We could be seeing Sadie Sink take the place of Zendaya in Spider-Man: Brand New Day as the Stranger Things star is rumored to be ing the MCU as a multiverse variant of none other than Gwen Stacy.

It’s been a tough few years for MCU Spider-Man fans. Can you believe it’s been nearly four whole years since we last saw Tom Holland’s web-slinging hero on the big screen? How the time flies. But at long last we’re seeing signs of life with Marvel gearing up for a fourth movie in 2026, and with the hype of a new Spidey instalment comes all the rumors and speculation we’re used to seeing.

The Sadie Sink rumor explored

The rumor has been attributed to Jeff Sneider, the same guy who claimed Robert Downey Jr. would be playing Doctor Doom two months before the announcement was made. If his source is right then that means we could be seeing Sink swing onto our screens as the new live-action Gwen Stacy.

While Sneider has proven himself to be reliable with leaks in the past he isn’t always spot on. Three months ago he was saying that Sink’s role in the MCU might be as an MJ variant. Prior to that he was claiming she was set to play Jean Grey. So let’s take what this guy says with a grain of salt. It certainly sounds like Sadie Sink will be appearing in the MCU in some capacity, but the exact details of her role are somewhat vague right now.

Fan reactions to the news ranged from excitement, with some saying she’s perfect for the role, to confusion, with one person noting that she has “been rumored so far to be playing 10 different characters.”

What does this mean for Zendaya?

We have plenty of questions about this casting of course. First of all, will Sink be playing regular Gwen Stacy or Spider-Gwen? If it’s the former then that would make her a potential love interest to Peter Parker. So what would that mean for Zendaya’s MJ? 

The truth is we just don’t know right now. It’s not even confirmed that this is 100% the role Sadie Sink will be playing in the Spider-Man film. In all honesty even if Sink does the cast as Gwen there will probably always be room for Zendaya/MJ. Her character is pretty much integral to every Spider-Man story and it’s hard to imagine Marvel giving us a Spider-Man story without Tom Holland and Zendaya. 

Let’s not forget the fact that the two are also engaged in real life making it even more unlikely that Marvel would keep them separate on-screen. Either way, it will be interesting to see how the dynamics of this iteration of Peter Parker and MJ shift with the potential addition of Gwen Stacy.

Fans have reacted to news of Spider-Man 4’s official title (no, it’s not Spider-Man 4), though some of them are less than impressed with the fact that it has broken a long-running tradition. 

In case you missed it, Sony revealed at its CinemaCon showcase earlier this week that the title of Tom Holland’s web-slinging flick is Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The announcement was preempted by director Destin Daniel Cretton, who recalled a story of his son’s first word being “Spider-Man” (child genius alert!) before presenting a video message from Holland. It was Peter Parker himself (or at least this timeline’s Peter) who first uttered the Brand New Day title into existence, with Holland offering a “massive thank you for all of your .” 

Spider-Man: Brand New Day July 31, 2026. pic.twitter.com/R6OY8tAHOb

— Spider-Man Movie (@SpiderManMovie) April 1, 2025

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a fresh start,” the actor added, before describing the sequel as “a ride that we haven’t really seen before.” Holland’s talk of a fresh start is especially pertinent, since Brand New Day marks a delineation from the titles of the first three installments of Holland’s franchise, which all contained the word “home”. There was Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2017, followed by 2019’s Far From Home and the multiverse-jumping No Way Home in 2021. Naturally, since hell hath no fury like a Marvel fanatic scorned, the break in tradition garnered quite a few reactions. 

The recent one is so fucking bad the downfall is insane

— HARRYS HOUSE (@harryshouse3) April 1, 2025

“Why no more home names?” one fan questioned on X, with another describing it as the “weirdest movie title ever for a Spider-Man movie.” Elsewhere, other fans wondered whether “that’s the best [title] they could cook up,” or simply declared that “the downfall [of the franchise] is insane.” While there was some initial confusion around the reveal, comic book sleuths were quick to deduce that Brand New Day is a reference to a 2008 storyline that takes place after a universe-altering event in which everyone forgot who Spider-Man was.

Weirdest movie title ever for a Spider-Man movie

Makes me imagine that he’s getting up all chipper with a cup of coffee in his hand lol. Hope this is good.

— Kevin VL (@teslius) April 1, 2025

Why no more home names?

