A new Sony's animated Spider-Verse franchise branched out into alternate realities in 2018's Into the Spider-Verse. While this has been exciting, the introduction of wild parallel worlds has created some complex and confusing stories, but Marvel has a great way to clear up some discrepancies.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and its sequel have been two of the most successful Marvel movies developed by Sony, set outside the live-action SSU, which faltered at almost every turn. However, these animated spectacles aren't without their problems, especially when it comes to exploring the actual concepts of the multiverse and trying to establish connections to other Spider-Man franchises. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse might have created a major MCU plot hole, but a new theory suggests there is one brilliant way to make sense of this major mistake.
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Got 1 Huge Thing Wrong About The MCU
Spider-Man 2099 Referenced Earth-199999
Released in 2023, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse made an attempt to bridge the gap between Sony's animated Marvel franchise and the Marvel Cinematic Universe itself. When Miles Morales found himself in the Spider Society and coming face-to-face with Miguel O'Hara's Spider-Man 2099, the Society's leader commented on the damage caused by "Doctor Strange and the little nerd from Earth-199999." This referenced the former universe designation for the MCU's Sacred Timeline, which fans suggested was Earth-199999, but this is actually not the case.
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Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness confirmed that the MCU's main continuity is actually designated Earth-616. The MCU was suggested to be Earth-199999 by Marvel Comics in a 2008 handbook, but Marvel Studios has officially named it Earth-616, with the live-action MCU being a direct adaptation of the Earth-616 from the comics, and not another reality in the Marvel Comics multiverse. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse made this designation much more confusing by implying Earth-199999 is canon, but a new theory posits a way this can still make sense.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Is Set On Earth-199999: Spider-Verse Theory Explained
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Debuted A New Peter Parker
A new theory shared by Hudson Thames' Peter Parker forces with Doctor Strange to take on a Symbiote creature attacking Midtown High and Oscorp. During their battle, the pair caused a huge amount of destruction, and perhaps even meddled with multiversal affairs, given their time traveling and dimensional disturbances.
This means that it would make a lot of sense for Spider-Man 2099 to address the events of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man in Across the Spider-Verse, implying the former could be set on Earth-199999. Peter Parker's origin story in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man followed similar beats to his multiversal counterparts' backstories, but wouldn't have happened had it not been for Doctor Strange's time travel. This means it might have caught the Spider Society's attention for the same reasons as Miles Morales becoming Spider-Man, which also was not supposed to occur.
What This Spider-Verse Theory Sets Up For Spider-Man’s MCU Future
The Future Is Bright For The Spider-Verse
This theory gives more significance to the storyline of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man when considering the wider stories of the Spider-Verse franchise and the MCU itself. If Miguel O'Hara has already referenced how annoying the actions of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange were, it's possible these events could have a bigger impact on both franchises. The sequel, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, could feature an appearance by Hudson Thames' Spider-Man, or the Spider Society could appear in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man season 2.
Marvel Studios has continually doubled-down on the fact that the MCU is indeed set primarily on Earth-616, no matter what some self-assured fans might suggest. This means there's no way that Spider-Man 2099 could have been referencing the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home in Across the Spider-Verse without creating a massive plot hole. This theory provides a seamless way for Marvel to explain this discrepancy and give more significance to Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, which could create more bridges to Spider-Man variants across the multiverse.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
- Release Date
- January 29, 2025
- Network
- Disney+
- Writers
- Charlie Neuner
Cast
Hudson ThamesPeter Parker / Spider-Man (voice)
May Parker (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
- Franchise(s)
- Spider-Man
- Creator(s)
- Jeff Trammell
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