Spider-Man is one of the most beloved superheroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Therefore, the next journey of this character always receives the attention of many fans, especially now that Spidey has become a truly independent, lone hero after Doctor Strange's “brainwashing” spell in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Spider-Man will have a 4th movie, the director's identity has been revealed
Destin Daniel Cretton will be the director of Spider-Man 4 – Photo: Internet.
After Spider-Man: No Way Home was released in late 2021, there were concerns that Spider-Man would have to return to Sony's cinematic universe due to issues related to the character's copyright. However, Amy Pascal, President of Sony Pictures, immediately spoke up to reassure fans with the affirmation: “This is not the last film we produce with Marvel. This is not the last solo project for Spider-Man. We will develop the next Spidey movie with Tom Holland and Marvel. We consider the trilogy that has been produced to be a big project, and now we will start working on the next trilogy.”
Pascal’s statement suggests that Sony and Marvel are still planning a trilogy for Tom Holland’s version of Spider-Man. The previous three films – Homecoming, Far From Home, and No Way Home – are collectively known as the “Home trilogy,” and have closed a chapter in Peter Parker’s life in the MCU. The next Spidey-related projects may no longer follow the conventions of titles (with the word Home) and themes, as Peter is now completely alone and free to explore more aspects of his superhero journey.
Sony wants to produce 3 more movies for MCU's Spider-Man – Photo: Internet.
Despite the “teaser” of the next three films for Spider-Man, in reality, only Spider-Man 4 has been officially “green-lit”. According to recent information from The Hollywood Reporter, Destin Daniel Cretton, director of Shang-Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings, has been chosen to direct Spider-Man 4, along with the return of screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers.
The Hollywood Reporter also said that Spider-Man 4 will begin filming in 2025 and could be released in 2026 or 2027. This suggests that Spidey's next film project will either come out during the final stages of the Multiverse Saga, or it will come out after the multiverse storyline concludes with Avengers: Secret Wars, similar to when Far From Home premiered after Avengers: Endgame.
Up to now, Marvel Studios has not yet given any response regarding this information.
Spider-Man 4 cast
Sony wants to keep the same lineup of the previous 3 Spider-Man movie projects – Photo: Internet.
As mentioned above, No Way Home has closed a chapter in Peter Parker's life in the MCU. Since the 4th film, Marvel Studios can completely exploit this character in many different directions: A more mature version of Peter played by another actor; a completely different version of Spidey, for example Miles Morales; or continue the story of Tom Holland's version of Spider-Man. Besides, because all of Peter's relatives such as MJ or Ned have been “brainwashed” by Doctor Strange's spell, they can completely be eliminated by Marvel Studios in upcoming film projects.
According to Amy Pascal, it is almost certain that Tom Holland will continue to take on the role of Spider-Man in the MCU, despite the actor revealing that he did not want to play Spidey after the age of 30 (he is now 28). Sharing with Deadline, Sony Pictures President Tom Rothman said that he wants to “develop the next Spider-Man project with the entire cast of the previous trilogy”. This means that if everything goes according to plan, Tom Holland, Zendaya (as MJ) and Jacob Batalon (as Ned Leeds) will all return to the MCU soon.
Spider-Man 4 Script
Spider-Man 4 could focus on Spidey's street superhero journey, or it could be another multiverse story for the Spider-Man – Photo: Internet.
Currently, there is very little information regarding the content of Spider-Man 4 because the film is still in pre-production. However, the ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home left many different directions for the script to develop.
If Holland, Zendaya, and Batalon all return for Spider-Man 4, the film will have to either undo or reverse Doctor Strange's spell, or once again confirm that MJ and Ned truly have no memories of Peter Parker. In other words, the writers will have to figure out how to create new roles for MJ and Ned, now that they have no connection to Spidey.
Spider-Man 4 could also focus on a more independent, separate version of Spider-Man, becoming a true street superhero. In addition to the multiverse storyline, Marvel Studios is also quietly building smaller-scale superheroes and villains, including Moon Knight, Daredevil and Kingpin. Kingpin has appeared in projects like Hawkeye and Echo and has shown that he is completely capable of becoming a super villain of New York City. Daredevil also appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and was even the lawyer who helped Peter Parker escape murder charges. This duo will continue to return in the Daredevil: Born Again series and will likely play an important role in Spidey's next superhero journey.
Finally, the post-credits scene of No Way Home has revealed the appearance of Venom in the MCU. This will open up the opportunity for Marvel Studios to further explore the antagonistic relationship between Spidey and Venom – something that Sam Raimi tried to exploit in Spider-Man, and is also a dream that Sony has not been able to reach despite completing the Venom trilogy. However, the first trailer of Venom: The Last Dance revealed that the cosmic parasite that Venom “dropped” in the MCU will soon be “recalled” and brought back to Sony's cinematic universe. Therefore, the chance of Venom appearing in Spider-Man 4 in particular and the MCU in general is quite slim.
Source: ScreenRant
