As excitement builds for Spider-Man 4, the rumor mill has churned out many story and casting details, leading fans to question what is real and what is not.
Spider-Man 4 will officially arrive in July 2026, almost five years after No Way Home destroyed box office records (and broke the internet) in December 2021.
In the lead-up to No Way Home, fans saw plenty of shocking and confusing rumors, from the Spider-Men team-up to Daredevil's return, the accuracy of which ultimately varied wildly when all was said and done.
All the Craziest Spider-Man 4 Rumors So Far
Goodbye Streets, Hello Multiverse
Likelihood: 75%
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed to MTV News' Josh Horowitz that "Spidey [is] going into the street level heroes" after No Way Home. But recent rumors indicated that Spider-Man 4 could instead go Multiversal.
Insider Daniel Richtman (via Comic Book Movie) indicated Sony and Marvel Studios were, at one point, at odds on Spider-Man 4. While Sony wanted to replicate the success of No Way Home with another "huge" movie, Marvel Studios was reportedly eager for a more "grounded" story."
As fans continue to speculate which way Spider-Man 4 will go, The Cosmic Circus noted that "a movie can have multiversal elements and still be a street-level story" and claimed that, as such, the wall-crawling flick is "a blend."
More recently, Daniel Richtman (via Cosmic Marvel) stated that Spider-Man 4 will feature some Multiversal elements and multiple villains to go along with it.
Tobey & Andrew Swing Again
Likelihood: 50%
According to The Cosmic Circus, Marvel Studios and Sony want Spider-Man 4 to replicate the success of Deadpool & Wolverine as another team-up movie.
As part of this report, the outlet cited two trusted sources with claims that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield will reprise their Spider-Men roles once more, and will even have a "larger participation" than No Way Home.
Garfield addressed his rumored Spider-Man 4 role with a definitive "no," but was well aware "no one’s gonna trust anything [he says]" after repeatedly denying he would appear in No Way Home, only to show up after all.
Following Up on Daredevil & Kingpin
Likelihood: 30%
As soon as talk of a street-level Spider-Man 4 came around, fans immediately began to dream of a tale that would unite Tom Holland's Peter Parker with Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, to take on Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio).
In 2022, The Cosmic Circus reported this may be the case, stating Spider-Man 4 to be a "street-level story" handling the aftermath of Daredevil: Born Again.
Further reports from the outlet stated Spider-Man 4 would deal with the fallout of Wilson Fisk being elected New York Mayor and pushing an anti-vigilante agenda, of which Spider-Man would be among his targets.
Under this storyline, Matt Murdock could have sought the help of Spider-Man and other vigilantes to bring down Kingpin after failing to do so in Born Again.
The Avengers Enter the Fray
Likelihood: 90%
Following these reports, Daniel Richtman (via Comic Book Movie) stated in January 2024 that Daredevil had a "sizable role" in the latest Spider-Man 4 script, giving credence to rumors of a Born Again follow-up.
The insider noted Marvel Studios wants another of its heroes to appear in Spider-Man 4, and Paul Rudd's Ant-Man was the "current idea" at the time.
At the time of these rumors, Avengers 5 was still The Kang Dynasty, and Scott Lang was the hero to have faced the conqueror after Quantumania, meaning his role could have laid the groundwork for the MCU's next ensemble.
As all of the MCU's Spider-Man movies have been a team-up with another major character in on form or another, it is safe to assume one will appear. But exactly who that will be remains unclear, and that could dictate the whole path of the movie.
Spider-Man & Punisher vs. Hulk
In an even wilder rumor, John Roca recently claimed on The Hot Mic podcast (via Murphy's Multiverse) that one Spider-Man 4 draft saw Jon Bernthal reprise the Punisher to help the wall-crawler take on Mark Ruffalo's Hulk.
The MCU has plenty of gamma-iradiated chaos going on at the moment, with several Hulk characters turning up in Captain America: Brave New World. But it is tough to see how Spider-Man fighting the Hulk right now makes any sense, especially pulling in an R-rated character such as the Punisher.
Connecting to Avengers 5 & 6
Likelihood: 99%
Daniel Richtman (via Comic Book Movie) reported in February 2024 that Marvel Studios was hoping to release Spider-Man 4 before The Kang Dynasty - the original title for Avengers 5. The goal was supposedly set as the wall-crawler sequel would lead directly into the Multiverse Saga's climactic chapters.
Spider-Man 4 will now be released on July 24, 2026, placing it between May 2026's Avengers: Doomsday and May 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars. This is Marvel Studios' only movie confirmed to hit theaters in the year between the two.
Spider-Man 4 still having major Avengers connections even after the Doomsday overhaul makes sense, as it will be released between the ensemble blockbusters, and Tom Holland will reportedly have a "major role" in Doomsday.
The King in Black Is Here
Likelihood: 50%
Spider-Man: No Way Home laid the groundwork for Tom Holland's Peter Parker to encounter his first symbiote as a slither of Venom was left behind in the MCU, setting him up to one day wear the famous black suit.
Venom: The Last Dance hinted further at these plans as Andy Serkis debuted as Knull, the King in Black and ruler of the symbiotes, teasing him to return down the line in a currently unknown project.
The Cosmic Circus stated around the release that Knull's role in Venom 3 was "not just a one-and-done," as the next Spider-Man movie will team the wall-crawler with Tom Hardy's Venom to take on the King in Black.
