Spider-Man 4 has (finally) found its director. And as the film could be released between Avengers : Doomsday et Avengers : Secret Warsone may wonder what are Marvel’s projects. Here are 3 theories.
Spider-Man 4 has finally found its director in Destin Daniel Cretton. Marvel has chosen a regular, whose work on Shang-Chi in 2021 had been hailed, and which was to achieve Avengers 5 when the project was still called The Kang Dynasty. After the extreme blandness of Jon Watts’ camera, we’re not going to spit on it.
But the timing of this appointment inevitably raises questions the release date of the next adventure Tom Holland’s Weaver. With a shooting date set for early 2025, the film could thus find itself sandwiched between Avengers : Doomsday (April 2026) and Avengers : Secret Wars (May 2027).
As No Way Home in 2021, Spider-Man 4 could thus be a new multiverse film, somewhat depending on the circumstances. Enough to already glimpse 3 possible scenarios for Marvel… without forgetting that Sony has its say.
1. The Black Suit Saga
Obviously, after the post-credits scene of Spider-Man : No Way Home, impossible not to think of the symbiote for its sequel. Forgotten by the whole world, deprived of his Aunt May, Peter Parker has never been so alone since his debut in the MCU. Which logically opens the door to the introduction of the slimy aliennot yet Venom but which could lead the Weaver down a dark slope.
If this is the preferred route, Introducing a character like the superheroine Black Cat would make senseas well as a return of the Scorpion as an antagonist (Mac Gargan wore the symbiote in the comics).
Moreover, the creation of the famous black suit coincides with the first Secret Warsreleased in 1984. Spider-Man 4 could therefore serve as logical gateway between the next two Avengerssince as a reminder Avengers 6 is called Secret Wars.
It remains to be seen how long the film will takeif this is actually dated to summer 2026, just after the release of Doomsday. Marvel could use the solution Ant-Man and the Wasp (released just after Avengers : Infinity Warbut happening at the same time) or Captain Marvel (taking place before). What allow the fantasized crossover with Daredevil for example, without necessarily worrying about the multiverse.
2. Spider-Man 4 in the middle of Battleworld
The problem is that while the film is set well after Avengers : Doomsdayhe should suffer the direct narrative consequences. Namely, most likely, a multiversal war and the creation of Battleworld. So this patchwork world could offer a unique opportunity for Marvel and Sony to offer Spider-Man his first real solo adventure in the MCU.
The studios could also take inspiration from what was done in comics during the Secret Wars of 2015, with the transformation of all Marvel titles into spin-offs at the heart of this new reality. We can think for example of the series Renewing your vowswhere Peter finds himself married to MJ and father of a little girl.
As a kind of Truman Show with Marvel saucePeter could wake up in a reality where he lives his dream life with MJ, before understanding that it is only an illusion created by Doctor Doom. A bit like the famous comics House of Mwhere Gwen Stacy and Ben Parker are still alive, while Spider-Man is a celebrity loved by all.
The possibility is interesting, with the prospect ofa more personal story returning to the sources of the Weaver. However, if the multiverse is indeed at the heart of the plot, we would tend to prepare ourselves rather for a new crossover at the No Way Home.
3. SPIDER-MAN VS VENOM (and others)
Spider-Man : No Way Home was a huge box office success ($1.9 billion worldwide), and it would be surprising if Sony and Marvel did not try to repeat the feat. For Sony, this could even be the last chance to finally really integrate the spare parts of its rickety connected universelike Tom Hardy’s Venom or Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Kraven (which hits theaters December 18).
We wouldn’t be surprised if this Spider-Man 4 take the form of a Spider-Man vs Venoma dream assumed by the studio for years. Or even that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield may be backwith Battleworld as an excuse. The choice of Destin Daniel Cretton to direct, clearly driven by Kevin Feige and Marvel, could lead one to think otherwise.
But then what Sinister Six universe plans continue to fall apart according to critical and commercial failures (Madame Web being the latest), this could be Sony’s last logical opportunity to impose its agenda on the MCU.
In any case, we can regret that the screenplay of the feature film is again dependent on Marvel’s schedule. But also to say that with the multiverse, the character perhaps finally has a golden opportunity to exist beyond the MCU.
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