— Harsh Patel (@Harshpatel1408) April 1, 2025

The storyline attracted controversy at the time for effectively erasing Peter’s marriage to Mary Jane and wiping much of Peter’s personal development out of continuity. Marvel choosing this reference makes sense, since No Way Home ends with Doctor Strange erasing the world’s memory of Spider-Man’s identity. However, since Marvel hasn’t exactly stayed faithful to the comic books that inspire its titles, it remains to be seen whether Brand New Day will totally adhere to the storyline it pulls from. 

Not many people know No Way Home loosely adapted one of the worst Spider Man stories (One More Day) and mad it a banger. The follow up to that comic? Brand New Day. https://t.co/KrbNbHrLQc pic.twitter.com/ww4TmkngEX

— West Banks (@WestBANKS_) April 1, 2025

Whatever the case, the reveal of the title is simply the latest update ahead of Spider-4’s (sorry, Brand New Day’s) 2026 release date. Just this week, we learned that Tom Hardy’s Venom would not be delivering the crossover moment that fans had long hoped for, and before that, it was announced that Sadie Sink will appear in the four-quel, though her exact role remains unknown. Some fans have speculated the Stranger Things star will be introduced as Jean Grey from X-Men, but there’s more than a few redheaded mutants she could also portray. 

The Spider-Man: Brand New Day title is quite fitting as in Marvel Comics this arc represents a new beginning and a new status quo. It means back to basics, reset relationships, no Avengers, and I suspect, Harry Osborn. pic.twitter.com/oHFsEd4un2

— Rob Keyes (@rob_keyes) April 1, 2025

Elsewhere, we discovered that Andrew Garfield, who featured in No Way Home, has ruled out appearing in Brand New Day (or so he says), and learned that Holland had read the script for Spider-Man 4 with his girlfriend and co-star, Zendaya. It’s all a lot to digest, so I suggest you sleep on this news and wake up tomorrow on a Brand New Day (sorry, I had to).  

As the rumor mill continues to churn out speculation about a long-awaited Venom and Spider-Man crossover, Tom Hardy has come through with an official update. 

Before you get your painties (or web-slingers) in a twist, I regret to inform you that it isn’t particularly promising news. Hardy, who portrayed Eddie Brock/Venom in Sony’s trilogy of the loveable anti-hero, addressed all the rumors of a potential onscreen collaboration with Peter Parker in a recent interview on The Discourse Podcast. 

Tom Hardy says a Spider-Man and Venom crossover film 'got close' to happening, but studio politics prevented it

"I would have loved to have done [it] because that just means so much fun"

(via Discourse Pod) pic.twitter.com/hHKeD8jGo6

— Culture Crave (@CultureCrave) March 31, 2025

Since Spider-Man and Venom exist in the same universe — with the latter character even appearing in Tobey Maguire’s iteration of Spider-Man — the speculation of some form of crossover was well-placed. However, Hardy isn’t so sure it’ll ever come to fruition. “We got close,” Hardy said about a crossover with the Tom Holland version of Spider-Man. “We got as close as I could possibly imagine getting, apart from doing a film together.”

Later on, The Discourse Podcast host Mike DeAngelo asked whether “studio politics” had anything to do with the crossover being killed, and his response certainly pointed towards the affirmative. “[The project] never happened for all the reasons that you explained ultimately in there.” The actor didn’t elaborate on exactly what that meant, but he did express excitement at the idea of a crossover “for the kids,” who are the target market he had in mind for the hypothetical film. 

Tom Hardy confirms ‘Spider-Man & Venom’ is dead.

Studio politics got in the way, and that bridge was ultimately burned. He doesn’t mention if the crossover was going to happen in Spider-Man 4 like originally reported. pic.twitter.com/0BQmDl0vdY

— Hernandy D. Morales (@hernandy_s) March 31, 2025

“Fundamentally, for me, it would be for the kids,” Hardy said of why he wanted to do a Venom-Spider-Man project. “Because, you know, as much as adults love superhero films, as you can tell by the box office when they’re successful, I think I’m constantly reminded by children how important these characters are.” That, for Hardy, would be the main justification for a crossover, since children viewers “don’t know why their favorite characters aren’t in films together.” 

News of the nixed Venom and Spider-Man project flies in the face of earlier promises made by those involved in the project. In 2019, Ruben Fleischer, who directed the first installment of the Venom franchise, confirmed to Fandom that the plan was always to build Hardy’s comic book franchise into a meeting with Holland’s Spider-Man. “That’s where it’s all going to lead,” Fleischer said at the time. He went on to reveal that the change in the origin story for the character of Venom “because of the Marvel-Sony thing” allowed him to envision a scenario in which Spider-Man and Venom “actually do confront each other.”

