Spider-Man: Homecoming is finally here, and with it, we get a proper introduction of the wall-crawler into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Helping him get used to the water -- as you probably already know from certain unsubtle advertising -- is Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man. Tony Stark is serving as a mentor figure in Homecoming but he probably won't be around to help in the sequel. A recent report claims that Marvel wants a different MCU character to fill that role, and though the sequel (and plenty more Marvel movies) are still years away, we've got some ideas.
Spider-Man is no stranger to the team-up in comics, having partnered up with pretty much every hero under the sun. There are no shortage of characters in the MCU, but not all of them make sense popping up in Spider-Man: Homecoming 2. Whoever does eventually get the honor will likely be determined by who has the best chemistry with Spidey after Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4, but for now, these seem like the most promising and interesting candidates.
Ant-Man
Ant-Man and Spider-Man already crossed paths in Captain America: Civil War on opposite sides of the battlefield, but man, was it memorable. Spider-Man battling Giant-Man was one of the absolute highlights of the movie, and it would be really fun to see that dynamic explored more in the Homecoming sequel. Maybe Spider-Man needs just a little help pulling off a heist and turns to Scott Lang for assistance. If he's Tom Holland's top pick, then who are we to say no?
Doctor Strange
The Master of the Mystic Arts seems to be most peoples No. 1 pick for the sequel spot. Doctor Strange's house is just a couple swings away for Spider-Man, so it does make sense that the two would interact. The mysticism of Doctor Strange's world is definitely out of Spider-Man's wheelhouse, but maybe that's exactly why they team-up. Spidey has tangled with magic in the comics before, and one of his villains, Morbius the Living Vampire, is frequently requested to appear in live action. Or maybe Spidey needs Doctor Strange's opinion to figure out if Mysterio is the real deal or not. If Peter gets along with Tony Stark, than he should have no problem with Stephen Strange: The Tony Stark of magic.
Captain America
While Peter Parker may admire the science of Iron Man, his morals fall a bit more in line with Captain America. It would be interesting to see Peter mentored by two of the pillars of the MCU, each with pretty different attitudes and teaching styles. Spider-Man and Cap also had a fun rapport during their brief scuffle in Captain America: Civil War (Queens vs. Brooklyn). However, Chris Evans has hinted that he may be ready to move on from the MCU once his contract is fulfilled and who knows if Steve Rogers is making it through Avengers: Infinity War in one piece. Even if the role of Captain America is assumed by, say, Bucky Barnes or Falcon, it would be cool to see one of them in Homecoming 2.
The Hulk
Due to the weird and still-confusing circumstances of the Hulk's movie rights, the character tends to only appear in films where he isn't the headliner -- take, for example, Thor: Ragnarok. In that way , it makes sense to have the Green Goliath share the screen with Spider-Man in a future movie. Plus, Peter shares a love of science with Hulk's wordier alter ego, Bruce Banner. No doubt Peter could bond with the other half of the Science Bros. It would also present Spider-Man with the interesting challenge of working with someone as powerful and uncontrollable as the Hulk.
Black Widow
Keeping the bug theme rolling, Black Widow may not seem like the typical choice for this type of role, but that might just be why she's perfect. Black Widow has one of the more fascinating arcs of all the Avengers. To see her go from a cold-blooded assassin to taking the bright future of the MCU under her wing would be so interesting to watch. Black Widow is from the school of hard knocks, and she has plenty to teach Spider-Man about some of the darker aspects of superhero-ing. If Natasha isn't busy with her own solo film by Phase 4 (come on, Marvel), then she would make an excellent choice to continue mentoring Peter.
Daredevil
Dare to dream, people. If there's any character that makes the most logical sense to appear in a Spider-Man movie, it's Daredevil. Both are New York City vigilantes, both have secret identities, and they both share a common enemy in the Kingpin (also, while we're on this topic, put Kingpin in the movie). Matt Murdock isn't perfect by any means, but he might be the only hero in the MCU who really understands the whole dual identity thing. The seemingly humongous gulf between the TV and movie departments of Marvel make this a logistical improbability, but a lot can happen in the three or so years until the Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel.
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