Spider-Man 4 will swing into theaters in July 2026 – and I’m already worried about its story and place on the Marvel timeline
Spider-Man: No Way Home 2.0, anyone?
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Spider-Man 4is set to swing into theaters in mid-2026 – and it’ll seemingly act as the connective tissue between the next twoAvengersmovies in the process.
Announced by various outlets, includingDeadlineandVarietylast Friday (October 25), the webslinger’s next solo film will officially debut in cinemas worldwide on July 24, 2026.Shang-Chifilmmaker Daniel Destin Cretton is also reportedly on directorial duties.
For anyone who hasn’t been keeping tabs onMarvel’s ever-evolving theatrical release schedule, that means it’ll be sandwiched betweenAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Wars– the fifth and sixthAvengersmovies that’ll cap Marvel’s Multiverse Saga. Those films are due out in theaters on May 1, 2026, and May 7, 2027, respectively.
🕷️ Only in theatres July 24, 2026. pic.twitter.com/NgpUO7JwaCOctober 25, 2024
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie’s confirmed launch date was announced just days aftercurrent Spider-Man star Tom Holland provided an exciting update onSpider-Man 4’s filming schedule. Speaking onThe Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, Holland, who’s been on a self-imposed acting hiatus for over a year, revealed the movie would start shooting in mid-2025. Unless the co-developedSonyand Marvel film’s release date is pushed back at any point over the next 18 months, then, the turnaround between shooting the superhero flick and releasing it is going to be a tight one.
That isn’t the only potential problem that’s already worrying me aboutSpider-Man’s next standalone adventure, though. The year-long gap between the start of principal photography and the film’s big-screen debut notwithstanding, I’m also concerned about the movie’s story, especially now that we knowSpider-Man 4will bridge the divide betweenAvengers 5andAvengers 6.
Okay, tentatively discussingSpider-Man 4’s plot on theRich Roll podcastearlier in October, Holland admitted he and co-star Zendaya were incredibly excited about its narrative. Indeed, the latest incumbent to play the iconic wallcrawler in a live-action capacity said: “It [the draft] needs work but the writers are doing a great job. I read it three weeks ago and it really lit a fire in me. Zendaya and I sat down, read it together, and we at times were bouncing around the living room.”
To some, that’ll sound like proof enough that theMarvel Phase 6movie will be epic. As a massive Spider-Man fan, I really hope that’s the case, too, but I can’t shake the feeling thatSpider-Man 4’s positioning betweenDoomsdayandSecret Warsis somewhat misguided.
SPIDER-MAN 4 OFFICIALLY STARTS FILMING NEXT SUMMER!! PETER PARKER IS COMING HOME 😭🫂 pic.twitter.com/dvislOv71KOctober 23, 2024
For starters, the next twoAvengersfilms will, as I mentioned, bring the Marvel Multiverse Saga to a close.Avengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgamewrapped up the Infinity Saga in a similar fashion but, like Spider-Man 4, they were split by another MCU film inAnt-Man and the Wasp, which acted as a palette cleanser toInfinity War’s soul-crushing finale.
Spider-Man 4isn’t likely to perform an equivalent role, however. Holland is one of the most beloved actors around right now. Spider-Man is also one of the most popular, not to mention marketable, superhero characters of all time. Put the two together and you’ve got a recipe for instant box office success. It’s nailed on, then, that Holland’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man will be one of the leads inAvengers: Doomsdayalongside the likes of Anthony Mackie’s Captain America, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, and – providing she’s revealed to be alive by the timeAvengers 5rolls around – Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch.
If, as expected, Holland plays a major role inAvengers 5, I’m anxious about the direction thatSpider-Man 4’s story will go in. For all intents and purposes,Doomsdayis being primed as this saga’sInfinity War, i.e. it’ll be a movie where the villain – Doctor Victor von Doom, who’ll be played by none other than Robert Downey Jr. – is likely to defeat our heroes. If he does and, in the process, causes the complete breakdown/destruction of the Marvel multiverse, I suspect we’ll see the creation of Battleworld, a planet made up of fragments of multiple Earths following the multiverse’s collapse as seen in Marvel’s 2015 Secret Wars comic book storyline.
In my view, that’ll all but end my hopes of seeing Spider-Man andDaredevilunite for a street-level silver screen adventure, which would’ve been another great fan service-y Spidey flick, particularly in light of the MCU’s inhabitants forgetting who Peter Parker is followingSpider-Man: No Way Home’s finale.
It also meanSpider-Man 4is likely to be another multiverse-centric film in the vein ofNo Way Home. Crowd-pleasing as it was to see Holland’s Spidey team up with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s iterations of the webslinger, I’d prefer it if Spider-Man’s fourth MCU flick wasn’tNo Way Home 2.0in all but name.
In fact, there are only two things that might such an approach worthwhile. The first could see Spider-Man ally himself with other heroes he’s crossed paths with in Marvel comics – a Spider-Man, Deadpool, and Wolverine team-up, especially afterDeadpool and Wolverine’s success earlier this year, wouldn’t go amiss. Another option could be him bonding with the Venom goo, as seen inNo Way Home’s post-credits scene, to get his iconic black suit, which increases his power levels and helps Spidey to help defeat Doctor Doom in Secret Wars. That could set up a fifth MCU Spider-Man movie that fully introduces Venom to Marvel’s cinematic franchise. Otherwise, I can’t see the appeal of the webhead starring in another solo multiversal adventure.
Of course, my worries could be completely unfounded, and I’d love Sony and Marvel to prove me wrong with whatever they’re cooking up forSpider-Man 4. But, with Marvel supposedly pausing production on all non-multiversal stories (according to industry leakerDanielRPK, anyway) until this saga has ended, the evidence that’s stacking up is doing little to assuage my concerns that Spider-Man’s fourth MCU movie will be the one I want it to be. Given how inconsistent and divisive the Marvel Multiverse Saga has been, I imagine many other MCU fans will feel the same way – and that’s another big problem for Marvel to contend with.
You might also like
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.
An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as thisMoon Knight TV spot.
Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across.
Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.
Lego will let you build Sir Ernest Shackleton’s iconic lost ship, the Endurance, in its next Icons set
Singapore Criterium live stream 2024: How to watch FREE UCI cycling online
Stormforce Pro Creator 0601 workstation review
