Marvel fans the world over are celebrating the release of Sony Pictures' Spider-Man: No Way Home. The latest Marvel Cinematic Universe installment film has released in markets around the globe and many agree that it's a love letter to the Peter Parker character. This movie features much in the way of surprises and special appearances from Marvel's past, expertly riding the balance of nostalgia and payoff.
Producer Amy Pascal, who was a Sony executive during the development of both Sam Raimi and Marc Webb's Spider-Man franchises, recently announced that there were plans to develop a second Spider-Man trilogy starring Tom Holland.
While Pascal later backpedaled on these ambitious quotes (blaming her producer-instinctual enthusiasm to get more sequels greenlit), it became clear that both Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures were in early talks to keep their unprecedented Spider-Man collaboration going.
Marvel Studios mastermind Kevin Feige recently joined the post-No Way Home conversation to confirm that he, Pascal, and the production companies are "actively beginning to develop where the story heads" in a potential fourth Spider-Man movie.
So, with nearly two decades of Spider-Man films culminating in No Way Home, is there any way Marvel and Sony can go bigger with the web-slinger?
As Amy Pascal explains, outdoing one's self isn't always the name of the game.
What's Next for Tom Holland's Spider-Man 4?
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Speaking to The New York Times, Spider-Man: No Way Home producer Amy Pascal noted that the "multitude of characters" was the right "approach" for this threequel, but hinted subsequent films may be more grounded.
"Not every Spider-Man movie is going to be a multitude of characters. That approach was right for this one."
Pascal emphasized future Spidey films will attempt to surpass No Way Home's "quality and emotion," but the focus will not be on eclipsing "spectacle" just yet.
"You can’t think about topping yourself in terms of spectacle. Otherwise movies just get larger and larger for no reason, and it’s not a good result. But we do want to always try and top ourselves in terms of quality and emotion.
Pascal then goes on to clarify that regardless of scope, every future Spider-Man installment will emphasize the adolescent of its hero.
"Kevin [Feige] and I never want to lose sight of one thing: Peter Parker. That he’s a normal kid. That he is orphaned over and over again. That he’s a teenager, so everything in his life is at a heightened pitch and everything matters more than anything. That he’s fueled by goodness and guilt. That he’s striving for a greater cause, and he’s vilified by the press."
No Way Home: A Peter Parker Story
Anyone who's seen No Way Home will know that its filled with emotional beats and character-driven drama. It also features the return of the two other cinematic Spider-Men, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, as well as a host of Multiversal villains.
Throughout all the chaos, the film is still very much a Peter Parker story. Tom Holland's Peter Parker, that is.
One has to wonder where the MCU will take Peter next. By the end of No Way Home, he's alone, broke, and mentorless. Everyone on the planet doesn't have any memory of him ever existing. As he swings through the streets of New York City in the movie's final shot, there's a solemness to the scene, and the emotional resonance shines through.
Perhaps Spider-Man 4 will be smaller in scale. The way this threequel ends would certainly suggest that. Still, the tricks up Marvel's sleeves always remain a mystery.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is now in theaters.
