There’s been a lot of talk about Spider-Man 4 lately, and even more rumors sprung up over Christmas. We still don’t have a release date for the Spider-Man movie that Sony and Marvel confirmed two years ago, but insiders have delivered more purported details about the sequel.
We expect Spider-Man 4 to be one of the building blocks of Avengers 6, a.k.a. Secret Wars, but when will it arrive? A new report says that Marvel might start shooting Spider-Man 4 in 2025, but work on Avengers 5 will start in late 2024, according to the same source.
This implies that Spider-Man 4 might be sandwiched between the two Avengers sequels. Mind you, some spoilers might follow below.
Expect Avengers delays
I’m not surprised that Sony and Marvel have not announced any plans for Spider-Man 4 so far. There are actually four reasons why the two studios would be waiting.
First, Tom Holland wanted to take a break from acting, including playing Peter Parker.
Second, Hollywood writers and actors went on strike for several months this year, causing major delays to movies and TV shows.
Then there’s the whole MCU quality thing. Marvel is looking to right the ship after a somewhat disastrous year. It’s not about the financial success of the MCU, as many of its movies have still seen success at the box office. But the quality has been lacking.
Finally, Jonathan Majors’s real-life drama has impacted the MCU directly. The former MCU actor played the big villain of the current story arc. Now that Marvel has fired him, the studio will need time to figure out where Avengers 5 and Avengers 6 go from here.
The two movies have May 2026 and May 2027 release dates, but I doubt they’ll stick. Most likely, we’ll see a new round of delays. This isn’t just about Majors, but also the strikes. Avengers 5 and Avengers 6 can’t hit theaters before several other big MCU adventures debut.
Spider-Man 4 and a Marvel Spider-Man animated movie?
According to Daniel Richtman, Avengers 5 will begin shooting in late 2024. Previously, reports said the movie would go into production in early 2024. It’s likely that the film will see changes now that Majors’s Kang is out of the picture.
Separately, Richtman said that Spider-Man 4 will start filming in 2025. That implies the film will hit theaters after Avengers 5, possibly in the same year. I’ll also add that I expect Spidey to show up in some capacity in Avengers 5. After all, Tom Holland still has to wear the Spider-Man suit in one more Marvel crossover before Spider-Man 4 drops.
Richtman also hinted that Tom Holland would appear in both Avengers 5 and Secret Wars. Here’s what he said about the character in a couple of tweets:
Spider-Man is so very clearly the biggest superhero in the world even after everything. Best selling merchandise by far. Most popular. And his latest solo film rivaled Avengers Infinity War box office numbers. So, if there is one hero Marvel could count on, it’s him.
That’s why they need him to have a big role in the upcoming Avengers movies.
Finally, Richtman said that Marvel might be exploring other Spider-Man-related adventures in the MCU. The success of Sony’s Spider-Verse movies might have convinced Marvel to make an animated Spider-Man movie of its own.
The MCU already includes the upcoming animated series Spider-Man: Freshman Year (now called Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man). It’s unclear if the rumored animated movie will be tied to the show, or which Spider-Man it would even follow.
Whatever the case, it sure looks like Spider-Man will be one of the key players on the new Avengers teams. Yes, plural, because I’ll remind you that we might get a Young Avengers group soon. And I’d expect Peter Parker to be on it.