Spider-Man: No Way Home delivered a powerful conclusion to the first trilogy of Tom Holland's Peter Parker, but signs indicate that there are more adventures to come for the young MCU hero. The threequel ended with Peter all alone after Doctor Strange's spell erases every memory of him to everyone he knows and loves. By the time of his next solo outing, Peter has a clean slate ahead of him.
Former Sony executive Amy Pascal previously confirmed that the studio is already working with Marvel Studios on Spider-Man 4 within the MCU. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige later chimed in, saying that the producers are "actively beginning to develop where the story heads" for Spider-Man 4.
A previous report also unveiled that Sony Pictures and its Spider-Man producers have recently made it clear that they expect to work again with director Jon Watts, Tom Holland, and Zendaya to team back up again in order to continue the story of the MCU's web-slinger.
Now, a significant update about the movie has emerged.
Sony Addresses Spider-Man 4 Development
Sony chairman Tom Rothman sat down with Deadline to talk about Spider-Man's future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, specifically pertaining to a potential Spider-Man 4.
While talking about Sony's heavy hitters in the movie business, Rothman shared a promising update about the follow-up to Spider-Man: No Way Home, saying that they "hope to get working" on the next movie while also mentioning the two Spider-Verse sequels:
"Uncharted, Jumanji, Spider-Man. We have our Marvel business, which breaks into three tranches. There are the Spider-Man movies, and we’re currently at work on two Spider-Verse sequels to our Oscar-winning animated movie, with Lord and Miller. We hope to get working on the next Spider-Man movie.
When asked if No Way Home director Jon Watts, Tom Holland, and Zendaya would return in the fourth solo movie, the Sony boss revealed his hopes to see that the "whole group" would come back. Rothman also unveiled an update about Sony's Marvel universe, describing them as films "adjunct to the Spider-Man universe:"
"That whole group, we hope. Then there are movies I would call adjunct to the Spider-Man universe. That’s Kraven, which we’re shooting now, and Madam Web, which we’ll start in the spring with S.J. Clarkson directing. And then there are many Marvel characters that are standalone."
Is Zendaya's Return as MJ Too Soon?
This promising update about Spider-Man 4 could hint that concrete information about the movie might be released sooner rather than later, especially after Marvel Studios and Sony confirmed that they are already actively developing the story after No Way Home's premiere.
Still, Tom Holland did previously mention that he wanted a break before returning to portray the web-slinger, and the two studios could've already granted his wish. That said, it's possible that Spider-Man 4 could be eyeing a potential start of production in 2023, setting the stage for a premiere sometime in late 2024 or 2025.
Meanwhile, one of the concerns of fans is the quick comeback of Zendaya's MJ in the narrative. If the Marvel actress did indeed return in the fourth solo movie, then the emotional weight of seeing No Way Home's ending would likely diminish.
However, considering Marvel Studios' track record of showcasing stories that make sense on-screen, there's a strong chance that the studio will fit Zendaya's MJ in the story in a smooth manner.
Director Jon Watts' return to the Spider-Man franchise is also a welcome development after his exit in the MCU's Fantastic Four movie. The director's expertise in handling Holland's Marvel story has been top-notch and seeing him do it all over again in the upcoming movie would be a fitting addition to his already-impressive resume.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is available for purchase on all major digital platforms.