Mephisto Comes To Play
Likelihood: 20%
While it remains unclear who will next threaten Spider-Man, Jeff Sneider threw out a surprising rumor: Mephisto will be one of multiple villains.
After being referenced in Agatha All Along, Mephisto reportedly has a bright future in the MCU, as Sasha Baron Cohen has been cast in the role and is expected to debut this year in Ironheart (read more about Marvel Studios' Mephisto plans).
Doctor Doom vs. Spider-Man
Likelihood: 65%
According to insider MyTimeToShineHello, who has a mixed track record, Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom will appear in Spider-Man 4, following his role just months earlier in May's Avengers: Doomsday.
While the source itself may be hard to validate, as Spider-Man 4 will be released between Avengers movies, it would make sense for Doom to appear, even if that was just in a post-credit scene.
As the MCU's Doom will bear the face of Tony Stark, a mentor and father figure to Peter Parker, the two are bound to be heavily intertwined. As such, it makes sense for the villain to appear in Spider-Man's Avengers-adjacent solo outing to further build their conflict.
Two Homecoming Villains Return
Likelihood: 20%
Alongside Michael Keaton's Vulture, Homecoming introduced two more Spider-Man villains, Scorpion (Michael Mando) and Shocker (Bokeem Woodbine). And, according to Daniel Richtman (via Cosmic Marvel), both villains were in the original script for Spider-Man 4, which is still undergoing rewrites.
Both were defeated and captured by Spider-Man, even before Mac Gargan got the chance to become the famous Scorpion. The post-credits scene teased his return as he approached Vulture, aka Adrian Toomes, to say he "has some boys on the outside" who would love to go after Spider-Man.
It is unclear whether Shocker and Scorpion remain involved with Spider-Man 4's latest drafts or if their return came in early, more street-focussed plans. But in terms of whether the pair will ultimately appear in Spider-Man 4, the chances certainly feel low after pivoting to a more Multiversal tale.
Gwen Stacy Joins the MCU
Likelihood: 50%
After reports revealed Spider-Man 4 will be developed under the working title of "Blue Oasis," theories emerged that it may take inspiration from the Spider-Man: Blue storyline, which centered around his relationship with Gwen Stacy.
After No Way Home, Zendaya's MJ had forgotten Peter Parker altogether, perhaps opening the doors to a new love interest. While most expect MJ will be back at the forefront of Spider-Man's life eventually, Gwen Stacy could fill the void for now.
Talk of Gwen Stacy's imminent MCU debut comes amid reports from Jeff Sneider that Zendaya's role as MJ will be "severely reduced" in Spider-Man 4 due to filming conflicts with Euphoria Season 3 and Dune 3.
Anya Taylor Joy Eyed for Cast
Likelihood: 50%
Furiosa star Anya Taylor-Joy has been stated by Daniel Richtman to be hot on Marvel Studios' radar, as the actress is reportedly up for a role in Spider-Man 4.
Producer Amy Pascal addressed speculation that Taylor-Joy may be eyed to play Black Cat, cryptically saying how "she would be fantastic" and "there’s a lot of fantastic female characters."
After rumors that Gwen Stacy could be coming to the MCU as Peter Parker's next love interest, one has to wonder if that could be the role Taylor-Joy is eyed for, as she is the same age as 28-year-old Tom Holland.
Which of Spider-Man 4's Crazy Rumors Are True?
Spider-Man 4 has been webbed up in countless rumors, and there are, frankly, too many varied and contrasting ideas for them all to possibly be true.
By all accounts, it appears Marvel Studios was originally looking to tell a street-level Spider-Man story that could involve Daredevil and Kingpin, while Sony was eager to replicate No Way Home's box office success with a Multiversal epic.
The latest rumors paint the picture of a compromise, with a more grounded, street-level story that will somehow involve the Multiverse and the potential storyline of the upcoming Avengers movies may offer a path to that.
Avengers: Doomsday has been speculated to end Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom creating Battleworld, a patchwork reality created from the remnants of destroyed universes, just as he does in the Secret Wars comic storyline.
As Spider-Man 4 will be released between Doomsday and Secret Wars, perhaps it could tell a more grounded, street-level storyline on the landscape of Battleworld, pulling in multiple villains such as Kingpin, Scorpion, and Shocker.
Battleworld could just as easily be the setting for a storyline involving Knull, that could bring together Tom Holland and Tom Hardy, possibly even pulling Andrew Garfield, Tobey Maguire, and other SonyVerse heroes along for the ride.
Regardless, fans ought to see Holland alongside his fellow Spider-Man once again in the not-too-distant future, as Marvel Studios is reportedly planning to unite Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man and Hugh Jackman's Wolverine in Avengers 6.
While most seem to be hoping for a team-up with Charlie Cox's Daredevil, that may be better saved until Spider-Man 5 after Avengers: Secret Wars when a more street-focussed storyline can be told away from the ongoing Multiversal chaos.
Tom Holland confirmed Spider-Man 4 is moving forward on The Tonight Show in October, revealing, "Next summer we start shooting" (via IGN). As the long-awaited No Way Home sequel moves closer to production later this year, more details about the story and cast ought to become clear.
Then again, as the movie will release shortly after Doomsday, the wall-crawling sequel may be shrouded in just as much secrecy as No Way Home to avoid spoiling the fallout of the upcoming Avengers blockbuster.
But before Holland gets busy with Spider-Man 4 and Doomsday, the British star will play a leading role in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, which may impact the Avengers future of several major actors.
Spider-Man 4 hits theaters on July 24, 2026.