Seems like what Fleischer was hinting at in regards to Marvel and Sony’s dual ownership of Spider-Man might be the “studio politics” that Hardy mentioned. While we won’t see Venom in it, the installment of Holland’s Spider-Man franchise is very much moving along. Today, the name for the film — the fourth entry into the franchise — was revealed as Spider-Man: Brand New Day, with a release date slated for July 31, 2026. Who knows, maybe by then Hardy will figure out a way to web-sling his way into Holland’s franchise, and we’d certainly be here for that!

It’s been 84 years, but Spider-Man 4 is finally getting somewhere as the first new cast member for the long-awaited next outing for Tom Holland’s webslinger has been announced. And, honestly, Zendaya might want to be worried that someone is coming to steal her man (um, only on screen, that is).

As per Deadline, Stranger Things breakout Sadie Sink has ed Holland in the currently untitled fourth MCU Spider-Man film. Shang-Chi‘s Destin Daniel Cretton is taking over directing duties for this one, with Holland and Zendaya both confirmed to feature. The latter, however, is expected to have somewhat of a reduced role. Both on of where the last movie left off and because she’s also due to shoot both Dune 3 and Euphoria season 3 in the coming months.

It’s currently unclear who Sink could be playing, but given her closeness in age to Holland — she’s 22, he’s 28 — and Zendaya’s limited presence, she could well be the film’s female lead and therefore a potential new love interest for Peter Parker. Deadline notes that the “prevailing theory” surrounding Sink’s casting is that she could be Jean Grey, but this seems rooted in fan conjecture and the actress’ resemblance to the iconic X-Men heroine rather than insider information.

Another theory that’s gaining traction is that Sink could be the MCU’s actual Mary Jane Watson, as Zendaya’s character is known as MJ but is officially Michelle Jones. While conceptually possible, though, this feels extremely unlikely as it could only be viewed as a slight to Zendaya and a capitulation to the racist backlash that’s shadowed her take on the character since 2017. Besides, No Way Home effectively confirmed that Michelle is this Earth’s variant of Mary Jane. Deal with it, haters.

So who could Sink realistically be portraying? Marvel fans have ideas. Like, a lot of ideas. “Forget Jean Grey, give me Angelica Jones,” pitched one Redditor. This is in reference to the second most notable redhead associated with Spidey — the mutant heroine Firestar, most ed for her starring role in 1980s cartoon Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends. “If the title of this movie somehow turns out to be Spider-Man & His Amazing Friends and they cast Iceman I’ll be hyped af,” wrote a fellow child of the ’80s. “That cartoon was the best as a kid!”

Another wondered if the Jean Grey rumor might just be a case of mistaken identity. “Maybe he misheard and it was actually “Jeanne”. As in Jeanne Foucault/Finesse">Peter and MJ forcibly separated due to the memory-wiping spell in No Way Home, the most obvious route to go down would be for Gwen to show up. And yet the X-Men are coming, so slotting a mutant character like Jean or even Firestar in there could be the logical choice, too. Zendaya fans can rest assured that she will return in Spider-Man 4, but seeing as she is the first person ing the cast, it does seem like Sink might just steal the show… and maybe Peter’s heart.

Marvel‘s 2025 slate has only just begun — and can only get better from here after Captain America: Brave New World — but it’s hard not to already start thinking about what’s to come for the MCU in 2026. In many years, what the studio has in store for us this year is just a precursor to what could well be the most significant year for the cinematic universe since the Infinity Saga ended in 2019.

Seeing as Marvel’s schedule seems to switch around much more these days than it used to, things could still change, but — as of this early stage in the year — it appears we already know the full slate of what’s to come from the MCU in 2026. All told, it currently seems like the studio has four movies and six TV projects to offer up over the following calendar year, making 10 separate releases in total. Basically, Marvel fans, you ain’t gonna starve.

Movies

Untitled Marvel film #1 – Feb. 13

First up on the slate is this mystery Marvel release pegged to drop almost 12 months to the day after Brave New World. Unfortunately, given its impending arrival and the fact we don’t think Marvel has shot a whole movie without us knowing, there is a good chance this date could be pulled from the calendars. At one time, it’s likely this would’ve been filled by Armor Wars, but now we know that’s deader than Tony Stark. Speaking of…

Avengers: Doomsday – May 1

Iron Man may be dead, but Robert Downey Jr. is back in the MCU as Doctor Doom. That’s right, we’re already almost at the end of the Multiverse Saga, with Avengers: Doomsday set to offer the first part of an epic, no doubt gargantuanly expensively tale that will conclude a year later with 2027’s Secret Wars. Can the Russos and co. make something that measures up to the might of Infinity War and Endgame? That is the $3 billion question.

