Spider-Man 4 Movie Preview

Finally another "Spider-Man"! Hardly any MCU movie is probably as eagerly awaited as the next Spidey part with Tom Holland. The previous film "No Way Home" grossed almost 2 billion dollars worldwide, making it one of the most successful movies ever. The film series about the friendly spider is therefore one of Marvel's top sellers. Preparations for part 4 are currently in full swing - so it's about time we gave you all the latest updates with this video!

In the run-up to the production of "Spider-Man 4", a conflict regarding the film's story emerged: on the one hand, Sony was aiming for another blockbuster of the "No Way Home" kind - more precisely, a big reunion of many well-known Marvel characters. Thanks to the multiverse, previous "Spider-Man" actors Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire appeared in the last movie. On the other hand, Marvel boss Kevin Feige advocated a more down-to-earth approach: the plot should focus rather on the personal and emotional aspects of Peter Parker. That would make perfect sense - after all, Peter was erased from everyone's memory as a result of the events in "No Way Home".

Potential Plot

In the end, it seems that they did come to a consensus. In August 2024, World of Reel reported that the multiverse will be explored once again. Kevin Feige also stressed that Spider-Man will continue to play a central role in the Marvel universe. This is particularly true after the events of "No Way Home", which ended with a cliffhanger and left many unanswered questions.

For example, whether Peter can really leave behind his old life and his friends MJ and Ned just like that. As we already know, MJ and Ned have been accepted to the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology. An exciting possibility would be that Peter also goes to Boston to at least be close to them. This also raises the possibility of Peter meeting Riri Williams at MIT. The young student, also known as Iron Heart, was introduced in "Black Panther 2" as a kind of Iron Man successor and could become an important ally for Peter in new adventures.

Villains and Allies

Thanks to the multiverse, Spider-Man could of course meet a number of iconic villains. The most prominent is without doubt Venom, who Peter Parker already had to take on in "Spider-Man 3". Since then, the symbiote has been embodied by Tom Hardy. The actor has hinted in several interviews that he is open to further appearances as Venom. He revealed that he would love a clash with Spider-Man and would be up for it no matter what. However, his return also depends on what plans those responsible at Sony and Marvel have for the character. But an appearance by the Sinister Six, or Kraven the Hunter, would also be a possibility - after all, Kraven's standalone film will be released on December 13, 2024.

Peter Parker, meanwhile, could get support from Black Cat. According to initial rumors, she will be played by "Euphoria" star Sydney Sweeney. She is currently considered one of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood. She has already had experience in the superhero genre: In February 2024, she was featured in "Madame Web". However, the movie failed to resonate with fans and turned out to be a huge flop.

Perhaps things will work out in the new role: Black Cat made her debut in the 194th issue of the comic series "The Amazing Spider-Man". She is not a classic supervillain, but a cat burglar and thief. Her interest in Spider-Man led to her temporarily switching to the side of the heroes. Originally she had no superpowers, but later acquired them through an experiment by Kingpin. As a result, she gains the ability to spread misfortune. This harms her opponents, but has negative effects on her allies as well.

Knull in Spider-Man 4

The production of "Spider-Man 4" goes hand in hand with a bunch of leaks. The rumored title in particular is likely to attract some attention: according to the experienced Hollywood insider Cryptic HD, the name of the movie is to be "Spider-Man: King in Black". This title suggests that Peter Parker will have to deal with Knull, the god of symbiotes, in his latest adventure. Although Knull hasn't existed in the world of Marvel for very long, he is regarded as one of the most powerful villains of all. He debuted in the third issue of "Venom Volume 4". We already got our first glimpse of him in "Venom: The Last Dance". So there is plenty to suggest that the villain will continue to play a major role in the future.

