One of the most appealing aspects of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the interconnectedness of its films, allowing characters to make appearances in each other’s movies. We’ve seen Falcon in Ant-Man, Captain America in Thor: The Dark Side, and most recently, Iron Man in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Instead of following a linear progression, Marvel movies are like pieces of a puzzle, each contributing to a larger, interconnected story.
Spider-Man: Homecoming’s Alternate Ferry Scene
At San Diego Comic-Con, unused concept art for Spider-Man: Homecoming revealed an alternate version of the movie’s iconic Ferry scene. In the theatrical version, Peter Parker tries to stop weapon dealers from selling their deadly merchandise to a street gang that includes MacDonald Gargan (the future MCU’s Scorpion). However, things go awry when the criminals discover Spider-Man’s presence, and a stray Chitauri laser shot slices the ferry in half.
Despite Spider-Man’s best efforts, he fails to keep the ferry together, and Iron Man swoops in to save the day. But originally, Iron Man wasn’t the only Avenger in the scene.
Vision and War Machine: The Cameos That Never Were
The initial concept included Vision and War Machine assisting Iron Man. Given their connections to Iron Man—Vision being created from Jarvis, Iron Man’s old A.I., and War Machine being his best friend—it makes sense that they would be the ones to help him. While their inclusion would have made the film feel grander, Marvel ultimately made the right decision in cutting their cameos.
Adding more A-list characters would have shifted the focus away from the unique relationship between Iron Man and Peter Parker. Instead of emphasizing Tony’s mentorship of Peter and Peter’s struggle to live up to his late uncle’s memory, the scene would have become about the superhero establishment’s distrust of the new kid on the block.
Addressing War Machine’s Fate
Including Vision and War Machine would have also glossed over a significant plot point from Captain America: Civil War: the fate of Colonel Rhodes. In the film, a stray shot from Vision during the climactic airport fight scene results in a catastrophic spine injury that takes War Machine out of commission. Later, Doctor Stephen Strange considers treating his wounds after a crippling car accident. Fans are left wondering if War Machine will return to action in Infinity War.
If the alternate scene is to be believed, the answer is yes. However, this particular scene in Spider-Man: Homecoming was not the right place to address that question. It’s also possible that the scene was written before the severity of Rhodes’ injury was finalized, making it non-canonical with the final outcome.
Iron Man: The Only Hero Needed
In the end, Iron Man was the only hero needed in the scene. While Spider-Man was clearly overwhelmed, Iron Man didn’t require any backup to save the day. By keeping the focus on Iron Man and Peter, the film avoided the distractions of Rhodes’ miraculous recovery and Vision’s emotional state after nearly killing his teammate. Marvel’s decision to cut Vision and War Machine’s cameos allowed Spider-Man: Homecoming to maintain its focus on the central relationship between Iron Man and Peter Parker, ultimately making it a stronger film.