Spider-Man 4 – July 31

If we’re very, very lucky, 2026 could deliver the best one-two punch of MCU movies we’ve had in years. That’s assuming that Doomsday is everything we want it to be and Spider-Man 4 is a worthy follow-up to No Way Home. Tom Holland and Zendaya are back for this top-secret sequel which shoots in London this summer. Expect something a little different from the Homecoming trilogy with Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton at the helm.

Untitled Marvel film #2 – Nov. 6

There’s so much mystery surrounding Marvel’s 2026 movie slate it’s like Kevin Feige’s been replaced with Quentin Beck. This November slot was definitely originally intended to be filled by Blade, but it remains to be seen if Marvel can pull it together in time. Considering The Fantastic Four was made super-fast, it’s not necessarily impossible. Worst case scenario, we only get 2 MCU films next year. If that happens, at least we’ve got six TV releases to tide us over…

TV

Wonder Man

Wonder Man actually kicks off this year, but its final episodes will presumably drop across January after it premieres in December 2025. This comedic series follows Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, a Hollywood star turned superhero. The show has been dubbed a “love letter to acting” by Marvel’s head of television Brad Winderbaum, who also called it “the best show no one’s ever seen.” All right, color us intrigued.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (season 2)

Anyone who thinks Marvel’s 2025 is off to a bad start after Brave New World, do yourself a favor and binge Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, an innovative yet nostalgic Spidey cartoon in the classic mold. Thankfully, Marvel’s confirmed to be committing to yearly releases of this show for the immediate future. Season 2 is 100% coming in 2026 and a third is expected for 2027.

X-Men ’97 (season 2)

On a similar note, X-Men ’97 blew Marvel-loving audiences away when it debuted on Disney Plus in spring 2024. After a year’s break, the acclaimed sequel to the 1990s’ X-Men: The Animated Series is back for another run of action-packed, allegorical adventures in 2026. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the ugly behind-the-drama surrounding the show doesn’t impact on its quality.

Daredevil: Born Again (season 2)

Daredevil: Born Again was originally ordered for 18 episodes, which were ultimately carved in two, so it’s no surprise that season 2 will follow hot on the first run’s heels in 2026. Unfortunately, Marvel must’ve misplaced an episode somewhere as season 2 is confirmed to consist of eight episodes rather than nine. Filming is already about to begin in NYC, with Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Deborah Ann Woll all definitely returning.

The Punisher – Special Presentation

In a welcome surprise twist, Marvel has also recently announced that Born Again season 2 will be accompanied by another Defenders Saga spin-off. Namely, a Special Presentation — you know, like Werewolf by Night and the Guardians holiday special — starring Jon Bernthal’s Punisher. “It’s like a shotgun blast of a story, but also has all the pathos and emotion that you want out of a Frank Castle story,” said hype man extraordinaire Winderbaum.

Vision Quest

Last but not least, in the wake of Agatha All Along‘s success, the WandaVision-Verse continues with a second spin-off in the form of Vision Quest (provisional title). This time, Paul Bettany is back as White Vision, as he goes on a journey of self-discovery… and probably also a journey of actual discovery, if rumors that he’ll track down his long-lost son, Tommy/Speed, are to be believed. Also watch out for James Spader’s Ultron (!) and *checks notes* that terrorist who kidnapped Tony in Iron Man. Truly, the MCU is coming full circle.

That Zendaya is a phenom we’re all very much aware, but we’d like to know where she gets her stamina. The actress is starring in three of the year’s biggest productions, and one of the most anticipated seasons of television ever.

If all goes according to plan, Zendaya will have concluded filming for Christopher Nolan’s next movie, the third Dune film, and the fourth Spider-Man before the leaves turn yellow. Before all that, however, she has to finish an entire season of Euphoria, which finally began filming last week.

Zendaya plays the lead, Rue, which she has always described as a high intensity role. “I’ve only done two, but it feels like five. One season of Euphoria is like, ‘Phew!’,” she joked during her appearance on Variety‘s Actors on Actors in December. She confessed to having “Rue scars” and finding filming for the critically acclaimed and hugely popular HBO show “emotionally and physically draining,” even if “rewarding.”

With season 3 expected to be Euphoria‘s last, creator Sam Levinson will be looking to up the ante. Much of that weight may fall on Zendaya, although, by the end of last season, Rue seemed to be on the mend.

