Why Kang the Conqueror May Have Wiped Out the MCU's Spider-Verse Before Becoming He Who Remains

I think Kang the Conqueror already killed off almost every Spider-Man variant in the multiverse long before he ever became He Who Remains, and on this episode of Rogue Theory I laid out why that theory might explain something fans have been quietly noticing: with Kang the Conqueror about to arrive in Quantumania, we still have not seen much of the Spider-Man multiverse, and America Chavez did not even know what a Spider-Man was in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

This matters because if I am right, it would connect three of the MCU's biggest multiverse stories, Loki, No Way Home and the future Into the Spider-Verse films, into one hidden war that happened before the timeline we know even began.

My Theory: Kang Killed Every Spider-Man Before He Became He Who Remains

My reasoning starts with what we learned from Loki, that He Who Remains created the Sacred Timeline as a strict single branch, wiping out any other possibility. That implies the timeline was not always this restricted, that it used to branch out freely before this version of Kang won some kind of great war. My theory is that Peter Parker is the only Spider-Man left in the Sacred Timeline because Kang looked at the Spider-People across the multiverse, saw them as the Spider-Verse champions with a great weapon of destiny, and decided that was not happening in his 616. As I put it on the show, "here we don't play that, we don't do that over here," so he wiped them all out, except for Tom Holland's Peter Parker, who Kang apparently decided would be fine because "he's gonna have his problems over here" anyway. I also floated that this could repeat in a future Spider-Verse movie, with Kang visiting a neighboring universe to do it all again.

Eddie Ties the Theory to a Nexus Event in No Way Home

Eddie Villanueva backed up the idea, pointing to what he called Nexus points that people tend to overlook, specifically the events of WandaVision and Loki. Eddie argued that the moment in Spider-Man: No Way Home when the spell rips open reality could be happening simultaneously with those other Nexus events, which would explain why other Spider-Man variants might be gone. However, Eddie believes Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire's Spider-Men survived because they were outside that specific event when it happened, calling them possibly "the last three" Spider-Men, which he thinks could set up a future Spider-Verse sequel where all three finally come together because everyone else is gone.

Tobey and Andrew Survived Because They Were Busy on the Statue of Liberty

Building on that, Eddie suggested it plays out almost like a time heist, with Kang wiping out the other Spider-Men while the three live-action Spider-Men were busy with the Statue of Liberty rescue in No Way Home. As I joked on the show, they just happened to be dealing with Tom Holland's situation that week so they did not get zapped, and Eddie added that this timing conveniently means nobody has to worry about explaining new casting, since the story could wait until the end of a film to reveal what happened.

Could the War Spill Into Madame Web and the Inheritors?

Whitney van Laningham raised the possibility that Madame Web could tie into this, since the character sits at a point where people can cross between multiverses, and some of the rumored plot beats for that film reportedly involve multiple Spider-Women trying to save Peter Parker before he is ever bitten. Whitney floated the idea of a secretive Kang crossover between Disney, Marvel and Sony in that movie, or at least a post credits scene opening the door for Kang to wipe out more Spider-people. I suggested that if Kang is running this war, he is probably hiring generals or mercenaries to fight it for him, which led Whitney to bring up the Inheritors, the vampire-like villains from the original Into the Spider-Verse, as possible hired hands, alongside jokes about Morbius factoring in as well.

Secret Wars Could Finally Bring Sony's Spider-Verse Into the MCU

Eddie argued that Madame Web being a multiversal character means she almost has to tie into this larger narrative, especially after Morbius already folded Adrian Toomes into its ending, which Eddie said effectively cements Sony's characters as part of the MCU even if those films do not perform well individually. Looking further ahead, Eddie predicted that Secret Wars could bring in the animated Spider-Man, integrating Miles Morales into that story now that Marvel and Sony are cinematic partners, arguing that after Sony has benefited most from that partnership so far, it is now Marvel Studios' turn to bring in some spider-verse style animated action of its own, similar to what they have already done with What If.

The Verdict: Rogus or Bogus?

When it came time to vote, Whitney called it rogus, joking that Kang gets to team up with Madame Web and then take out all the Spider-Men because of Jared Leto's Morbius. Tommy also voted rogus, and Eddie agreed it was rogus as well, adding that this is exactly the kind of narrative he expects Sony to lean into as they try to fold themselves further into the MCU, possibly even through a future Into the Spider-Verse film that serves as a prequel to this whole idea.

Tommy's Rogue Theory: Darth Maul Is Behind the Door in The Mandalorian Season 3

Tommy then pitched his own Rogue Theory about The Mandalorian season 3 trailer, specifically the moment showing four Jedi sabers drawn on a mysterious sparking blade coming through a door. Tommy argued that is Darth Maul, reasoning that Maul currently holds the Darksaber, that Maul hates Palpatine, and that Palpatine wants Grogu's blood since Grogu survived Order 66. Tommy's theory is that Maul cuts down the door and the Jedi, takes Grogu, and the two end up in a reluctant Yondu and Peter Quill style relationship, with a flashback this season showing Maul awkwardly carrying Grogu around unsure what to do with him.

Eddie Connects Maul and Grogu to Ezra Bridger's Story in Star Wars Rebels

Whitney liked the idea, noting that Maul and Palpatine are actively warring at this point and that Maul might not yet know Palpatine already killed his brother Savage, which would only make him angrier. Eddie built on Tommy's pitch by connecting it to Star Wars Rebels, suggesting this period could mirror Maul's later relationship with Ezra Bridger, essentially arguing that Maul learning to deal with a child through Grogu could explain why his dynamic with Ezra plays out the way it does in Rebels. Whitney and Eddie both voted this rogus, with Whitney joking she would only fully approve if the show gives Maul his spider-leg crab walk from the animated series.

The Rogue Question: Our Wildest Awards for 2022

To close the episode, we handed out our own alternate awards for 2022. Tommy gave his award to Samaritan, joking that the Sylvester Stallone superhero movie felt like it was written by an AI trained on a hundred hours of Stallone's acting, citing the moment Stallone shoves a bomb into a villain and says "have a blast." Eddie gave a Best Bromance award to RRR's two leads, plus an award for best moment of multiple animals leaping out of a single container, also to RRR, before giving Halloween Ends a should have stopped at two award for the trilogy's misfiring third entry.

Do you think Kang really wiped out the MCU's Spider-Verse before the Sacred Timeline began, or is Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire surviving the Statue of Liberty scene one twist too many?