«Spider-Man: New Day isn't just another run-of-the-mill adventure for Peter Parker. Following the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, he's left without support and struggling with a mutation that threatens to upend his entire life. The situation is further complicated by the emergence of new villains in New York, including Tombstone, Boomerang, and Scorpion.
All these changes force Spider-Man to rethink his approach to crime-fighting. He's even willing to team up with Frank Castle, known as the Punisher, who's famous for sending villains to the morgue instead of prison.
It's refreshing to see Marvel Studios willing to take arguably its most important character in a completely new direction, rather than sticking to tried-and-true methods. In today's entertainment world, there's simply no other way to survive, as audiences are increasingly unwilling to settle for formulaic content.
However, the approach to rebirth shouldn't be limited to Spider-Man alone. A number of Marvel Cinematic Universe heroes are in dire need of a fresh start, whether due to the failure of their previous project or a string of misfortunes.
Heroes who should be given a fresh start in life by the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Ant-Man
Scott Lang was at the height of his fame heading into Phase 5. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania not only served as the first film of this phase, but also properly introduced Kang, who was intended to be the second major villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel Studios pitched the battle between Ant-Man and the Conqueror as an all-out brawl that could end in one or more deaths. However, the final product proved disappointing, focusing more on jokes than on moving the franchise forward.
The last time audiences saw Ant-Man, he feared Kang's return and was ready to confront him again. Of course, Jonathan Majors' public departure from the franchise ruled out the possibility of a rematch.
Ant-Man did survive, landing a role in Avengers: Judgment Day. But relegating him to a supporting role in team-up films isn't what he deserves. His solo career needs a major overhaul that recaptures the magic of the first two films while also offering something new.
Thor
The God of Thunder found himself in a similar situation to Ant-Man. Taika Waititi and his team were over the moon after the success of Thor: Ragnarok, so much so that they decided to up the comedic tone in their next project, Thor: Love and Thunder. Unfortunately, the film failed to find a balance between humor and dark themes, leaving many fans unsatisfied.
In Avengers: Doomsday, Thor returns to battle the terrifying villain Doctor Doom. And judging by the film's limited promotional campaign, the Asgardian is fully focused on his role this time around, ditching his constant witty one-liners and acting more like he did in Avengers: Infinity War.
Whether this shift in attitude toward Thor will succeed remains to be seen. However, if Thor survives the events of "Doomsday" and "Avengers: Secret Wars," another solo film is certainly on the horizon. Whoever Marvel Studios hires to work on this project will have to be prepared to work hard to ensure the right tone.
Hulk
While researching his mutation in "New Day," Peter Parker turns to Bruce Banner in hopes the scientist can shed light on what's happening. The former Avenger may or may not have answers. But the world knows one thing for sure: in the upcoming film, Banner will lose control and unleash the real Hulk.
Since losing the battle to Thanos in Infinity War, Banner has been keeping the Hulk in check by merging with him to create Smart Hulk. He also created a device to completely remove his alter ego, which will likely fail at some point during the events of New Day.
Once the green cat is out of the bag, Kevin Feige and his team should unleash him again. Rights issues may continue to force the Hulk to remain a supporting character in other heroes' stories. That doesn't mean he can't face new challenges that will set him on a more interesting path than the one he's been on for most of the last decade.
Captain America
Doomsday will feature not one, but two Captain Americas: Chris Evans' Steve Rogers will return to the battlefield for the first time since Avengers: Endgame. It will be a joy to see Steve and Sam Wilson back on the battlefield, as they have been one of the most effective duos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But their reunion comes with its own set of complications.
After Sam spent the entirety of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier proving himself worthy of the shield, Captain America: Brave New World threw him headfirst into the mix. He had to battle the Serpent Leader, Sidewinder, the Leader, and the Red Hulk. Though Sam fought them all, the film never truly felt like a sequel, feeling more like The Incredible Hulk than anything else.
Marvel Studios had a chance to rectify the situation by casting Sam in the lead role in Doomsday. The marketing campaign so far has clearly failed to create the impression that he's the main character, with all the attention focused on Doom, Thor, Mr. Fantastic, and the X-Men. Once the dust settles and the multiverse is safe, it will be Captain America's turn to take center stage and begin forging his own legacy.
Captain Marvel
Even the shocking post-credits scene, which marked the debut of one of the X-Team members in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, couldn't save "Marvels." The idea of bringing together Carol Danvers, Kamala Khan, and Monica Rambeau sounded good on paper, especially after the successful first season of "Ms. Marvel." However, the film failed to make an impression, largely due to an uneven plot and inappropriate humor.
One failed project shouldn't be the final nail in Captain Marvel's coffin. The comics are full of gripping stories in which the heroine accomplishes incredible feats across the galaxy.
In fact, Marvel Studios' leadership needs to focus on creating a villain who can stand up to Danvers on equal terms. The MCU can only weaken her so many times before the problem becomes less about her weaknesses and more about the management's inability to handle an overpowered character because they don't know what to do with her.