The actress will then have to close up those freshly reopened Rue wounds, say a final farewell to the character that changed her career and earned her two Emmys, and move on to The Odyssey, Nolan’s Homeric epic. The film, expected to begin production in the spring, is led by Matt Damon and Zendaya’s rumored fiancé Tom Holland.

Many have speculated that the Disney Channel alum might not have much more than a cameo in this film, since that’s what usually happens in Nolan’s ensemble projects. Every week, there’s a new casting announcement, including Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, and Elliot Page, just to name a few. Plus, Nolan’s filmography has a history of sidelining the female talent. Maybe that’s for the best, though, considering Zendaya’s plans for the summer.

Deadline reported Tuesday that Denis Villeneuve is hoping production on the next chapter of his all-encoming space opera will have kicked off by July or August. The ending of Best Picture nominee Dune: Part Two suggested an important arc for Zendaya’s character, Chani, in the third film.

Villeneuve chose to rework the book version of the Fremen warrior, making her much more pivotal in the political sandstorms of Arrakis — a responsibility that, once again, depended as much on the script as it did on what Zendaya could do with it. And she did not disappoint.

With the stakes rising to new heights in Messiah, the actress will want to make sure her grip on Chani continues to be just as strong. Especially since, during that time, she could also be juggling the shoot for Spider-Man 4, which Holland has confirmed will also be filming in the summer.

Zendaya is confirmed to reprise her saga-spanning performance as M.J., AKA Michelle Jones. The scope of her arc is still under wraps, unsurprisingly, but with Marvel’s recent bad luck, the studio might want to make the most of the 28-year-old’s mega star power and sizzling chemistry with Holland while they can.

Zendaya’s hectic schedule is undoubtedly impressive, and it comes after a year of equally incessant work promoting both Dune: Part Two and Challengers, which she filmed the year prior. As one fan over on X put it, “She got 27 hours in her day.”

The star is one of her generation’s finest talents, but also one of its hardest workers. And, while we’re excited to see her pop up on our screens so frequently for the foreseeable future, we’d also love to know where she finds the energy. And with a possible wedding to plan, too. You go, girl!

Like it or not, but it’s probably fair to say that Marvel’s biggest appeal these days is as a cameo engine. Just look at the most successful MCU movies of recent years, Spider-Man: No Way Home and Deadpool & Wolverine — both crossed billion-dollar hauls at the box office thanks to all the intense interest folks had in seeing which familiar faces would come back and which wouldn’t. So it’s no surprise to hear that Spider-Man 4 might just be repeating the trick.

Or, you know, maybe it isn’t. A certain Marvel legend who’s been knocking around the multiverse for 23 years and counting at this stage was asked point-blank in a new interview whether he will show up in Tom Holland’s next outing as the wallcrawler, and he gave practically the best response he could when it comes to pleading the fifth. Even so, the little he did say has got fans wondering if he has something to hide.

The legend in question is none other than J. Jonah Jameson himself, J.K. Simmons. When asked if he’s back as the Daily Bugle blowhard once more for Spider-Man 4, Simmons replied simply, “No spoilers. Sorry, I’m not telling!” That’s all well and good, J.K., but it still kinda sounds like you’ve got something to spoil in the first place…

How much Marvel actors should and shouldn’t say about their movies is a difficult game, and every MCU star plays it differently — from Holland and Mark Ruffalo’s famously loose lips to the magnificent duplicity of Andrew Garfield swearing upon his mother’s life that he wasn’t in No Way Home and all evidence to the contrary that had leaked online was photoshopped. It takes a special sort to commit to this level of lying, though, so Simmons’ “I ain’t saying nothin’ to nobody!” approach is a strong alternative.

After two back-to-back walk-on parts in both Far From Home and No Way Home, it probably wouldn’t be too much of a spoiler if we did find out Jameson was back for Spidey 4, anyway. What would be a nice surprise is if he actually had something interesting to do this time around. Could Peter finally get a job with the Bugle now that no one knows who he is following the tragic ending of the last film? It’s bizarre that Simmons has been in the MCU for two films and he hasn’t had a meaningful interaction with Spidey and/or Peter yet — and his last film had three Peters in it!

There’s a worthwhile debate to be had over whether Spider-Man 4 should attempt to recreate the crossover party atmosphere of NWH or if it should get back to the more character-driven storytelling of Homecoming (and maybe even the original Sam Raimi films), but it’s hard not to argue that the former would be its best route to success amid the current cinematic climate. Simmons might be the first potential cameo we’re hearing about for the production — which starts shooting in the U.K. later this year — but he’s almost certainly not the last.

