Spider-Man 4 is quickly getting closer to becoming a reality, as franchise star Tom Holland reveals that there’s a script – and he’s read it. It was already confirmed that Destin Daniel Cretton will be directing the fourth installment and that Holland and Zendaya are on board to return. While Holland is understandably keeping the specifics to himself (honestly surprising, given his track record with spilling the beans), this update is sure to get fans of the Marvel hero excited.
During an appearance on the Rich Roll podcast to promote his new non-alcoholic beer brand, Holland revealed that he and Zendaya, who plays MJ in the Marvel Spider-Man films, have read the latest draft of the script, and they’re both excited about it:
“It really lit a fire in me. Zendaya and I read it together and we at times were bouncing around the living room. This is a real movie worthy of like fans’ respect.”
This is the most legitimate news we have received about Spider-Man 4 since it was announced that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton will be helming the film, taking over for Jon Watts, who spearheaded Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home. In addition to directing news, it has also been confirmed that Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers are penning the script, with the latest draft seemingly getting the seal of approval from Spider-Man himself, something that should please fans of the franchise.
Spider-Man 4 Has Big Shoes to Fill
The pressure to get Spider-Man 4 right is extremely high considering how well-received the previous films were. This is especially true of 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, which simultaneously told a sprawling multiverse story and a strong character-driven story that saw Holland’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man taking his biggest leap to adulthood yet by making major sacrifices on his path to becoming a real-deal hero. When Peter asks Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to cast a spell that makes everyone forget Spider-Man’s identity, which breaks the multiverse wide open. In order to set things right, Peter has to erase himself from everyone’s memory, which leads to a soul-crushing but satisfying ending.
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If true, this would have major consequences on Peter Parker’s mental health, that’s for sure.
The movie also utilized fan service without sacrificing the integrity of the main plot. The multiverse story allowed the different versions of Spider-Man to appear in the film, which saw the return of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield to the franchise. This also meant villains could return, with Willem Dafoe’s Norman Osborn/Green Goblin, Jamie Foxx’s Mat Dillon/Electro, and Alfred Molina’s Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus hopping into the MCU for a quick spell. A great story and execution led to solid reviews (93 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and a robust box office ($1.108 billion worldwide).
Where Spider-Man 4 is headed is still unknown, although rumors have been circulating that Holland’s version of the character will come across the alien symbiote and might be able to don his black suit. There is also speculation that Tom Hardy’s Venom will eventually head to the MCU, even though the actor has said the upcoming Venom: The Last Dance is his final Venom film. Fans were quick to notice that he said it’s the last film of the Venom franchise, but not necessarily his last time playing the character. There is also a debate about whether fans will get another big multiverse story or if Spider-Man will face a more street-level crisis, with the fandom being split about which direction they prefer the fourth film to take. For now, we’ll all have to patiently wait to see where Spider-Man goes next.