The following article contains spoilers for episode 5 of What If…?

Marvel Studios’ What If…? continues its journey of exploring tales from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which have been drastically modified by making a small change in their trajectory. This week’s episode, titled ‘What If…Zombies!?’, sees many of the Avengers turn into flesh-eating zombies, and ends up being an extremely entertaining half hour of television.

One of the people who has survived the zombie apocalypse in the latest episode of What If...? is Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man, and he tries his best to stay positive as the team of survivors look for a cure. One moment in the episode is being appreciated by fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, when Parker, for the first time in the MCU, remembers his dead Uncle Ben.

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When Spider-Man was introduced into the MCU, his backstory was never explored. But, it didn’t seem necessary either. Marvel fans are already aware of the history, and the character is so popular that most people watching Marvel films have seen it play out twice in the previous Spider-Man movies, which are not MCU canon. This also meant that the studio could bring in any aspects from Spider-Man’s past later on in the franchise.

However, because none of his backstory was included in the films produced by Marvel Studios, Uncle Ben had been mostly missing in the MCU. There were passing references to him in the previous two films, Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home, but never has Parker spoken of his dead uncle, and what his loss means to him.

In Homecoming, Parker has a conversation about not wanting to trouble his Aunt May after “everything that's happened with her.” Of course Uncle Ben’s name isn’t used in the conversation, but it is implied that Parker is speaking of his late uncle. In Far From Home, the MCU decided to take it a little bit further. Parker’s suitcase has the initials “BFP” printed on it, which obviously referred to Uncle Ben’s full name, Benjamin Franklin Parker.

That’s not all. In Captain America: Civil War, Tom Holland’s Parker has a conversation with Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark where Uncle Ben is referenced as well. Parker speaks of his powers and how not using them leads to “bad things.” But, once again, he never mentions his uncle’s death, even though at his core, Parker believes that his uncle’s death was his fault.

The fact that Holland’s Spider-Man never talks about Uncle Ben has irked some Marvel fans in the past. In the comics, while the spider bite turns Parker into his web-slinging self, he doesn’t become the hero he is today until his uncle’s death. When a mugging goes wrong, and the robber kills Uncle Ben, it is Parker’s guilt of not being able to save the man who is an important part of his life that drives him to take on the responsibility of becoming the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.

This angle hasn’t been explored in the MCU, even though fans are aware of the story. Who can forget the iconic “with great power comes great responsibility” scene from 2002’s Spider-Man? Cliff Robertson’s Uncle Ben is still remembered by Marvel fans as one of the most endearing characters in any Marvel film.

Instead, Stark seems to have taken that place in the MCU Spider-Man’s life and his death has a larger impact on his actions in Far From Home. All this has changed in the latest episode of What If…? For the first time in the MCU, Uncle Ben has been directly referenced as Parker’s family member.

When the zombie apocalypse strikes in episode 5 of What If…?, a group of surviving heroes decide to make it their mission to find a cure. Bucky Barnes, Okoye and Sharon Carter seem to be tracking some kind of signal from a camp of survivors that could potentially provide a solution to the zombies. Joined by Happy Hogan, Kurt, Bruce Banner, Parker, and Hope van Dyne/Wasp, the group heads in the direction of the camp, but unfortunately loses a few members along the way.

On the train ride over, zombified Captain America shows up and infects Carter, before being brutally murdered by Bucky with the iconic Cap shield. Hope, on the other hand, defeats Carter, but the others discover that her suit was compromised in the fight. The hero was infected and her death is inevitable.

As the team is dealing with this information, Hope asks Spider-Man how he stays positive despite all the loss around them. This is when he finally talks about Uncle Ben. "My mom, dad, Uncle Ben, Mr. Stark… I've lost a lot. But my Aunt May says 'If we don't keep smiling when they can't, then we might as well be gone too,'" Parker is heard saying.

It is unfortunate that Holland wasn’t the one to speak those words, as the Spider-man in What If…? is voiced by actor Hudson Thames. But, Uncle Ben’s death has finally been acknowledged in the MCU, despite being in a rather strange way. Ever since the episode premiered, Marvel fans have been talking about this moment on social media. Several users have shared the clip on social media and it has appeared on What If…?’s Reddit thread as well.

It does seem a little strange that Marvel decided to choose What If…?’s zombie episode to mention Uncle Ben for the first time in the MCU. Spider-Man: No Way Home is releasing soon, and it would perhaps be a bigger platform to debut such a pivotal character in Parker’s life. Rumor has it that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield will be showing up in the film as alternate versions of Spider-Man. If those rumors are to be believed, mentioning Uncle Ben in the film would have held more weightage. But, perhaps this is Marvel’s way of setting up something bigger to come? Only time will tell.

What If…? is now streaming on Disney Plus.

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