Despite widespread rumors to the contrary, Andrew Garfield has now denied that he’ll appear in the fourth installment of Marvel’s Tom Holland-led Spider-Man franchise. 

The actor — who played Peter Parker in Sony’s Amazing Spider-Man series before reprising the role in Marvel’s No Way Home — discussed the possibility of donning the spider suit once more in a recent interview with GQ UK. Garfield has remained tight-lipped about his involvement in the franchise ever since ing Tobey Maguire in the multiverse-jumping No Way Home, but his new comments go some way in explaining what we can expect of him in regards to Spider-Man 4. 

When asked whether he had already signed on to appear in the sequel — which we already know will star Holland and Zendaya — the actor preempted fans’ sadness, saying “I’m gonna disappoint you.” He then revealed that “no,” he hasn’t yet been confirmed to appear in Spider-Man 4, adding that “no one’s gonna trust anything I say from now on.” That last part is in reference to Garfield’s notorious 2021 interviews in which he consistently denied speculation of a cameo in No Way Home only to appear on the big screen upon its eventual release.

While the comments might come to the dismay of Marvel stans eager to see Garfield in the anticipated four-quel, it’s worth ing that the actor was responding to whether he had signed on to the project, not whether he had been ruled out of an appearance altogether. It’s also worth noting that, as was the case in 2021 and as pointed out by the actor himself, Garfield is likely sworn to secrecy around any hard confirmation of his casting, such is the iron-clad contractual obligation of Marvel Studios. 

In any case, Garfield didn’t rule out the possibility of an appearance in the film on a personal level, saying he would agree to portray the web-slinger “if it felt in line with my soul and was gonna be fun.” Beyond the fun, the actor also said he would accept the role with an eye on the money-making potential it could secure for his future. “Maybe I’m gonna have like five kids at some point,” Garfield said, “and I’m gonna need to start saving up for the school tuition or something.” 

It comes amid a flurry of speculation as to whether Spider-Man 4 will enlist the Peter Parkers’ of yore for the new entry, with a supposed and unconfirmed leak claiming in November that Garfield will return to the franchise alongside Michael Keaton as Vulture and Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom. Before that, he reiterated in October that he would be open to reprising the role, and again fueled rumors after flashing a web-slinging hand gesture on the red carpet. Garfield isn’t the only actor whom fans have wishfully attached to Spider-Man 4, with the names of both Maguire and Emma Stone (who played Gwen Stacey opposite Garfield) floating around ahead of the film’s scheduled 2026 release.  

More broadly, we know that both Holland and Zendaya have read the scripts for the film, and they’ll have to juggle their filming schedules with their concurrent roles in Christopher Nolan’s new movie. More recently, Spider-Man 4 producer Amy Pascal revealed last month that the film will focus on the title character “being Spider-Man, because being Peter Parker was too hard.”

We all want to know what’s going to happen next in the MCU, and now we have been given a little insight into what’s coming up for everyone’s favorite street-level hero, Spider-Man.

Spider-Man is one of the many MCU characters to receive a trilogy inside the MCU, but the story isn’t over. The web-slinger will be back for a fourth film in the coming years, and now we have a peek at what it might be about.

During an interview with Deadline, Spider-Man producer Amy Pascal shared a little about what the current story will be for Spider-Man 4.

We have to deal with the fact that he decided he was going to give up being Peter Parker and he was gonna focus on being Spider-Man because being Peter Parker was too hard. So that’s what the movie is about.”

There you have it, that’s the first brief synopsis of Spider-Man 4, and there’s not a lot to take away from it other than quite literally what was said. The fact that there was no mention of the multiverse will be great news for many fans, but it doesn’t mean it won’t be playing a factor, unfortunately. Perhaps this is finally the street-level Spider-Man movie we all want to see?

By the sounds of it, the story will pick up in the same spot we left Peter Parker after Spider-Man: No Way Home, where he sacrificed his friendships and relationships to save the multiverse. This left Parker alone in New York and wearing a more comic-book accurate Spider-suit.

Of course, Spider-Man 4 is still in the pre-production phase, so there’s every chance that the story could change between now and when it finally gets to filming. Expect details about the movie to start surfacing in the coming months. Right now, all we know is that it will be directed by Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton and that Tom Holland will be returning for his fourth solo film inside the MCU.

Alongside his appearance in Spider-Man 4, reports claim that Holland will show up in the Avengers movies, which isn’t unexpected. Being without a doubt one of the biggest stars in the MCU currently, it would be a huge missed opportunity not to bring the web-slinger back for the big team-up. Spider-Man 4 will be released on July 24, 2026, which means it is the next movie coming to theaters after Avengers: Doomsday. How the two films will be connected is anybody’s guess right now.

