- The filmmaker behind Spider-Man's three MCU movies says he's not involved in the superhero's next film
- Jon Watts "doesn't know anything" about the forthcoming Marvel-Sony project
- Star Wars: Skeleton Crew's co-creator says he's "excited to watch it as a fan again"
Spider-Man 4 is officially in development, but the man behind the superhero's three previous Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies says he isn't involved in any capacity.
Jon Watts, who helmed the webslinger's first three solo films in the MCU, confirmed he's had no creative input on the upcoming flick. Speaking exclusively to TechRadar, Watts simply stated he was "excited" to see what Marvel and Sony were cooking up for Spider-Man's next big screen adventure.
With Watts performing press duties to promote Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, the forthcoming Lucasfilm series for Disney Plus that he co-created, I had the opportunity to ask if he would have a hand in its development. However, while Watts didn't outright deny if Marvel and/or Sony had contacted him to ensure there was creative continuity between his films and Spidey's next flick, his short but polite response suggested that neither studio had done so.
"Honestly, this one, I'm excited to not know anything," Watts replied. "I don't know anything. I'm just excited to go [and] watch it as a fan again."
Swinging onto something new
Watts' lack of involvement isn't a great surprise. In late October, it was confirmed that Spider-Man 4 would not only swing into theaters in July 2026, but that Shang-Chi director Daniel Destin Cretton had signed on to direct it. Clearly, after helming three of the character's first MCU film trilogy, Watts wanted to move onto other things. Indeed, he was previously attached to The Fantastic Four: First Steps before, well, stepping away from that film and joining frequent collaborator Christopher Ford on Skeleton Crew.
To some, though, Watts' somewhat non-committal reply will suggest he may be involved in some capacity. As I mentioned, he directed Spider-Man's first three solo movies in the MCU, and the final one of those – Spider-Man: No Way Home – is still the highest grossing non-Avengers film in Marvel Studios' history. Per Box Office Mojo, the Tom Holland-starring threequel earned an absolutely massive $1.95 billion globally, thereby making it the seventh most lucrative film of all-time.
Considering the amount of money that No Way Home's predecessors – Spider-Man: Homecoming ($880m) and Spider-Man: Far From Home ($1.13bn) – also made, it wouldn't be a complete shock if Marvel and Sony sought (or will seek) Watts' input. With the writer-director moving onto other projects, though, and the two studios putting their faith in Cretton, plus writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, on this Marvel Phase 6 flick, my reading of the situation us that Spider-Man 4 will act as a clean slate for all concerned.
Spider-Man 4, which Holland says will start shooting in mid-2025, is set to arrive in theaters worldwide on July 24, 2026. Depending on where you live, Holland's other outing as the famous wall-crawler are available on some of the world's best streaming services, including Netflix and Disney Plus.
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