A year ago, Spider-Man: No Way Home was dominating the box office and breaking our hearts. Tom Holland’s Peter Parker reached the end of his first MCU story, and it was a bittersweet finale. Marvel and Sony connected all of the Spider-Man characters with the help of the multiverse but also took everything away from Spidey. The studios confirmed at the time that Spider-Man 4 would happen, but didn’t reveal any details about when we’d see it.
Since then, we’ve heard all sorts of rumors about Holland’s future, including potential release windows for the next sequel. But around Christmas 2022, new rumors started circulating about the movie arriving later than expected. However, Sony has once again assured us that the movie is happening. Mind you, MCU spoilers might follow below.
Sony’s movie chairman Tom Rothman talked to The Hollywood Reporter about the various movies and IPs the studio is working on. Spider-Man obviously came up, including the next animated Spider-Verse movie and Spider-Man 4.
Rothman said that the next live-action Spider-Man movie is a no-brainer without disclosing a release date for Spider-Man 4. “You bet,” he said about Sony making the next sequel. “When you can expect it, I don’t know. Serve no wine before it’s time.”
Last year, Rothman confirmed that Spider-Man would appear in a Marvel crossover after No Way Home. That was the rumored deal with Disney after Far From Home. But we have yet to find out when and where Peter Parker will appear in the MCU again.
Let’s remember that right now, nobody knows the identity of Spider-Man. The superhero does exist, and he was always in the MCU. But people do not know that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. The Avengers don’t know that either.
Spider-Man 4 release date delay rumors
Sony and Marvel might not be ready to make official Spider-Man 4 announcements, but there’s no shortage of rumors concerning the film that will kickstart another Spider-Man trilogy.
Word on the street has delivered the same message so far. Spider-Man 4 will get a 2024 release date, placing the film in Phase 5. Some reports indicated the film will hit theaters in the summer of 2024, complicating Marvel’s roster in the process. As a reminder, Captain America: New World Order and Thunderbolts are coming out that year in May and July, respectively.
Spider-Man 4 might also launch in late 2024, but Marvel has Deadpool 3 set for November 8th. A December release would make a lot of sense, but that’s when Avatar 3 comes out.
Cosmic Circus writer Alex Perez said on Twitter recently that Sony and Marvel might push the Spider-Man 4 release into 2025.
He mentioned Marvel pushing its slate, but it’s unclear what projects he might be referring to. Marvel has already delayed various movies. But that was several weeks ago.
Any similar changes could impact the entire MCU, Spider-Man 4 included. Not to mention that reports say Marvel is looking to improve the quality of MCU after Phase 4 criticism. This could lead to release date changes and cancelations, but that’s speculation.
The longer Sony and Marvel take to announce the Spider-Man 4 movie and release date, the clearer it’ll be that 2024 is out of the question. With 2023 almost here, a 2024 release date implies work on the sequel will have to start at some point next year.
Spider-Man 4 might come out in December 2025
Nearly three months after the mid-December 2022 rumors, a massive leak from the MarvelStudiosSpoilers subreddit indicated that the entire Marvel slate might see delays. MCU Phase 5, 6, and 7 shows will be pushed back, especially the TV shows. Also interesting is the claim that a Phase 7 chapter will be added to the Multiverse Saga.
While trusted sources didn’t detail new release dates for the currently announced projects and the rumored movies and TV shows that will populate Phase 6 and 7, the report did feature a new schedule, citing unverified sources.
Unsurprisingly, Spider-Man 4 is one of the movies that appear in the purportedly new MCU schedule. According to it, Spider-Man 4’s release date is December 19th, 2025.
Marvel reportedly didn’t want a clash with Thunderbolts, which made a 2024 summer release impossible. Also, scheduling conflicts will prevent Spider-Man 4 from hitting cinemas during Christmas 2024 season.
The rumor is in line with Perez’s speculation above. But neither can be confirmed at this time.
Will Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield appear in Spider-Man 4z?
One of the reasons No Way Home performed so well at the box office concerns the previous Spider-Man actors. Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield returned to their Peter Parker roles. Marvel and Sony brought their characters to the MCU, effectively tying the Sony universe to the Marvel stories.
Having Maguire and Garfield join Tom Holand in No Way Home did wonders for the movie, especially considering that everything leaked months ahead of the premiere.
But no matter what release date Spider-Man 4 gets, it’s very unlikely we’ll see Maguire and Garfield return. The next episode in the MCU Spider-Man franchise is a soft reboot. Holland’s Peter Parker is all alone. Nobody remembers who he is, and he lost Aunt May. On top of that, he doesn’t have access to Stark tech, so his overpowered Spider-Man suit is out for good.
Marvel will tell the story of a different Peter Parker in this next trilogy. And before he gets to meet the other Peter Parkers, he’ll have to go through other adventures on his own.
The good news is that rumors say that Maguire and Garfield will return in Avengers: Secret Wars. The movie will feature all sorts of exciting cameos from non-MCU Marvel superheroes. Not only that, but Maguire recently confirmed that he’s up for more MCU Spider-Man stuff.
Not to mention that leaks say we’ll see (or, rather, hear) these three Spider-Man variants again soon. Sony’s Across the Spider-Verse animation will feature all sorts of Spider-Man variants from the multiverse. Holland, Maguire, and Garfield might voice their characters in the sequel.
