It’s been 17 years since we last saw a Sam Raimi-directed Spider-Man movie. At the time, Spider-Man 4 made sense, though Sony ended up abandoning that project early on. In its stead, it rebooted the Spider-Man franchise twice. The latest iteration is the MCU’s Spider-Man franchise, and unlike the previous two series, Spider-Man 4 should happen this time.
When we talk about Spider-Man 4 in 2024, we mean Sony’s next Tom Holland movie. It no longer refers to the Sam Raimi sequel we never got.
Spider-Man 4 is the unofficial name of the next Peter Parker adventure featuring Tom Holland. The film will get a proper title when Sony and Marvel are ready to announce it. But until then, we’ll call it Spider-Man 4 and try to forget about Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire.
That said, the director just gave an interview where he suggested that a Maguire-led Spider-Man 4 is still possible. If that’s in the cards, I hope we’re not going to get it anytime soon. We might never need to see the Spider-Man 4 we didn’t get in the late 2010s.
Mind you, some spoilers will follow below.
What Sam Raimi said
“Well, I haven’t heard about that yet – I did read that, but I’m not actually working on it yet,” Sam Raimi said of Spider-Man 4 rumors, per ComicBook. That “yet” made it seem like Raimi would make another Spider-Man movie soon.
The beloved director expanded on the rumor, specifically addressing the Maguire trilogy, not Tom Holland’s movies:
I haven’t talked to Tobey about it, but maybe Marvel has, or Columbia Pictures. But, I just worked with Marvel on a movie called Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. So, I’m on great terms with them. I’m sure I would hear about it if it was in the works. I think so. I don’t know.”
MCU Spider-Man 4 rumors
One reason for rumors about Raimi coming back to Spider-Man 4 might have surfaced concerns the recent reports about Sony and Marvel’s diverging ideas on the sequel.
Sony reportedly wanted the next Tom Holland to be as big as No Way Home, and feature Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. Sony also wished to start production as soon as possible to have the movie in theaters next year.
Marvel wanted a more down-to-earth street-level adventure. I think that’s the right approach for soft-rebooting the MCU’s Spider-Man franchise. That’s what No Way Home set up. Marvel also wanted to release the movie later than 2025, considering all the MCU movies set to launch next year.
Reports say Kevin Feige might have had his way, and Spider-Man 4 production is moving forward. Currently, they’re looking for a director, with Justin Lin, of Fast & Furious acclaim, being one of the candidates.
In this context, rumors about a Sam Raimi return for Spider-Man 4 would make sense. And for good reason. Why not have Sam Raimin make a Spider-Man 4 after all? That would be a great win for fans, as long as that movie is the No Way Home sequel we need in the MCU, featuring Tom Holland.
What we absolutely don’t need is two Spider-Man 4 projects competing for attention right now. Not even if the second non-MCU version of Spider-Man 4 is a Sam Raimi-directed sequel of Maguire’s Spider-Man trilogy.
That prospect remains exciting, but only if Sony comes out with it a few years down the line, once the MCU’s Spider-Man 4 has its own subtitle, that will eliminate any confusion.
The Tobey Maguire Spider-Man 4 movie I’d watch
I’m only reacting to Sam Raimi’s reaction to rumors, I know that. But I just don’t trust Sony to make two separate Spider-Man 4 movies that are both good at the same time. Not after Sony wasted every chance it got to make the Sony Spider-Man Universe (SSU) stand out. The only exception is the Spider-Verse, of course.
With all that in mind, I will say that I do want to finally see a live-action movie featuring a mature Peter Parker, who has had to deal with the realities of life more than all the teenage/young adult versions we’ve seen so far. That’s where a Sam Raimi Sony Spider-Man 4 project continuing Maguire’s Parker’s story would make sense. But, again, only if it drops well after the MCU’s Spider-Man 4.