The Spider-Man 4 rumor mill continues to churn with a new twist. After an insider said a few days ago that Sony and Marvel might postpone the Spider-Man 4 release date, we have more reports that echo the sentiment. The movie might begin production later than the summer 2025 window that Tom Holland mentioned in interviews a few weeks ago. As a result, Spider-Man 4 might hit theaters ahead of Christmas 2026.
Even before the first delay rumors appeared, I pointed out that Spider-Man 4 has a big problem if it keeps that July 2026 release date that most leakers agreed on. Christopher Nolan’s mysterious new movie will premiere during the same month.
That’s not necessarily a problem. There will always be some sort of competition at the box office. The problem is that Tom Holland and Zendaya will star in both movies. Therefore, Holland and Zendaya would have to shoot both projects around the same time and then promote the films at about the same time.
A Christmas release makes better sense for Spider-Man 4, considering how well No Way Home did at the box office during its Christmas 2021 release window. Also, Spider-Man 4 is part of the larger MCU story, where the movie needs to serve a specific purpose. That aspect will also impact its release.
Mind you, some spoilers might follow below.
Jeff Sneider said a few days ago that Spider-Man 4 production might start in the second half of 2025 rather than next May. Delays might extend to early 2026. He said at the time that Spider-Man 4 won’t make its July 2026 release.
Meanwhile, a leaker who goes by the name ViewerAnon on X said that Spider-Man 4 will be a Christmas 2026 release, without actually offering a date for the sequel.
The leaker was actually reacting to a different report covering new Spider-Man 4 tidbits sourced from another well-known Marvel Insider, Daniel Richtman. He said on Patreon that Spider-Man 4 will start filming next August. That way, Holland and Zendaya will have time to finish their other big projects.
Richtman did not provide an actual release date for Spider-Man 4 or hint that the movie would hit cinemas before Christmas 2026. But the Christmas release window would fit his timeline. Sony and Marvel would need about a year to finish the film.
Richtman noted that Spider-Man 4 will have some multiversal elements and more than one villain.
Interestingly, Richtman also mentioned a Spidey tidbit about Avengers: Doomsday. Tom Holland will reportedly have a big role in the film, something we heard of before. The film will also start shooting next year. Add Nolan’s movie and Spider-Man 4, and Holland will have plenty of ground to cover.
That’s another hint that a release date delay is in order for Spider-Man 4.
It’s not just Holland with a busy schedule. Zendaya will also have to work on Dune 3 in addition to the Nolan picture and Spider-Man 4.
Finally, there’s also the MCU aspect to consider. Rumors say that Spider-Man 4 has to hit theaters between Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Presumably, that’s the in-universe chronology of events. With the Avengers movies premiering in May 2026 and May 2027, Sony and Marvel would have to find a place for Spider-Man 4 within that one-year window. Christmas 2026 makes the most sense.
That said, we’re back to square one. We have no idea when Sony and Marvel will announce Spider-Man 4. Only when that happens, we’ll get an official release date for the highly anticipated sequel.
