Highlights
- Tom Holland's Spider-Man stands out due to his relatable struggles as a young hero, balancing family, school, work, and love life.
- Jon Watts' Spider-Man films add a lighthearted and comedic touch to the web-slinger's story, highlighting his relationships in the MCU.
- Spider-Man 4 will likely see Peter Parker facing smaller-scale villains in his own neighborhood, while exploring his independence and abilities. A new director, possibly Sam Raimi, could bring a fresh perspective to the franchise.
Just like Batman, Superman, and Hulk, Spider-Man is one of the most popular superheroes to have been portrayed numerous times on film and/or television. Spider-Man is very likable because he's a kid who not only worries about his duties as a hero, but also his complex relationship with his family, along with school, work, and his love life.
Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland have each taken on the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in big-budget live-action features, and animated films like Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse reinvented the character by depicting multiple versions of the superhero. After three solo films and a few MCU appearances, Holland's Spider-Man is ready for a fourth film, but how will his story continue, and who will direct it?
Jon Watts helmed the Spider-Man 'Home' Trilogy
Director Jon Watts helmed Holland's initial Spider-Man trilogy with Homecoming, Far From Home, and No Way Home. In Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, Tobey Maguire portrayed a young man trying to learn the responsibilities of being a hero while balancing his own career. In Marc Webb's two Amazing Spider-Man films, Andrew Garfield went through a similar journey while also learning more about his late parents and how their work connects to the villains he battles in the present. Tom Holland's Spider-Man started in the MCU alongside his mentor, Iron Man, in Captain America: Civil War before starring in his solo films and the last two Avengers films (Infinity War and Endgame).
Watts' Spider-Man films can be argued as the best because they poke a little more fun at the hero's web-slinging powers, and there are lots of comedic moments between Parker and his classmates in school. Spider-Man's relationship with Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Nick Fury, and other superheroes in the MCU is also more evident in Watts' trilogy and the Avengers movies. Holland also makes his web-slinging hero quirky, nerdy, and funny, especially when easily defeating basic neighborhood villains. Holland's Spidey may also be the most transformative, from a comical easygoing hero to a sentimental warrior who desperately tries to protect the people he cares about most from harm.
Spider-Man 4 will go in a totally new direction for the hero
After the events of No Way Home in which Peter loses his Aunt May, and MJ and Ned lose their recollection of him, Spider-Man is forced to continue his journey as a superhero alone. However, as the initial trilogy has shown, Peter has come a long way and gained more understanding and confidence about the meaning of heroism. Now that Peter has succeeded as a hero while also experiencing emotional losses (Aunt May and Tony Stark) and battling dominant villains (like Vulture and Mysterio), the web-slinger will likely be more independent for a certain period of time as he grows accustomed to operating on his own and learning more about his abilities.
After facing powerful high-tech MCU villains who operated on a large scale, were capable of destroying the world, and/or came from the multiverse, Spider-Man 4 and future installments may seek to focus on Parker battling small-scale, street-level bad guys in order to focus more on Spider-Man's battle in his own neighborhood. The next set of sequels for Holland may be inspired by previous Spidey films with Maguire and Garfield in terms of learning more about his family history and saving the citizens of New York from new enemies, while also coming up with new stories that correlate within the MCU.
While Holland will obviously return as Peter, it's unclear which other familiar characters (if any) will come back. Zendaya's MJ had great chemistry with Peter in the first three films, but since her memory of their relationship was lost at the end of No Way Home, her appearance in future films may be limited (unless their relationship slowly rekindles later on or continue as friends). It's also uncertain if Ned will return, but considering his comedic bond with Peter resulted in some of the best moments in previous films, he may also appear to a certain extent. While Holland's Spider-Man could go solo in the next film, he may collaborate with other MCU heroes from time to time, especially Doctor Strange and Nick Fury since they bonded well with the hero on previous missions.
Spider-Man 4 could benefit from a new director
Jon Watts could easily return to direct Spider-Man 4 and future sequels with Holland (especially considering the director's ability to balance comedy, drama, and action in his initial Spidey trilogy). However, a new director may be sought after in order to take Holland's Spider-Man on a new path (reminiscent of the way there have been different directors for the Thor and Doctor Strange features). Sam Raimi (who directed Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man trilogy and considered doing a fourth film with Maguire's Spidey character) is a strong candidate to tackle an MCU Spider-Man feature with Holland. Raimi recently joined the MCU when he directed Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and could combine horror and humor into Holland's Spider-Man 4.
Jon Favreau (who portrays Happy Hogan in the Iron Man and Spider-Man MCU films) could return to the director's chair after helming the first two Iron Man features and/or reprise his role as Happy, a character who grew close to Peter (even though his memory of him also faded at the end of No Way Home). The Russo brothers are also potential candidates since they introduced Holland's Spider-Man in Civil War. In terms of a fresh face in the MCU, Guillermo del Toro is a high-quality choice since he directed Blade II and a couple of Hellboy films, with the opportunity to bring some innovative creatures and visual effects into the sequel.
Joe Johnson (who directed Captain America: The First Avenger and Jumanji) is another filmmaker with expertise in presenting major effects with upbeat action and adventure. While Spider-Man 4 is still in the early planning stages, there are immense possibilities for where Holland's superhero could go next, and which filmmakers can continue his journey of self-exploration.