Spoilers for What Happens If...? episode five. And if...? Episode five, the latest entry in Marvel's Disney Plus animated show, did something other MCU productions couldn't. More specifically, the fifth installment of What If...? A key Spider-Man character was brought up 5 years after the webslinger's introduction to the MCU (thanks, GamesRadar). Midway through Episode Five, a story introducing the Marvel Zombies comic series to the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse (MCM), Peter Parker finally makes reference to a particular loved one. He sure can guess who he is, but if he doesn't want to be spoiled for surprise, he's back now as we head into major spoiler territory. As the leftover Avengers travel to a city where a cure for zombies has reportedly been found, Spider-Man lies to Uncle Ben while delivering a speech to Hope Van Dyne. When Van Dyne asks how he stays so positive, Peter replies, "Handy, I guess. My mom, dad, Uncle Ben, Mr. Stark... I've lost a lot. But my Aunt May says 'If we don't. Let's not keep smiling when they can't, then we might as well leave.'" Unsurprisingly, Marvel fans took to social media to express their relief that Uncle Ben was mentioned at the end of the MCU. Really, it was about time.
UNCLE BEN ???? #WhatIf #WhatIfZombies pic.twitter.com/L3IIsjvayGSSeptember 8, XNUMX See More
Analysis: Uncle Ben's appearance in What If...? is essential to the MCU
(Image credit: Marvel Studios/Sony) Spider-Man's mention of Uncle Ben is the first time the character has been discussed in the MCU. So while his name is only part of Peter's list, it's still a momentous occasion for Marvel fans. The only other MCU reference to Uncle Ben came in Spider-Man: Far From Home. In his second solo Marvel movie, Peter (Tom Holland) uses Uncle Ben's old suitcase on his trip to Europe but, thus far, the character hasn't been mentioned by name. This distressed certain Marvel fans. Understandably, we haven't told (or even needed to) Spidey's origin story, for the third time in twenty years, as a part of his MCU arc. Audiences know what happens to Uncle Ben before Peter Parker transforms into Spider-Man, so we shouldn't have retreaded the old earth. Even so, it would have been appropriate to hear the previously mentioned character. Uncle Ben has played a much bigger role in the live-action Spider-Man projects than his comic book counterpart, but a name here or there wouldn't have gone amiss. This is what makes his appearance in What If...? fundamental. The showrunners of the series have confirmed (via IGN) that the events of the series are prescriptive in the MCU, despite taking place in alternate universes to the prime timeline. So that offers confirmation (if you need it) that Uncle Ben existed in the MCU before Spider-Man was introduced to Captain America: Civil War. Now that he's been mentioned in the Marvel animated series, there's a good chance that Holland's version of the wallcrawler may talk about him to a point in No Way Home. Since the third solo Spider-Man movie might be his most emotional yet, this would be the perfect time to finally bring Uncle Ben into a live-action MCU production, especially if other Spider-Men are a part of the mix., as they claim. . The best Disney + packages and deals of the day