WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home, in theaters now.
Spider-Man: No Way Home marks the conclusion to the Marvel Cinematic Universe'sfirst Spider-Man trilogy. It's something of a major milestone for a character who, at one point, appeared to be permanently off-limits to Marvel Studios. Spider-Man's entry to the MCU was only made possible thanks to a deal struck between Disney and Sony, who hold the film rights to Spider-Man. While that initial deal only secured three MCU Spider-Man movies, as well as a selection of appearances by the wall-crawler in other MCU films, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige recently confirmed the two studios are already collaborating on a fourth Spidey flick.
However, before Tom Holland's Spider-Man gets his next standalone outing, the character's next contracted appearance in the MCU is set to be another guest role. Spider-Man has previously appeared in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Marvel Studios have not yet confirmed which of their upcoming releases will be the next to feature the wall-crawler, but a few already-announced projects seem like likely candidates.
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness
Perhaps the most obvious option for Spider-Man's next appearance is the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, due for release in May this year, picks up where No Way Home left off for the Master of the Mystics Arts. Strange was responsible for the spell that went awry and opened up the MCU to visitors from other universes in the recent Spider-Man film. While he was ultimately able to fix his mistake, that first encounter with the multiverse appears to set the stage for Strange's next solo film. As Multiverse of Madness continues No Way Home's multiverse story, perhaps Strange's association with Spider-Man has not yet come to an end. The film is also being directed by Spider-Man alum, Sam Raimi, whose version of the wall-crawler (played by Tobey Maguire) made his return in No Way Home.
Thor: Love And Thunder
Marvel Studios' next Thor film is probably the least likely of all the films on this list to feature a Spider-Man appearance, but the possibility shouldn't be ruled out. Spider-Man's previous MCU crossover appearances have always been in the midst of big Avengers team-ups. With no new Avengers movie planned for Marvel's current Phase 4, Thor: Love and Thunder is rumored to be the next big crossover, with the Guardians of the Galaxy already confirmed to be appearing. And given that Thor and the Guardians have been off-world since the end of Endgame, the film could also reveal whether they were affected by Doctor Strange's spell at the end of No Way Home, which erased the memory of Peter Parker from everyone on Earth.
Fantastic Four
Spider-Man has enjoyed a long and storied history with Marvel's first family. In his first solo comic issue, The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (after his origin story in Amazing Fantasy #15), Spidey even went to visit the Fantastic Four to see if he could become a member. While Spider-Man's attempt to join a high-profile super-team for fame and fortune played out differently in the MCU, with Spider-Man: Homecoming showing a Peter Parker who was desperate to become an Avenger until he realized he was better off as a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, the upcoming Fantastic Four could pay homage to the characters' shared comic book history. The film is also being directed by Jon Watts, director of the MCU's first Spider-Man trilogy, so Spidey would certainly be in safe hands.
Avengers 5
Marvel Studios are yet to announce the fifth entry in the Avengers franchise and don't seem to want to rush into another Avengers film following the unprecedented scale of 2019's Avengers: Endgame. However, while the project is yet to be announced, it seems inevitable another Avengers installment is on the cards. The film would presumably introduce an all-new lineup, with the fallout of Endgame meaning few members of the original Avengers team remain. It is likely that Spider-Man will be taking a spot on the team's new headline roster, but it is hard to imagine that this will be the next time fans see Spider-Man.