The Thunderbolts* third act might have just set up a heart-wrenching opening scene for Spider-Man 4 (aka Spider-Man: Brand New Day). As has been the case for many MCU projects to this point, Thunderbolts* took its action to the busy streets of New York City, shrouding the city in a shadow in its third act thanks to the anxiety-inducing powers of the mysterious Void (played by Lewis Pullman).
Another hero who occupies New York City, however, is Tom Holland's Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Seeing as he was seemingly present—as far as fans know—in the Big Apple for the events of the Thunderbolts* movie, one can assume that he, too, may have been a victim of The Void's attack. This tiny detail could prove to be crucial to the upcoming Spider-Man 4, which is set to usher in a new era for the MCU hero.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is reportedly set to start shooting later this year, with a release planned for July 31, 2026. The movie comes to theaters smack-dab between Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, yet again starring Tom Holland as the iconic web-slinger.
Plot details for Brand New Day are scarce, but there have been whispers that it could be another Multiversal affair for Peter Parker, coming off the massive success of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Joining Holland on his latest MCU adventure will be new-to-the-Spider-Man-franchise director Destin Daniel Cretton, as well as Stranger Things actress Sadie Sink in an undisclosed role.
How Thunderbolts* Sets Up Spider-Man 4
Given that both Thunderbolts* and Spider-Man 4 are set in New York City, one can assume the consequences of the new MCU team-up will be addressed in Tom Holland's 2026 web-headed adventure.
One way it could do so is by directly connecting the climactic battle of the former with the opening scene of the latter.
While Spider-Man/Peter Parker did not appear in Thunderbolts*, that does not mean the teenage hero was not present for The Void's shadowy attack on the Big Apple.
The terrifying turn of events saw Lewis Pullman's Thunderbolts* villain trap the citizens of New York City in a never-ending hellscape of their own trauma. For characters like Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, it resulted in seeing her first kill as a child over and over again, while for The Void himself (aka Sentry/Bob), it was watching his parents fight from above hour after hour.
If Peter Parker were home at the time of The Void's attack, then he, too, would have been caught in the big bad's anxiety-inducing snare.
This very well could set up the character living out his worst day over and over again to kick off Spider-Man 4, which likely would include the death of his Uncle Ben (someone fans have not seen properly in the MCU).
Getting caught in The Void's attack could be the perfect excuse for the MCU to take a stab at the Uncle Ben story without recounting Spider-Man's entire origins, which is why Ben Parker has not popped up in a Marvel Studios Spider-Man movie to date.
Fans saw Peter lose his Aunt May in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but Uncle Ben remains a blind spot for the franchise, so why not twist it by forcing Peter to live out some of his past trauma in a crossover with the Thunderbolts* timeline?
Then, as the New Avengers team (read more about the Thunderbolts' new name here) defeats The Void off-screen, Holland's Peter could be pulled out of this shadowy daze, reminded of why he started doing the whole friendly neighborhood superhero thing in the first place.
Given how significant an event The Void's New York attack was, wiping out an entire city essentially for minutes, one would assume Spider-Man 4 would have to at least address it, and this could be the perfect way to do so while forwarding the MCU's Spider-Man story as well.
