Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness could be the perfect place for Tobey Maguire to return to the role of Spider-Man. The upcoming sequel to 2016’s Doctor Strange is said to be full of surprises. Hopefully once it can get its behind-the-scenes troubles squared away, following the exit of director Scott Derrickson, fans will get an idea of the direction the film will go. Doctor Strange 2 is set to be the first Marvel Cinematic Universe film to really embrace the horror genre (though not as much as originally thought), as the Sorcerer Supreme navigates the multiverse, an aspect of the story that could lead to some exciting possibilities. In the midst of the insanity, some familiar faces could very well pop up.

In the multiverse anything and everything can and will happen. The possibilities are quite literally endless as countless worlds and realities coexist and occasionally collide. Alternate timelines and different takes on fan-favorite Marvel characters all exist in the same realm, often unbeknownst to one another. This is an idea that has been hinted at in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but never fully explored. Doctor Strange’s incoming exploits within it have a unique opportunity to follow-up on a Spider-Man universe previously thought dead, thanks to its new director.

With director Sam Raimi in talks for Doctor Strange 2, Tobey Maguire could don the red and blue one more time. His rendition of Spider-Man from 2002-2007 was immensely important in the world of superhero cinema and helped one of the most popular Marvel characters dig deeper into mainstream popularity. Fans have clamored for his return for years, and with the mind behind the iconic Spider-Man trilogy set to helm the Doctor Strange sequel, it seems more likely than ever that he could swing his way back to the big screen thanks to the multiverse, where it’s entirely possible Maguire’s Spider-Man exists.

This theory does not stop at Raimi’s involvement, as a sneaky Doctor Strange reference in 2004’s Spider-Man 2 by Daily Bugle chief J. Jonah Jameson only further hints that the two universes could converge down the line. Though we never see him, J.J. confirms Strange is already in operation at some capacity in this time line (hence why Doc Ock was ultimately not given the moniker), so there is some awareness of him in the original Spider-Man films. Could this reference be retroactively turned into a multiverse-related event set in the MCU? Or does the film simply reference a totally different Stephen Strange from that particular continuity? Hopefully time will tell.

Many fans thought a Tobey Maguire return as Spider-Man would be best served for the forthcoming Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse sequel, but there is just as plausible and fitting option here. Although Marvel Studios’ deal with Sony might not allow for such a moment, no matter how brief, the idea would not seem too out of place. This would also be a great way to catch up with the original big screen web-head, or even conclude his story from the cancelled Spider-Man 4. No matter the context, seeing the Spider-Man of so many people’s childhood in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness at any level would be incredible and make a great many fans of the wall-crawler very happy.

More: MCU Theory: Morbius Was Hidden In Spider-Man: Homecoming

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