The Director's Position

Rumors were already spreading a few months ago that one of the most important positions behind the scenes was in need of replacement. Soon after, Marvel boss Kevin Feige confirmed that Jon Watts would not be returning to the director's chair for the fourth "Spider-Man" project. Watts is now involved in other projects. He directed the series "The Old Man", was in charge of the film "Wolfs" with Brad Pitt and George Clooney for Apple and is currently working on a new "Final Destination" film.

For a while, Sam Raimi was being discussed for the director's job. That would have made sense: After all, he was already behind the "Spider-Man" trilogy with Tobey Maguire and directed "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" for the MCU.

However, after a long period of mystery, Destin Daniel Cretton will now follow in Watts' footsteps. Cretton last made a name for himself in the MCU with "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings". This film combined great action with a profound story - excellent conditions for the fourth "Spider-Man" movie. However, this director has other projects currently in the pipeline as well: In early 2024, for example, it was announced that Cretton is working on a live-action adaptation of the popular anime classic "Naruto". Moreover, a sequel to "Shang-Chi" is in the works, which will also be directed by him. For this reason, there is speculation that Cretton may have to compromise on his other projects in order to fully focus on "Spider-Man 4".

Cast & Crew

Of course, Tom Holland will once again play Peter Parker. At his side, we will again see Zendaya as MJ. It is not yet known whether Jacob Batalon will also rejoin the two as Ned. But a return is very likely - Ned is Peter's best friend, after all.

In an interview on "The Rich Roll Podcast", Tom Holland himself revealed that he had already read a first draft of the script together with his girlfriend Zendaya. His conclusion: the writers did a great job. While reading, he and Zendaya were at times bouncing around the living room with excitement. They are confident that this is a movie that is worthy of the fans's respect.

The screenplay is once again the work of Erik Sommers and Chris McKenna. The two authors have already worked on the previous "Spider-Man" movies and "Ant-Man and the Wasp". In other words, true Marvel experts. Behind the scenes, Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal are working as producers.

Spider-Man 4 Release Date

Back in March 2024, several Hollywood insiders reported that pre-production was as good as done and that filming would begin in the course of the year. A few months later, there was mention of the "end of the year". And who would have thought it: production is still delayed. As things stand, shooting will start next spring - but there is no further information.

Therefore, a few things have changed regarding the release date. Sony has finally announced that the official release date for "Spider-Man 4" has been set for July 24, 2026. That's a mere two months after the release of "Avengers: Doomsday". This is reminiscent of the release strategy for "Far From Home", which was released in 2019 just a short time after "Avengers: Endgame". Let's hope there won't be any further delays.

More Spider-Man Movies & Series

The new movie is not the only project involving the friendly neighborhood spider. There is, for example, the Amazon series "Spider-Man Noir": it is currently being filmed and is set in 1930s New York in the form of a dark detective story. The lead role is played by none other than Nicolas Cage. On the other hand, Miles Morales is to get his own live-action film. However, according to Kevin Feige, the hero from the "Spider-Verse" movies will need to wait until the end of the new "Avengers" movies. The third film in the animated series, "Beyond the Spider-Verse", is also still in production - even if there is currently no new theatrical release date. The situation is very different when it comes to the new animated series "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man", which will debut on Disney+ on January 29, 2025. In addition to "Spider-Man 4", Tom Holland will of course also be seen in the upcoming Avengers movies "Doomsday" and "Secret Wars".

Our Opinion

If you ask us: there are few reasons to have doubts regarding a worthy sequel. Despite some disappointments at Marvel and the SSU in recent years, outliers such as "Deadpool & Wolverine" have shown that a good movie is always possible if everything behind the scenes is just right. Tom Holland and Zendaya are back and the story comes from the same writers as the previous movies. Of course, the change of director could result in a different vibe - but the maker of "Shang-Chi" has already proven that he can pull off both action and personal character moments.

Difficulties may arise if the film is pulled too much into what we might call the "ambitious" MCU "Avengers" plan. But if "Spider-Man 4" is allowed to stand on its own feet as before, chances are pretty good that another really good movie will come out of it.