Tom Holland’s Spider-Man 4 is reportedly going down Marvel’s preferred path. Despite Sony’s insistence on another multiversal storyline, reports suggest that the new film is far more grounded and probably will not feature any multiverse villains. The fourth MCU-set Spider-Man film is reportedly drawing inspiration from another grounded superhero story in recent times.
Matt Reeves’ The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson, was a gritty thriller that did not have the grandeur of the DCEU Batman. However, it received an overwhelming response from DC fans, which suggests that viewers are accepting of such grounded stories amidst alleged superhero fatigue.
Tom Holland will overthrow Tobey Maguire’s legacy with The Batman-inspired Spider-Man 4
Tobey Maguire‘s three-movie run as Spider-Man still remains the fan-favorite among the three web-slingers. Tom Holland‘s Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s success was largely attributed to the presence of Maguire and Andrew Garfield. However, Holland is now looking to overthrow the first Spidey actor’s legacy with a fourth solo film, without the help of Maguire or Garfield.
Fans are super excited about a new report from the X account, @REDACTEDSpider, which reports on Spider-Man updates. According to this user, Spider-Man 4 is going to be a street-level film. Earlier reports on the film suggested a long-running debate between Marvel and Sony on whether the film should have a grounded or multiversal theme.
According to the report, Matt Reeves’ The Batman will be the point of inspiration for this film. It means that we wouldn’t probably see the jovial version of Holland in this film. The report suggested that the film will lean into the character’s anger after failing to save Aunt May in the last film. There will reportedly be “more grit and more focus on hand-to-hand combat”.
The X user claimed that the multiverse aspect will be largely absent in this film. However, it will reportedly still connect to the events in Avengers: Secret Wars. Lastly, the report also added that the film will pick from the events of No Way Home and the upcoming Charlie Cox series, Daredevil: Born Again.
What I’m hearing,
Point of inspiration for Spider-Man 4 is indeed The Batman. While the homecoming trilogy was more light hearted and optimistic, Destin and Marvel will lean into that anger. Expect more grit, and more focus on hand to hand combat, and no multiverse villains. The… https://t.co/gHl9kCjEXI pic.twitter.com/6hlGuVm7L5
— That REDACTED Guy (@REDACTEDSpider) February 23, 2025
In September 2024, it was reported that Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton is helming the film. Jon Watts, who directed the previous films, stepped out of the role in 2023. He is currently the co-creator, director, and writer of the upcoming Marvel series, Wonder Man.
Tom Holland had already hinted at these drastic changes to Spider-Man 4
During an interview with Deadline last year, Holland confirmed the film and shared that he was largely involved in the creative process of the film. He shared at the time that “the best in the business” were working toward a solid story for the new film. He shared that he had “a legacy to protect” and added that the film needed “to make sure we do the right thing.”
The Uncharted actor shared that everyone involved wants the film to happen. However, he revealed that they also wanted to make sure that they were “not overdoing the same things.” Holland shared:
This is the first time in this process that I’ve been part of the creative so early. It’s just a process where I’m watching and learning. It’s just a really fun stage for me. Like I said, everyone wants it to happen. But we want to make sure we’re not overdoing the same things.
While he hasn’t said it explicitly, Holland’s comments suggest that it is highly unlikely for the fourth film to go down the multiversal route. Spider-Man: No Way Home opened to $260 million at the domestic box office and went on to gross $1.92 billion worldwide (via Box Office Mojo).
Holland’s first two Spider-Man movies are now available for streaming on Disney+. Spider-Man: No Way Home is now available for streaming on Starz.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
