New Rumors Suggest 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' Will Introduce Gwen Stacy After All: Is Spider-Gwen On The Cards?

2017 is proving to be a Marvel fan's dream come true. We're less than a month away from the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2; the trailer for Thor: Ragnarok was so mind-blowing that it's broken Marvel and Disney records for number of views; and in July, we're due to see Tom Holland star in his first solo Spider-Man film!

Marvel recently hosted an event in Tokyo, and it looks as though they've revealed a lot of details that will leave fans thrilled — such as the inclusion of the Daily Bugle!

But here's the most interesting thing of all. In a (now-deleted) tweet (the remnants of which can still be found on Cosmic Book News), this same source seemingly confirmed a fan-favorite theory:

ANGOURICE RICE CONFIRMED AS GWEN STACY TOO.

Is Angourice Rice Actually Gwen Stacy?

Angourice Rice's role in Spider-Man: Homecoming has been cloaked in mystery, but it didn't take eagle-eyed fans long to spot her sporting a very familiar look in the first trailer. Here's the thing, though; there have been persistent rumors (even after the trailer) that Rice is actually playing the #MCU version of Betty Brant (another, less famous, Spider-Man love interest). These rumors have originated from pretty reputable sites, including Marvelous Realm (which got a lot of the Homecoming casting right, so has a good track-record on this subject).

If this tweet from Tokyo is right, though, Angourice Rice is playing fan-favorite love-interest Gwen Stacy. Interestingly enough, the initial tweet has been deleted, but the Twitter account is retweeting discussions on the subject. It feels almost as though Marvel told them to take that initial tweet down...

What Could Gwen's Character Arc Be?

Homecoming is set in high school, and we know that Peter's actually besotted with Laura Harrier's Liz Allan. In fact, it looks as though he even gets to make the ol' lip-lock at the Homecoming dance (although I'm expecting the Parker Luck to manifest — maybe the Vulture will attack while they're smooching or something). But if Marvel does introduce Gwen Stacy in Spider-Man: Homecoming, there's only one character fans will want Peter to wind up making out with.

Back in October last year, we were given a tantalizing hint to expect a surprise character who'd shape the future of the franchise.

“... there will be a surprise appearance from a character that is central to the Spider-Man mythos, one who will play a larger role in upcoming films. We just can’t confirm who it is at this time.”

Most guesses have been that this character will be a major ally or enemy, but could it be one of Peter Parker's most important love interests? If so, then we can expect Gwen to play a minor role in Homecoming, but to increase in importance over the next few films.

Here's the catch, though; why would Marvel do this? Although Andrew Garfield's 'Amazing Spider-Man' films weren't the box office success Sony hoped for, the truth is that they've shown fans the relationship between Peter and Gwen, including its tragic (comic-book-accurate) ending. What's more, Emma Stone played the role wonderfully. I don't just want to see a rinse-and-repeat of the Peter Parker / Gwen Stacy relationship.

Unless, of course, Marvel's planning to do something different. The character of Gwen Stacy has been going through something of a renaissance since 2014's 'Spider-Verse' event. That introduced us to an alternate-universe character who fans quickly dubbed Spider-Gwen, and who remains a fan-favorite to this day. Back in 2014, Sony eyed the character's debut with fascination (and were no doubt more than a little frustrated that they'd just killed their Gwen off in The Amazing Spider-Man 2). If Angourice Rice is indeed Gwen Stacy, could she also be Spider-Gwen?

Right now, the truth is that this is only a rumor. Sources I'd otherwise trust have indicated that Angourice Rice is playing Betty Brant; butevidence is mounting that they may well be wrong. After all, let's face it: she most definitely looks like Gwen, right down to the iconic headband. If Marvel does go down this road, though, my dear hope is that they'll give us a story that's very different — very new. Perhaps even by turning Rice into another superhero...

(Source: Marvelous Realm)