Spider-Man 4 will swing into theaters in July 2026 – and that's a big problem for the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Spider-Man 4 is group to plaything into theaters successful mid-2026 – and it'll seemingly enactment arsenic nan connective insubstantial betwixt nan adjacent 2 Avengers movies successful nan process.

Announced by various outlets, including Deadline and Variety past Friday (October 25), nan webslinger's adjacent solo movie will officially debut successful cinemas worldwide connected July 24, 2026. Shang-Chi filmmaker Daniel Destin Cretton is besides reportedly connected directorial duties.

For anyone who hasn't been keeping tabs connected Marvel's ever-evolving theatrical merchandise schedule, that intends it'll beryllium sandwiched betwixt Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars – nan 5th and sixth Avengers movies that'll headdress Marvel's Multiverse Saga. That duo are owed retired successful theaters connected May 1, 2026 and May 7, 2027 respectively.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie's confirmed motorboat day was announced conscionable days aft current Spider-Man prima Tom Holland provided an breathtaking update connected Spider-Man 4's filming schedule. Speaking connected The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, Holland, who's been connected a self-imposed acting hiatus for complete a year, revealed nan movie would commencement shooting successful mid-2025. Unless nan co-developed Sony and Marvel film's merchandise day is pushed backmost astatine immoderate constituent complete nan adjacent 18 months, then, nan turnaround betwixt shooting nan superhero flick and releasing it is going to beryllium a tight one.

That isn't nan only imaginable problem that's already worrying maine astir Spider-Man's adjacent standalone adventure, though. The twelvemonth agelong spread betwixt nan commencement of main photography and nan film's big-screen debut notwithstanding, I'm besides concerned astir nan movie's story, particularly now that we cognize Spider-Man 4 will span nan disagreement betwixt Avengers 5 and Avengers 6.

Okay, tentatively discussing Spider-Man 4's crippled connected nan Rich Roll podcast earlier successful October, Holland admitted he and co-star Zendaya were incredibly excited astir its narrative. Indeed, nan latest incumbent to play nan iconic wallcrawler successful a live-action capacity said: "It [the draft] needs activity but nan writers are doing a awesome job. I publication it 3 weeks agone and it really lit a occurrence successful me. Zendaya and I sat down, publication it together, and we astatine times were bouncing astir nan surviving room."

To some, that'll sound for illustration impervious capable that nan Marvel Phase 6 movie will beryllium epic. As a monolithic Spider-Man fan, I really dream that's nan case, too, but I can't shingle nan emotion that Spider-Man 4's positioning betwixt Doomsday and Secret Wars is somewhat misguided.

For starters, nan adjacent 2 Avengers films will, arsenic I mentioned, bring nan Marvel Multiverse Saga to a close. Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame wrapped up nan Infinity Saga successful a akin manner but, for illustration Spider-Man 4, they were divided by different MCU movie successful Ant-Man and nan Wasp, which acted arsenic a palette cleanser to Infinity War's soul-crushing finale.

Spider-Man 4 isn't apt to execute an balanced role, however. Holland is 1 of nan astir beloved actors astir correct now. Spider-Man is besides 1 of nan astir popular, not to mention marketable, superhero characters of all-time. Put nan 2 together and you've sewage a look for instant container agency success. It's nailed on, then, that Holland's Peter Parker/Spider-Man will beryllium 1 of nan leads successful Avengers: Doomsday alongside nan likes of Anthony Mackie's Captain America, Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange, Chris Hemsworth's Thor, Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, Brie Larson's Captain Marvel, and – providing she's revealed to beryllium live by nan clip Avengers 5 rolls astir – Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch.

If, arsenic expected, Holland plays a awesome domiciled successful Avengers 5, I'm anxious astir nan guidance that Spider-Man 4's communicative will spell in. For each intents and purposes, Doomsday is being primed arsenic this saga's Infinity War, i.e. it'll beryllium a movie wherever nan villain – Doctor Victor von Doom, who'll beryllium played by nary different than Robert Downey Jr. – is apt to conclusion our heroes. If he does and, successful nan process, causes nan complete breakdown/destruction of nan Marvel multiverse, I fishy we'll spot nan creation of Battleworld, a satellite made up of fragments of aggregate Earths pursuing nan multiverse's illness arsenic seen successful Marvel's 2015 Secret Wars comic book storyline.

In my view, that'll each but extremity my hopes of seeing Spider-Man and Daredevil merge for a street-level metallic surface adventure, which would've been different awesome instrumentality service-y Spidey flick, peculiarly successful ray of nan MCU's inhabitants forgetting who Peter Parker is pursuing Spider-Man: No Way Home's finale.

It besides mean Spider-Man 4 is apt to beryllium different multiverse-centric movie successful nan vein of No Way Home. Crowd pleasing arsenic it was to spot Holland's Spidey squad up pinch Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's iterations of nan webslinger, I'd for illustration it if Spider-Man's 4th MCU flick wasn't No Way Home 2.0 successful each but name. Unless Spider-Man friends himself pinch different heroes he's crossed paths pinch successful Marvel comics – a Spider-Man, Deadpool, and Wolverine squad up, particularly aft Deadpool and Wolverine's occurrence earlier this year, wouldn't spell amiss – I can't spot nan entreaty of nan webhead starring successful different solo multiversal adventure.

Of course, my worries could beryllium wholly unfounded, and I'd emotion Sony and Marvel to beryllium maine incorrect pinch immoderate they're cooking up for Spider-Man 4. But, pinch Marvel supposedly pausing accumulation connected each non-multiversal stories (according to manufacture leaker DanielRPK, anyway) until this saga has ended, nan grounds that's stacking up is doing small to assuage my concerns that Spider-Man's 4th MCU movie will beryllium nan 1 I want it to be. Given really inconsistent and divisive nan Marvel Multiverse Saga has been, I ideate galore different MCU fans will consciousness nan aforesaid measurement – and that's different large problem for Marvel to contend with.

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