Fans are in a frenzy after Sony released the Spider-Man 2 trailer and seemed to give some major hints about the main Avengers franchise. The main question currently consuming everyone is whether the events of Far From Home predate Avengers 3 or not. The trailer showed Nick Fury and Maria Hill alive and well, but this could mean it is set before they died in Infinity War or after they have somehow been brought back in Endgame. Only one single moment in the entire trailer actual shows any date at all, when Peter has to arrange a new passport so he can travel abroad.
This scene is a huge delight simply because it contains the line: “Peter Parker here to pick up a passport, please.” His passport main page is then shown.
The scene only appears in the US trailer, not the International one. Instead, non-US fans get a scene in the airport where Peter shows his passport.
What is crucial is that both trailers have gone to great trouble to flash a clear image of the dates on his passport. A passport which, it turns out, would not get past any border control in the world.
Eagle-eyed fans immediately spotted a major problem.
In the image shown in both trailers, Peter’s birthdate is shown as August 10, but no year is given.
Similarly, the passport issue and expiry dates are July 19 and July 18 but no years are given.
What is going on?
When Sony Pictures Spider-Man producer Amy Pascal announced the filming of Far From Home last year, she said: “We are starting now the next one which will start a few minutes after Avengers 4 wraps as a story.”
Marvel recently attempted to clear up timeline issues by releasing an authorised chronology of all the MCU films. Unfortunately, while it corrected the original Spider-Man Homecoming time jump mistake, it still contained several confusing dates.
Even so, if the Avengers movies have finally reached the present day, then Far From Home should take place in 2018. Which means the start date on Peter’s passport should also be 2018. The film is released in July which just about allows it to show the students heading off on their summer holidays.
By deliberately showing an impossible passport with no dates on it, Sony must have been obeying some dictate from Marvel. Which completely reopens the debate about when the film is set.
What are they hiding?
Avengers Endgame is released in UK cinemas on April 26. Spider-Man Far From Home is out on July 5.