The MCU Finally Mentions This Famous Marvel Character In What If...? Episode 5
Contains spoilers for Episode 5 of "What If...?"
Episode 5 of "What If...?" features a large group of famous MCU characters. At the forefront of the episode is Peter Parker, who Tom Holland, unfortunately, did not voice. Spider-Man watches the people he loves die throughout the episode, including Happy Hogan, Bruce Banner, and Hope Van Dyne, with whom he forms a bond throughout the episode.
After it's revealed that Hope has a cut on her arm — meaning she will soon be zombified — Peter talks to her about the people he's already lost in his life. He mentions Tony Stark, who we saw as a zombie in the episode's opening scene, and Aunt May who is overtaken by the virus off-screen. Here, he mentions another famous name, one that many were waiting to hear in the MCU. We thought the day would never come, but a famous Marvel Comics character became canon in the universe thanks to one comment from an animated Peter.
A famous uncle makes his way into the MCU
Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" from 2002 and Marc Webb's "The Amazing Spider-Man" from 2012 feature versions of Uncle Ben — the beloved father figure to Peter Parker who meets his end through violent crimes. Played by Cliff Robertson and Martin Sheen, respectively, the films feature the tragic death scenes of Uncle Ben, which marks the turning point of Peter into Spider-Man. By the time the Web-Slinger made his way into the MCU, fans of the hero were hoping to avoid that same-old Uncle Ben storyline.
Thankfully, there wasn't one, and Peter never even mentions his Uncle Ben in any MCU film. Holland's Spider-Man does have an Aunt May, played by Marisa Tomei, but her husband never makes an appearance. In "What If...?" Episode 5, Peter mentions to Hope that he lost his Uncle Ben, which effectively brings that character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That's probably all we'll hear about the comic book character from here on out, as the Uncle Ben storyline is tired thanks to former Spidey projects.