One of the most exciting aspects about Spider-Man: No Way Home is that it united Tom Holland’s Spider-Man with the versions of the character portrayed by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. While this is a momentous occasion, it also included a few other massive revelations.
For example, it was revealed that neither Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield have an Avengers team in their respective universes.
As revealed in this dialogue sequence from the film:
Tom Holland: “I don’t want to brag, but I will: I was in the Avengers.”
Tobey Maguire: “The Avengers? That’s great! What is that?”
Tom Holland: “Wait, you don’t have the Avengers?”
Andrew Garfield: “Is that a band? Are you in a band?”
Now a theory has surfaced which explains just why Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield have an Avengers team. At least, that is, not yet. In particular, the theory for Tobey Maguire’s universe is quite simple. It suggests that there could be other superheroes like those that make up the MCU’s Avengers – they just aren’t well-known.
This can be inferred from a moment when J. Jonah Jameson and Hoffman are trying to come up with the title that eventually becomes Doctor Octopus. At one point, Hoffman suggests “Doctor Strange.” J. Jonah Jameson’s next response is very interesting:
“That’s pretty good. But it’s taken!”
While this was originally just a quick gag, Spider-Man: No Way Home shows that Tobey Maguire’s universe really is much bigger than it once was. As such, it seems possible there could be a legitimate Doctor Strange operating within his universe. This version of Strange just hasn’t had the opportunity to join any kind of sensationalized superhero team. Indeed, while Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is one of the newer superheroes to join the Avengers in his universe – it could simply be the opposite for Tobey Maguire. Perhaps his Spider-Man is the first big superhero to become well-known, and other potential Avengers will eventually follow.
As for Andrew Garfield’s universe, the theory is somewhat different. Particularly because it was once discussed to bring Oscorp Tower into the skyline of The Avengers in 2012. This shows that the studios were willing to work together long before they came to terms on Tom Holland’s arrival in the MCU.
Ultimately, it seems likely that Avengers teams will one day arrive in both Tobey and Andrew’s universes. It’s only a matter of time. Of course, it’s still unclear if we’d ever get to see these teams the same way we see those in the MCU – but at this point, anything is possible.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: No Way Home is currently playing in theaters.