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Which Non-MCU Marvel Movies Are Now Canon Within the MCU?


Now that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has officially opened the doors to the Multiverse with Spider-Man: No Way Home, it's time to look at all the non-MCU Marvel movies that are now considered canon within the MCU.

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The 28th film in the unstoppable MCU series is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but there are now at least seven extra movies that technically form part of the franchise! So let's find out which ones they are...

Spider-Man (2002)

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Sam Raimi's first Spider-Man movie was a huge hit, and in many ways reinvented the entire superhero genre, so it's no surprise that Spider-Man: No Way Home saw the long-awaited return of Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker/Spider-Man. The MCU movie also sees Willem Dafoe reprising his role as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin.

Related: All Spider-Man Movie Villains Ranked Worst to Best

Spider-Man 2 (2004)

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If the first Spider-Man movie is now canon within the MCU, then of course its sequel follows suit (no pun intended). Sam Raimi's second Spidey flick sees Tobey Maguire slip back into the sticky spandex, this time facing Dr. Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus, who also appears in Spider-Man: No Way Home, with Alfred Molina reprising his role.

Related: All the Batman Movies Ranked Worst to Best

Spider-Man 3 (2007)

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Despite being widely hated, the franchise-killing Spider-Man 3 is also acknowledged in Spider-Man: No Way Home (without it, we also wouldn't have had The Amazing Spider-Man movies). While Topher Grace is nowhere to be seen as Eddie Brock/Venom, Flint Marko/The Sandman does return, once again played by Thomas Hayden Church.

Related: Where to Watch and Stream all the Batman Movies Online For Free

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

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The Amazing Spider-Man isn't exactly beloved by fans like the first Tobey Maguire movie is, but with that said, it's likely fans will now have a newfound respect for it following Spider-Man: No Way Home. Either way, it's now 100% canon, as Andrew Garfield swings into the MCU movie to reprise his role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man, along with Rhys Ifans' Dr. Curt Connors/The Lizard.

Related: James McAvoy Finally Reveals His Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Status

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

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The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is of course just as canon as the first, despite being just as hated as Spider-Man 3. Dane DeHaan's poor portrayal of Harry Osborn/The Green Goblin thankfully doesn't make an appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but Jamie Foxx's Matt Dillon/Electro does, alongside Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, The Lizard, and The Sandman.

Related: Will Spider-Man: No Way Home Be on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Hulu, or Disney+?

Venom (2018)

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While Sony's Venom movies were in no way connected to any of the Spider-Man movies, that has now changed. In Spider-Man: No Way Home's post-credits scene, Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock/Venom is talking about paying a visit to Tom Holland's Peter Parker. However, he quickly returns to his own dimension, but not before accidentally leaving a piece of black symbiote behind.

Related: Sony Finally Responds to The Amazing Spider-Man 3 Fan Petition

Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)

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If you're wondering why Eddie Brock/Venom was in Tom Holland's dimension in the first place, then wonder no more, because a post-credits scene in Venom: Let There Be Carnage - the 2021 sequel to Venom - reveals that the titular anti-hero is pulled into the MCU timeline as a result of Doctor Strange tampering with the Multiverse, as seen in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Related: Bruce Campbell Isn't Thrilled Spider-Man: No Way Home Left Him Out

Morbius (2022)

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While it has remained a mystery for some time, Sony's upcoming Morbius has officially been confirmed to be set in the same universe as the Venom movies. In turn, this makes it connected with the MCU, however, the fact that Michael Keaton will be reprising his role as Adrian Toomes/The Vulture in Morbius, having played him in Spider-Man: Homecoming, is more than enough proof.

Related: Jared Leto's Morbius Wants to Clash with Tobey, Andrew, and Tom's Spider-Man

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It remains to be seen whether Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness intends to bring even more non-MCU Marvel movies into canonicity, though there are plenty of rumors of the sequel featuring cameos from Hugh Jackman's Logan/Wolverine, as well as Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy reprising their roles as Professor Charles Xavier (although both latter actors are at least confirmed to be appearing in the movie in undisclosed roles), which would mean that the X-Men movies would need to be added to the above list.

One thing's for sure, though - the doors to the Multiverse are now open, so anything is possible.

For more articles like this, take a look at our Marvel, Movies, and Geek Culture pages.