Spider-Man is perhaps one of the most beloved characters in the Marvel Universe, and a new report reveals who may be the next web-slinger in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.Credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios
Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Who Plays Spider-Man in the MCU?
British actor Tom Holland has played Peter Parker, AKA Spider-Man, since 2016 when he appeared as the New York web-slinger in Captain America: Civil War. He starred in two other non-solo movies, Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
Holland led his own trilogy for Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures, all directed by Jon Watts. Across Phase Three and Phase Four of the MCU, three Spider-Man movies were released: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
Credit: Marvel Studios
Over time, the Spider-Man trilogy grew in popularity thanks to Tom Holland’s goofy and charming portrayal of the iconic Marvel Comics character. Spider-Man: No Way Home earned close to $2 billion at the global box office, but it wasn’t just Tom Holland that drew in audiences.
After months of rumors and a rocky development process due to Disney and Sony’s shaky contract, No Way Home saw the return of former Spidey stars Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.
Credit: Marvel Studios
Both starred as Peter Parker in previous Spider-Man entries for Sony—Maguire in Sam Raimi’s trilogy and Garfield in Marc Webb’s subsequent two-parter- and their appearance in the MCU was made successful by the inclusion of the Multiverse.
The last time audiences saw Spider-Man was in No Way Home, where the Avenger made everyone forget who he was in order to save the world from Multiversal threats. Even his girlfriend, MJ Watson (Zendaya), and best friend, Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon), are forced to lose their memories of Peter Parker.
While there is a Spider-Man in the MCU, one has yet to be fully confirmed for Sony’s Spider-Man Universe.Credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios
What is Sony’s Spider-Man Universe?
Sony’s Spider-Man Universe officially started with Venom (2018) and has yet to include an actual Spider-Man. Because Sony Pictures owns the rights to the Spider-Man catalog of characters, Marvel Studios had to work in tandem with Sony to bring Tom Holland’s iteration to the franchise.
Since Venom, the SSU has gained a handful more movies, including Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), Morbius (2022), Madame Web (2024), the upcoming Kraven the Hunter (2024), and Venom: The Last Dance (2024).
Credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios
While there has been no actual Spider-Man in the SSU, the box office bomb Madame Web did introduce a new Peter Parker in the form of May Parker’s (Emma Roberts) newborn child.
For a full and comprehensive guide on the differences between the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, then head here.Credit: Sony Pictures
Tom Holland and Spider-Man 4
What is the latest news about Spider-Man 4?
The Spider-Man 4 project was first discussed back in 2016 with Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group chairman Tom Rothman, stating that the fourth movie was in development along with the third film that eventually became Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Since then, there has been a steady stream of updates, including Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige’s announcement that the fourth installment’s story had been completed.Credit: D23
“All I will say is that we have the story,” Feige told Entertainment Weekly in February 2023. “We have big ideas for that, and our writers are just putting pen to paper now.”
Prior to this, both Amy Pascal and Tim Rothman had also confirmed that development was still in progress for Spider-Man 4.