One upcoming Marvel Studios film movie that undoubtedly has the biggest box office potential of any Phase 6 solo movie just received a few notable production updates.
While the MCU's Phase 6 slate will feature some of the franchise's most ambitious team-up films yet (Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars), most of its solo projects are still unconfirmed.
As of writing, all that is firmly known is that The Fantastic Four: First Steps, set to release in July 2025, will kick off the last Phase of the Multiverse Saga.
Phase 6's theatrical slate will be comprised of at least four other MCU films releasing after Fantastic Four but before Secret Wars (currently set for a May 2027 debut), the presumed finale of the saga.
Along Came a Spider on Marvel Studios' Phase 6 Slate
According to The Hollywood Reporter (THR), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton has signed with Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures to direct the untitled Spider-Man 4.
This marks his third MCU project along with the Shang-Chi solo movie and his upcoming Wonder Man series on Disney+.
THR's sources noted that Spider-Man 4 is moving quickly toward the start of production and is expected to begin shooting in early 2025. This means that Sony is targeting a 2026 release for the sequel, putting it near the middle of Marvel Studios' Phase 6 slate chronologically.
Additionally, Cretton remains attached to direct a live-action Naruto adaptation along with the unannounced sequel to Shang-Chi. However, it is still unclear how his work on those films will be affected now that he has signed on for the next Spider-Man sequel.
On top of that report, Deadline added that Spider-Man franchise regulars Tom Holland and Zendaya have been in touch with executives and producers about the film's development. While they are not officially signed on yet, deals for both stars are likely to be closed soon, setting up their return for Phase 6.
Where Will Spider-Man 4 Fit in Phase 6?
Should this solo movie start filming by early 2025, chances are high that production will be complete sometime in the second half of next year. The big question after that is when exactly Spider-Man 4 could make its way to theaters.
A recent rumor from scooper Daniel Richtman stated that Spider-Man 4 was aiming for a July 2026 release, which would be a couple of months after Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on May 1, 2026.
As for news on the rest of Phase 6 and its specific projects, timing on the release of that information is still a mystery.
Besides the two Avengers films and the MCU's first Fantastic Four film, plenty of other solo rumored projects could find their way into the next slate of movies.
This includes entries like Doctor Strange 3, Shang-Chi 2, and the ever-troubled Armor Wars and Blade. Also potentially in line for a possible movie are the Young Avengers after many of the team's heroes debuted in Phase 4 and Phase 5
As Phase 6 officially gets underway following 2025's Thunderbolts*, fans will be paying close attention to Marvel Studios for any new updates on the Multiverse Saga's final chapter.
Spider-Man 4 is in the early stages of pre-production and does not have an official release date yet.
