It’s only a matter of time until Sony and Marvel announce Spider-Man 4 and its release date, but that time hasn’t come yet. Both studios confirmed that they’re working on the next Spidey adventure featuring Tom Holland, but it’s up to Sony to announce the film. And Spider-Man 4 is absent from Comic-Con, with a new report indicating the film is still in the very early stages of development. An announcement isn’t warranted, as Sony is still working on the script and cast. But the latest Spider-Man 4 release rumor is still great for fans of Zendaya’s MJ, who might play a big role in the upcoming soft reboot of the franchise.
Separately, a leaker claims that Spider-Man 4 won’t hit theaters until 2025, which fits current developments. Beware, some Spider-Man 4 spoilers might follow below.
Why Spider-Man 4 is so exciting
We’ve often discussed how No Way Home is an incredible end of the first MCU Spider-Man story, giving Sony and Marvel the option to start fresh with the character. That’s why we’re looking at a soft reboot here.
Sony and Marvel stripped Peter Parker of everything and everyone, which can certainly do a number on a young adult’s psyche. And that gives the studios the chance to tell stories that don’t have to be stuck within the confines of the previous films.
Peter lost his family in No Way Home and decided to have everyone who knows him forget who he is. That includes MJ, Ned (Jacob Batalon), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), and the Avengers. He also lost access to the Stark Spider-Man suits that turned him into an overpowered MCU superhero.
With all that out of the way, Sony and Marvel can tell a new story featuring a slightly older, slightly wiser Spider-Man who is fending off himself and his neighborhood. He’s doing it all without the help of his trusted friends, the Avengers, or super suits.
Also, Sony and Marvel can now make Spider-Man movies unlike anything that came before. Spidey is growing up, and we’re about to explore his university years in Spider-Man 4 and the subsequent sequels.
And yes, Spidey will cross paths with the other Avengers, and he’ll undoubtedly rejoin the group in time for The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars.
Zendaya’s MJ might play a big role in Spider-Man 4
Despite the great setup explained above, Spider-Man 4 still has to deliver a great story. It certainly can’t match the No Way Home hype, and we don’t expect any multiverse action in this one.
With all that in mind, it’s unsurprising to hear that Sony and Marvel aren’t ready for any big reveals.
Sony had plenty of Cinema-Con announcements this week, including new Spider-Man action. But that action only concerned the Across the Spider-Verse animated feature hitting theaters later this year.
Asked why Spider-Man 4 was absent from the Cinema-Con event, leaker Big Screen Leaks said the film isn’t far enough in development to warrant an announcement.
“They’re still writing the script and figuring out how to work around Tom and Zendaya’s busy schedules,” the insider said. Holland is obviously the star of the sequel, so Sony would have to work around his schedule, of course.
But the leaker implies that Zendaya will have a major role in the story rather than just a few cameos.
We’re speculating here, but that would be amazing. Sony and Marvel should know better than to cast away Zendaya’s MJ. There’s still a love story there. MJ might not remember who Peter Parker is, but he still loves her and watches over her. And MJ is definitely the kind of character that Sony and Marvel can continue building up in future MCU stories.
When will Spider-Man 4 hit theaters?
Interestingly, a recent rumor said that MJ will get her memories back in Spider-Man 4. That would be an amazing development. We do expect that to happen at some point down the road, but we had no idea it would happen so soon.
The same leaker who said that Spider-Man 4 will give MJ her memories back now offers a release date for the sequel. They say Spider-Man 4 will hit theaters in 2025. However, the leaker doesn’t provide a source of this inside information or a narrower timeframe.
I’ll point out that a different Marvel insider speculated that Sony might push the film to 2025 rather than release it in winter 2024. A separate leak indicated a Christmas 2025 premiere for Spider-Man 4.
These are all unconfirmed claims, but they fit well with Sony’s Cinema-Con 2023 announcements. A 2024 release date for Spider-Man 4 would mean Sony would have to start shooting the movie at some point this year.
