Star Tom Holland recently discussed his upcoming return to Spider-Man and why it may be difficult to place Spider-Man 4 on the MCU timeline.
In September 2024, it was reported that Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton was set to direct Spider-Man 4. This was a huge development for the upcoming film as before then much of the buzz around Spider-Man 4 was merely rumored.
There has been no rush to get Holland back in the Spidey suit since Spider-Man: No Way Home after he was in six MCU films from 2016 to 2021. It's become clear over time that Spider-Man 4 will be released later than originally planned.
Luckily, pre-production appears to be ramping up for the project, despite a few challenges that Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures will be faced with.
Tom Holland on Challenges With Spider-Man 4 Timeline & Creative Process
While being a guest on the Rich Roll Podcast, Tom Holland opened up about the forthcoming challenges Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios will face placing Spider-Man 4 within the greater Multiverse Saga.
Holland first spoke about his debut in the MCU in Captain America: Civil War. when he initially wondered if fans would "embrace [him] as Spider-Man" and they, of course, have over the past eight years and six movies:
"Exactly and the fans as well, like, I owe everything to the fans of Marvel and myself, they've been so kind and generous to me, like after '[Captain America:] Civil War' came out, I felt like 'Civil War' was my audition to the world, like I'd gotten the part of Spider-Man, I did the film with the Russo Brothers, and that came out, and that to me felt like my, 'Will you embrace me as Spider-Man?' And they did, and I'm so grateful that they did."
Heading toward 2025, approaching three years after the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Holland feels it is his responsibility "to give and deliver the best version of what the next chapter for Spider-Man looks like" in the MCU.
He explained that Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures are "on board" but warned that there are "still a lot of moving pieces that need to come together:"
"And I feel like I owe it to them to give and deliver the best version of what the next chapter for Spider-Man looks like, and I think that's really important, and I think the creative integrity for something like that is really important, and the studio is on board and supportive and really collaborative and I've been so blown away by how welcoming they've been into that creative room, but you know we're working now, pedal is to the metal, we're trying to get it going as as soon as possible, things are looking great, but there's still a lot of moving pieces that need to come together for us to hit the ground running."
Rich Roll then asked Tom about the "variables" that go into the future decision, whether it be "the script," "the team," "the story," or something else entirely:
"Right, so what is the ticking clock on this decision? And what are the variables? Is it the script? The team? The story? Like, how are you going to make this decision? What are the factors that come into play that's going to sway one way or the other?"
Known for being loose-lipped when doing Marvel press in the past, Holland held back, saying, "I'm not really sure about how much I can talk about:"
Holland: "I'm not really sure about how much I can talk about in terms of what are some of the challenges we face creatively and logistically."
Roll: "No one's listening, come on."
As fans know since the MCU's genesis in 2008, Holland reiterated that a Marvel "film is a small cog in a large machine" and emphasized that Spider-Man 4 will need to "fit into that timeline at the right time to benefit the bigger picture:"
"Obviously, one of the things to like bear in mind with Marvel is that there is, your film is a small cog in a large machine, and that machine has got to keep running, and you need to make sure that you can fit into that timeline at the right time to benefit the bigger picture."
Roll then continued Holland's thought, adding, "The infinite number of machines across the Multiverse," which the Spider-Man actor responded with, "Yes, exactly."
Holland then re-emphasized that fitting Spider-Man 4 into the upcoming MCU timeline is "one of the challenges [they're] facing" but he has faith in the creative team.
The 28-year-old actor also mentioned that his "biggest thing is the creative" and praised their story pitched and the current draft of the script, calling it "excellent:"
"So you know that's one of the challenges we're facing, and the time in which we need to get that done is a tall order, but definitely achievable with the fantastic people we have working on it now, but my biggest thing is the creative, we have a creative and a pitch, and a draft, which is excellent, it needs work, but the writers are doing a great job."
Furthering his passion for the upcoming project, Holland told the story of when he and his girlfriend Zendaya read the script three weeks ago and how it "lit a fire in [him]" and how they were "bouncing around the living room" when realizing "this is a real movie worthy of like the fans respect:"
"And I read it three weeks ago, and it really like, lit a fire in me. Zendaya and I sat down and read it together and we at times were like bouncing around the living room like this is a real movie worthy of like the fans respect, but there's a few things we need to figure out before we can get that really going, but it's exciting, and I'm really, really excited about it."
When Will Spider-Man 4 Release?
As time has progressed, all signs have pointed to Holland's Spider-Man 4 releasing in July of 2026. Earlier this year, an untitled MCU movie (distributed by Disney) set to release on July 24, 2026, was removed from the release calendar.
While some may think this lessens the odds of Spider-Man 4 opening then, it actually makes it more likely as due to the joint production and distribution between Disney and Sony Pictures, the next Spidey flick wouldn't currently be on the House of Mouse's public release schedule.
Here is a full look at the dates Disney has set for Marvel Studios films in 2026:
- Untitled Marvel - February 13, 2026
- Avengers: Doomsday - May 1, 2026
- Untitled Marvel - November 6, 2026
As Holland mentioned, every MCU film "is a small cog in a large machine," which also includes the potential release date for Shang-Chi 2 or Doctor Strange 3, which are speculated to possibly be released in 2026.
While it may have once been expected for Spider-Man 4 to release before Avengers: Doomsday, that no longer seems likely given the upcoming production timeline.
In fact, insider Daniel Richtman stated Tom Holland will take a "major role in Avengers: Doomsday" that is "more significant" than Spider-Man's supporting character in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.
Richtman has also stated that Holland will shoot scenes as Spider-Man in Avengers: Doomsday before filming Spider-Man 4, which is expected to begin production in the U.K. on May 25, 2025.
With Avengers: Doomsday starting in Q2 2025, Holland may only have a brief window to complete his scenes for Doomsday before transitioning to Spider-Man 4, though both projects are expected to be filmed in the U.K.
There is no official release date set for Tom Holland's Spider-Man 4.
