (May 7, 2027), where Holland’s expected to tangle with Doctor Doom and a multiverse-spanning cast. “Everything’s good to go,” Holland told Jimmy Fallon in October, hyping fans who’ve tracked his $3.92 billion trilogy. X posts gush: “Tom’s back—2026 can’t come soon enough!” But he’s not the only Peter in play.
Enter Hudson Thames, the 30-year-old voice actor who’s already spun webs in the MCU. He voiced Peter in What If…?’s “Zombies?!” episode—where a bitten Spidey quips through apocalypse—and now headlines Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, a Disney+ series that’s a love letter to the webhead’s roots. Season 1, launched January 2025, pits a rookie Peter against Colman Domingo’s Norman Osborn (no Tony Stark here), earning raves for its Homecoming-esque charm. Season 2, confirmed for late 2026 per FandomWire, will see Thames’ Peter evolve alongside Osborn’s Green Goblin arc—Domingo’s teased a live-action leap on Happy Sad Confused. Thames’ third gig? Marvel Zombies, a 2025 animated series where he’s back as a flesh-eating web-slinger. “Hudson’s killing it,” one X user posted, “perfect for a younger Pete.”
Why split the role? The multiverse, baby. No Way Home—with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield crashing Holland’s party—proved Spider-Man’s a concept, not a singleton. Sony and Marvel’s deal lets Holland anchor the live-action tentpoles while Thames explores animated nooks—think Spider-Verse vibes without Sony’s solo baggage (Morbius, anyone?). Your Friendly Neighborhood nails Peter’s high school hustle, a lane Holland’s outgrown at 28, while Zombies goes dark where live-action won’t. “It’s smart,” an X post mused, “Tom does the big screen, Hudson gets the quirky stuff.” FandomWire notes Holland’s not quitting—he’s mulling a post-30 exit—but these five projects lock him in through 2027, with Thames as a sidekick, not a successor.
The fanbase is eating well. No Way Home was a cultural quake—93% on Rotten Tomatoes, $814 million domestic—and Spider-Verse films keep the hype alive (Oscar nods galore). Insomniac’s PS5 games hit 33 million sales by 2024, and now Wilds’ cheese naan craze shows gaming’s muscle. Five Spider-Man projects in three years? It’s a feast. X users are split but stoked: “Tom’s my Spidey, but Hudson’s fresh take slaps,” one wrote. Another griped, “Too many Peters—focus on Holland!” Yet the numbers don’t lie—Your Friendly Neighborhood’s Season 1 trended #1 on Disney+, and Wilds’ 1.38 million Steam peak proves the appetite’s there. Marvel’s betting big, and the Guild (or at least Kevin Feige) authorizes this party.
Holland’s arc is the main event. Spider-Man 4’s script, penned by No Way Home’s Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers pre-strike, promises a “killer” street-level tale—think Daredevil cameos over cosmic stakes, per X leaks. Doomsday and Secret Wars could see him lead Earth’s Mightiest, a far cry from Civil War’s kid in tights. “We have a legacy to protect,” Holland told MovieWeb in April 2024, hinting at his creative input. Thames, meanwhile, carves a niche—Your Friendly Neighborhood’s Norman twist (Domingo’s “cool” evolution) and Zombies’ gorefest lean on animation’s freedom. “Hudson’s Peter feels like the comics I grew up with,” an X fan raved, while Domingo’s Osborn has fans begging for a Holland showdown.
Skeptics smell fatigue. “Superhero overload,” one X user groaned, echoing “superhero fatigue” chatter post-Endgame. Wilds’ PC stutters and Stalker 2’s jank show launch risks—could five Spidey projects dilute the magic? Sony’s Spider-Verse flops (Madame Web, 11% on Rotten Tomatoes) don’t help. Yet No Way Home’s $1.92 billion and Wilds’ 8 million sales say demand’s alive. Capcom’s “just the start” flex for Wilds mirrors Marvel’s play—expand, don’t exhaust. “If it’s good, I’ll watch five more,” an X post shrugged. Thames’ animation sidesteps Holland’s burnout—he’s mused about stepping down post-30, per Yahoo in 2023—but for now, he’s all in.
