Instead the movie ends by opening the door to a different type of friendship with Ned, just as it did a different type of relationship with MJ. Or, in other words, the ending saw Peter finally grow up.

The ending of Peter’s arcs with MJ and Ned completed his transition from not just high school, but the previous MCU Spider-Man movies. Those three films made use of Peter’s status as a high schooler, both in their supporting cast of teachers and friends and in set-pieces built around prom and school trips.

But now, Peter’s free to make new relationships, which has always been one of the most interesting parts of Spider-Man comics. Of course, this Peter has not yet met his best friends from the comics, Harry Osborn, son of Norman. That may be because Norman and Harry don’t exist in the MCU—Willem Dafoe‘s Osborn said as much when he visited the universe in No Way Home—but it also means that Harry can be Peter’s adult friend, not an old pal he somehow knew back in school.

Even more exciting are other pals from the comic that Peter has yet to meet, from girlfriends Felicia Hardy (aka Black Cat), Gwen Stacy, and Carlie Cooper to mentor Robbie Robertson and his son Randy, or fellow scientists Max Modell and Hector Baez. Like all young adults, Peter has to realize that there’s a whole world for him beyond high school. Perhaps most important of all, this version of Spider-Man has fully moved out of the shadow of his mentor Tony Stark, which can change the ways he interacts with his villains.

Bring on the Bad Guys

Peter’s move into adulthood also opens the way for a different set of bad guys. Both Homecoming and Far From Home had incredible villain performances, strong takes gave well-known baddies from the early days of the comic, under the direction of Steve Ditko and Stan Lee, refreshing twists. However, both Vulture and Mysterio were fundamentally laborers who had a grudge with Tony Stark, making Spider-Man a class-warrior for the rich. No Way Home didn’t have Spidey fight the working class, but he was saddled with retreads of other villains who fought other Spider-Men, all of whom were also from the Ditko era.

Brand New Day gave Spidey a different type of conflict. His mistakes pit him against the desperate mutant Jean Grey, and when he realized his error, he fought against an oppressive government organization in the form of Damage Control, complete with its army of Hand Ninjas. Even if the movie ended with Peter still very much aligned with the police, it still put him on the side of the downtrodden and vulnerable and against more powerful enemies.