Marvel & Sony Rumored To Be Fighting Over Tom Holland's Spider-Man 4 - Here's Why
The Tom Holland-led "Spider-Man" franchise has been a successful joint venture for Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures, but word around Tinseltown is that they aren't seeing eye to eye regarding the next movie. According to Hollywood insider Daniel Richtman's Patreon page, Marvel's Kevin Feige reportedly wants to replace director Jon Watts on "Spider-Man 4" and have the filmmaker move on to other projects. However, Sony's Tom Rothman wants to keep Watts on board, presumably because he helmed the first three movies and delivered top results that led to box office success.
That isn't the only dispute between the two parties. The report also indicates that Sony is trying to rush the movie into production. This story has been corroborated by scooper @CanWeGetToast, who added that Feige reportedly feels too stretched to prioritize releasing "Spider-Man 4" in 2025. However, Sony is adamant about sticking to that plan, though it's unknown if that's due to the studio potentially needing a hit after "Madame Web" bombed at the box office.
It remains to be seen if Marvel and Sony will find a mutually beneficial solution. That said, they also need to iron out disagreements about the film's storyline.
Marvel and Sony have different ideas in mind for Spider-Man 4
In January, it was reported that Sony wants two huge Marvel actors in "Spider-Man 4," but Kevin Feige doesn't. Following the success of "Spider-Man: No Way Home," the former wishes for Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire to join Tom Holland as their respective versions of the friendly neighborhood superhero. Marvel, meanwhile, would like a more grounded movie that eschews multiversal madness in favor of returning to Spidey's New York City roots.
The Multiverse could factor into "Spider-Man 4" no matter which direction it's taken in. The Daniel Richtman report states that the fourth installment may include Miles Morales. Additionally, Nicolas Cage is reportedly in talks to play Spider-Man Noir, a character he voiced in Sony's animated feature "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse."
The possible inclusion of multiple iterations of the titular superhero implies that "Spider-Man 4" will be ambitious and massive in scope instead of the street-level blockbuster that Feige is believed to want. However, it's still too early to tell what's happening, as neither party has announced official updates.