Fans should sit tight and wait for more information before speculating too much about what’s going down. 2026 is still a long time away, so we’ll most likely have a lot more information to go off of well before then. However, we’d suggest practicing skepticism for anything you see shared outside of official Marvel sources, as there have already been several questionable “leaks” floating around online.

If you need a refresher on where Spider-Man is in the story now, then you can binge through all the MCU movies on Prime Video right now.

Zendaya has a lot of fun on the set of Spider-Man movies with her friendly neighborhood boyfriend Tom Holland. Well, mostly fun.

The Dune star and MJ actor opened up to Vanity Fair ahead of Spider-Man 4, which is scheduled to release on July 24, 2026. You’ll be pleased to hear that her experience working with Holland has been “strangely comfortable”

In a Nov. 2024 interview, she was asked if it’s weird acting opposite her partner, whom she met while making Spider-Man: Homecoming. “Not really. It’s actually strangely comfortable. It’s like second nature, if anything,” she said.

She then talked up Holland’s skill, which he has honed since his days as a child actor. “You feel extra safe with the person you’re acting beside. I love working with him. He’s so talented, and so ionate about what he does.”

“He always gives things one thousand percent, even if he’s absolutely worn down. I really appreciate that about him. It feels pretty normal.” A nice detail mentioned by Zendaya was that their meet-cute was a chemistry read. “That’s how we met.”

We’ve got a wait on our hands before she’s back on screen with her fictional boyfriend Peter Parker, but it will be released nearly two months after the highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday. The crossover movie will take a swing at an Endgame-level event, where heroes from across the multiverse band together to face Doctor Doom, or so we’re expecting.

The hook is in Marvel’s divisive choice to cast Robert Downey Jr. as Doom. It will be his first time back in the MCU following the demise of Iron Man in 2019.

Holland is expected to play a major role in the film, but the last time we saw Peter was in 2021’s box-office-breaking No Way Home. The film concludes with Peter starting a new chapter of his life, with Ned and MJ (and the rest of the world) losing their memories of him.

Holland has seen the first Spider-Man 4 draft and said “It really lit a fire in me” on the Rich Doll podcast. “Zendaya and I sat down and read it together and we at times were bouncing around the living room, like this is a real movie worthy of fans’ respect.” It’s still early, but he maintained that the writers were “doing a great job.”

Zendaya’s living room bouncing hints that the plot will find a way to weave MJ in, despite her not knowing about Peter’s identity. They’re meant to be together, fate will find a way!

Other projects in the MCU’s Phase 6 include The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Avengers: Secret Wars, and Marvel series Vision Quest, Wonder Man, and Eyes of Wakanda. Blade was meant to be released in Phase 6, too, but has been indefinitely delayed after spending years in development hell. Despite the news, Feige reiterated to Brazilian entertainment site Omelete his pledge to make good on Mahershala Ali’s interpretation of the vampire hunter.

“We’re committed to Blade. We love the character. We love Mahershala’s version of him. And rest assured, whenever we change direction with a project or are still trying to figure out how it fits into our schedule, we let the public know. You’re updated on what’s going on. But I can say that the character will make it to the MCU.”

Regardfless of what’s going on in the chaotic corners of the universe, we can sleep soundly knowing the original web-slinger is amking his way back to the silver screen in 2026. And who knows, maybe memory wipes will be the best thing that’s ever happened to MJ and Peter’s romance?

You might think that the most anticipated MCU movie on the horizon is Avengers: Doomsday, featuring Robert Downey Jr.’s return after five years, but it seems that most of the scuttlebutt these days centers around the next Spider-Man, which will mark the fourth entry in the Tom Holland-led offshoot.

There was a time when we weren’t even sure if there would be more Spider-Man flicks in the MCU, so the fact that these films get greenlit years before production even begins is a blessing to many fans. Moreover, the next Spider-Man has been rumored to feature anything from iconic villains to the return of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield and even Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy. As much as Avengers: Doomsday feels fan-servicey and compulsive, the next Spider-Man is fit to bursting with exciting possibilities, character and narrative-wise.

Now, a new document leak on social media is giving the game away in full. We always take these reports with a grain of salt, but you should probably stop reading right now in case it turns out to be real.

