Rumor has it that Sony and Marvel Studios have almost reached an agreement on Spider-Man 4. Unfortunately, there are still disagreements between the two studios. Sony seems to want a dramatically larger scope of movie than what Marvel and Kevin Feige desire for the fourth installment in the Tom Holland-led superhero franchise.

Despite the enormous success of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man trilogy, the actor has gone on record that his return to the franchise would be conditional. Only signed on for three films, the fourth would be an extension of his contract and Holland has stated that he would reprise his role only if the right story was found. One rumor states that Marvel and Sony are nearing completion but still hashing out the right story.

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Rumor: Spider-Man 4 May Finally Introduce A Long-Awaited Character To The MCU

Spider-Man 4 might be shaping up to be even more impactful than the Home trilogy, as a new rumor suggests the debut of a fan-favorite character.

According to a Twitter post by HolyField News, while the two studios agree the movie will be street-level and premiere sometime in early 2026, Sony is pushing for the inclusion of many different Spider-Man characters. This ranges from including characters from Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, such as Venom, Kraven the Hunter (whose film debut is yet to be seen), and even Miles Morales, to classic Spider-Man villains like Scorpion, Mysterio, and Norman Osborn.

Spider-Man 4 may allegedly feature the appearance of an unknown MCU hero, while Sony is demanding the movie has a multiverse-related ending. This seems to be in order to intentionally set up the return of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spideys in later movies, though it is unknown whether these will be in a Holland-led Spider-Man, a continuation of the actor’s respective franchises, or something else entirely. It was also revealed that Feige wants Drew Goddard to direct, a departure from Jon Watts, the director of all three previous Tom Holland Spider-Man films. Goddard’s best-known work includes his development of Netflix’s Daredevil series, as well as his previous directorial efforts Cabin in the Woods and Bad Times at the El Royale.

Fans may be skeptical of the next Spider-Man film featuring so many characters and villains. Both Maguire and Garfield’s Spider-Man movies were derailed by tepid critical reception in their final installments, a critique often attributed to being overstuffed with villains. Yet No Way Home, the latest live-action Spider-Man installment, proved to be a success critically and at the box office, despite featuring a whole rogue’s gallery of Spider-Man villains returning to the screen, plus the appearances of Maguire and Garfield’s Spideys themselves.

Rumors a few months ago claimed that the two previous Peter Parkers would appear in Spider-Man 4, but it seems that Sony’s demands have been talked down to setting up future appearances instead. Time will tell whether Marvel and Sony firmly agree on this, or continue to negotiate the plot for Spider-Man 4.

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