One Spider-Man story was deemed too dark for Marvel's What If..? Inspired by a popular concept straight from the comics, Marvel's What If..? takes advantage of the Multiverse to introduce viewers to strange, twisted versions of the MCU they know and love. There's a timeline in which Peggy Carter becomes a super-soldier instead of Steve Rogers. Tony Stark partners with Killmonger and even a version of the MCU inspired by the "Marvel Zombies" comics.
Naturally, not every idea was signed off on by Marvel Studios. Head writer A.C. Bradley admitted one What If..? story was too close to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and so had to be dropped. Meanwhile, Marvel Studios rightly decided not to let the creative team use Star Wars characters, insisting the two franchises should remain separate.
In an interview with the Post-Credit Podcast, A.C. Bradley has just identified another pitch that was dropped - because it was too dark for the MCU.
A couple of episodes that were a little too dark. There was an original 'What If' run where Spider-Man turns into a real spider, and that was just too dark and too body horror for... PG-13.
There is a classic arc in the comics in which Spider-Man began to mutate, growing six arms and ultimately transforms into a Man-Spider. This story arc formed the basis for a much-loved run in the classic '90s Spider-Man: The Animated Series, which even featured a Spider-Man/X-Men crossover. But Bradley points explicitly to inspiration from What If..? comics, meaning she's most likely referring to What If..? #88 - a story that is most certainly too dark for PG-13. That story saw Peter Parker and his son mutate into monstrous, cannibalistic creatures who were forced to flee to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters before their animalistic mutations overwhelmed their humanity. By Ben Raab and Ariel Olivetti, the plot could be described as "body-horror."
Marvel Studios toyed with a similar idea in 2014's Edge of Spider-Verse #4, which featured variants of Spider-Man from across the Multiverse. Written by Clay McLeod Chapman and featuring art by Elia Bonetti, this story introduced a twisted "Reverse Spider-Man," an abused teen bitten by a genetically engineered spider and transformed into something far less than human. Again, this was a "body-horror" approach to Spider-Man, but this time it culminated in the teen assaulting a girl he'd become fixated on. He was killed by the dimension-jumping Morlun, but not before he had implanted eggs within the girl that hatched from her face.
It's no surprise Marvel Studios decided comics like What If..? #88 and Edge of Spider-Verse #4 shouldn't serve as inspiration for the upcoming MCU animated series. Marvel's What If..? may be featuring some horror tropes, notably with "Marvel Zombies" ideas, but the studio doesn't want kids to become afraid of Spider-Man.
Source: Post-Credit Podcast
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