Still here? Then check out the leaked premise here:

“Following the events of Doomsday, Peter Parker is determine to lead a normal life and focus on college, stepping back from his responsibilities as Spider-Man. However, peace is short-lived when a deadly new threat emerges, endangering his friends and forcing Peter to reconsider his promise. With stakes higher than ever, Peter reluctantly returns to his Spider-Man identity and finds himself teaming up with an unlikely ally to protect those he loves. Andrew Garfield (Spider-Man), Michael Keaton (Vulture), and Robert Downey Jr. (Doctor Doom) mentioned to the cast.”

There’s practically no telling whether this is legitimate, but the overall plot is as generic as they come these days from Marvel Studios, eh? What do you suppose happens after Doomsday that compels Parker to retire his superhero persona like Tobey Maguire briefly did in Spider-Man 2? Speaking of whom, why doesn’t this mention Maguire as a potential cast member? Sure, Andrew Garfield deserves another go as Spider-Man since he never got his own third film, but it wouldn’t do to snub Maguire now, not after he’s already made a comeback in No Way Home. As for that unlikely ally, we’re betting that it’s Doctor Doom. Tom Holland’s friendly neighborhood webhead and RDJ as a villain, forced to work together against a common foe, might sound incredibly hackneyed and banal at this point, but ing their dynamic from the old days gives us a measure of furtive hype.

Then again, the premise as a whole is cliché, with fans praying that it’s just another one of a thousand ridiculous rumors floating around on the internet.

By the way, did you catch that title? Spider-Man: Brand New Day doesn’t exactly follow the formula established by the previous three movies. It could be a placeholder, but it might also indicate that the movie is going to loosely adapt the events of the Brave New Day comic series, depicted in the issues 546 to 564 in The Amazing Spider-Man.

At this point, I’m starting to think Marvel Studios is intentionally leaking all of these plot rumors to gauge audience reactions. If that’s the case, it’s the strangest process of elimination I’ve ever seen attempted by a studio.

Just days after Tom Holland confirmed he’ll be donning the web-slinger suit once again for Spider-Man 4, another rumored potential castmate has revealed what it will take for him to also return. Hint, it’s a bucketload of cash. 

Spider-Man icon Tobey Maguire would reportedly be interested in returning to the Spider-Verse, but only if he’s offered the right price. According to sources (per In Touch Weekly), Maguire is known for “driving an extremely hard bargain,” and will “happily continue to do” the role of Peter Parker in future outings if he is offered a “giant cheque.” 

The source went on to say that “the cheques for Spider-Man have been, for the last 22 years, the foundation of Tobey’s wealth,” adding that the actor’s reappearance in 2021’s multiverse-hopping No Way Home made him feel “firmly back” as part of the franchise. With that, the source says, Maguire is “not in the mood to let go of the character,” especially since his and Andrew Garfield’s appearance in the most recent film helped it “become the biggest moneymaker in the series.”

As a result, Maguire is said to be “negotiating to appear in the planned 2026 follow-up film,” but is “demand[ing] Tom Cruise-level paydays for these appearances.” The source added that the actor’s advisors are endorsing his “hardball, high-pressure tactics” around negotiating an eye-watering payday, especially when it comes to “the role he will be ed for.”

Maguire’s pay demands are perhaps warranted, given that he originated the character in Sam Raimi’s first three Spider-Man entries from 2002 to 2007. Though unconfirmed, sources have claimed over the years that Maguire made $4 million for the first Spider-Man movie, before enjoying a massive raise with a $17.5 million payday for the sequel, including 5 percent of the back-end gross. The web-slinger then reportedly made $17 million for Spider-Man 3, with he and Garfield later pocketing $1 million each for their No Way Home roles.

It’s important to note that sources claiming Maguire is negotiating a hefty payday for Spider-Man 4 are not yet confirmed. Heck, we don’t even know yet whether the actor will even appear in Marvel’s fourth entry into the universe, but he sure seems interested if the studio does choose to go that direction. 

“If these guys called me and said, ‘Would you show up to do this movie or read a scene or do a Spider-Man thing?’ it would be a ‘Yes!’” Maguire told Marvel.com in January. “Why wouldn’t I want to do that?”. Maguire’s payday isn’t the only rumor circulating about the much-anticipated film, with speculation also mounting that Emma Stone will reprise her role as Gwen Stacy (from the Garfield universe) for Spider-Man 4. 

Elsewhere, Holland recently revealed that he had read the drafts scripts for the fourth installment with his girlfriend and co-star Zendaya, saying they “really lit a fire in me” and describing the project as “a real movie worthy of fans’ respect.” So, if Maguire ever does appear in Spider-4, just know he’ll be getting the kind of payday that us regular folk couldn’t even dream of.