Spider-Man: Homecoming remains one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's most pivotal installments, and its value only increases retrospectively. From the Tony Stark and Peter Parker bond being the catalyst for Avengers: Endgame's time heist to the Pepper Potts proposal laying the groundwork for where the Starks are emotionally come Avengers: Infinity War, Spider-Man's first Marvel Studios outing is filled with crucial seeds that blossomed big shortly after.
While the aforementioned moments have seen resolution, Homecoming still has a couple that have yet to sprout. The biggest of those is the Department of Damage Control (DODC), a federal division tasked with housekeeping. Its chores list is not exactly dishwashing and laundry, though.
As seen in Spider-Man: Homecoming's opening scene, the DODC first shows up following the Battle of New York from 2012's The Avengers. The department shuts down Adrian Toomes's private contract en route to seizing all scattered Chitauri weaponry.
Even though the DODC has only appeared in the Spider-Man franchise thus far, the opportunity for future Damage Control appearances is limitless.
Spider-Man: No Way Home's Gary Weeks Talks Damage Control
Damage Control will take it from here.
Spider-Man: Homecoming actor Gary Weeks made his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe this past December, reprising his role as the Department of Damage Control's Agent Foster in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Speaking with The Direct, Weeks noted he "definitely could" see Damage Control getting the Disney+ spin-off treatment in the "fairly close" future, advocating that such a project "would be great:"
"I definitely could. I think it's good timing to do it fairly close to now. I could see it in the next couple of years. This is just me talking. I don't know what they're doing, but I think it would be great. It's another adage to [the Marvel Cinematic Universe]. It's a great thing to have cameos pop in whenever and the characters we don't get to see often."
The DODC was only introduced to fans five years ago, but they have been canonically present in the MCU for over a decade. With the ability to tell Damage Control stories through flashbacks, Weeks pointed to Iron Man 3's Malibu Mansion destruction as where he wants to bring the cleaning supplies out next.
"I would love to go to Robert Downey's house and go through all the things there and see what was left. Even the stuff that was blown up and remained years and years after."
Disney+'s Damage Control?
As a pseudo-anthology series, Damage Control could provide significant retrospective value to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
With the exception of Black Widow, Phase 4 has been focused on pushing the larger franchise's narrative forward. That said, there are plenty of unexplored MCU years that Damage Control could shine light on.
Iron Man 3 remains Marvel Studios' ugly step-child. Regardless of how fans feel about the film, it's undisputedly one of the least consequential installments in the MCU. The Ten Rings is nothing but phonies, Tony's superhero retirement lasts just a hair longer than Tom Brady's, and AIM has been MIA since.
That said, Weeks' idea of exploring the 10880 Malibu Point wreckage would immediately boost Iron Man 3's placement among crucial MCU stories. Just as William Hurt returning for Captain America: Civil War reinvigorated The Incredible Hulk, bringing audiences back to SoCal could breathe new life into Stark's last solo stand, while also providing a potential blueprint for Don Cheadle's Amor Wars.
Marvel's Most Destructive Battles
Beyond Iron Man 3, the MCU has dozens of historical wars that the DODC could explore, and allusions to where they've been are scattered across the franchise.
"Damage Control. They're still cleaning up from when Captain America took down those skycraft carriers for no reason."
Zendaya's MJ makes reference to the DODC being at the site of 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming, emphasizing that these clean-ups don't happen overnight. With the amount of essential intel left around the Triskelion, bringing Damage Control to Washington DC could set the stage for outside interference, backstabbings, and betrayals.
This past fall, Hawkeye made the first blatant references to wreckage recovered from Avengers: Endgame, that being Ronin's sword and Agent 19's wristwatch. Those two items are likely the first of thousands discovered in the remnants of Avengers HQ. The black market getting its hands on them also implies they either journeyed to upstate New York themselves or have a supplier on the inside of Damage Control, and the latter would make quite the narrative.
Even outside of those teased locations, Damage Control could find itself in a number of locations. Who cleaned up the Stark Expo after Iron Man 2? What happened to the United Nations building following Civil War? Did anyone seize scattered Black Order ships, tech, or weaponry following Avengers: Infinity War?
If Marvel Studios decides to pursue it, Damage Control has the potential to both bridge gaps and draft narratives for future projects.
For now, Gary Weeks' Agent Foster and the DODC can be seen in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
MCU Writer, Editor, Podcaster
