Many rumors have been swirling about the story of Spider-Man 4, with some hopes for the Marvel Cinematic Universe installment far more likely to manifest than others. Details are few and far between regarding the highly-anticipated Spider-Man 4, referring to the fourth solo movie featuring Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in the MCU. The rumor mill surrounding the upcoming MCU entry has gone to many different places, but not every hypothetical plot development discussed is realistically likely to happen.
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Spider-Man: No Way Home had quite the bleak ending, essentially factory resetting Tom Holland’s Spider-Man arc in the MCU by stranding him in New York City alone with no allies, his Aunt May killed, and no Stark Industries resources or Avengers connections. Putting on a homemade Spider-Man costume, Peter Parker is back to being a solo street-level hero all on his own. Recently revealed details about Spider-Man 4 suggest multiple new directions this fresh slate for Spider-Man could go in, dripping with exciting possibilities for the series.
9 Robert Downey Jr’s Doctor Doom Will Appear In Spider-Man 4
Spider-Man 4 might be too early to drop the MCU’s most hotly-anticipated villain
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The Marvel Cinematic Universe made waves in the comic book movie industry with the recent announcement that Robert Downey Jr. will be playing Doctor Doom, stepping back into the franchise after the death of Tony Stark. This controversial casting decision has since loomed large over the franchise, with the long-term success of the series hinging on the adaptation. Some fans have speculated that Spider-Man 4 could be Doctor Doom’s first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
This rumor is a fascinating possibility, but ultimately makes little sense for both Spider-Man and Doctor Doom’s MCU arcs. Doom’s presence only really works if Spider-Man is guaranteed to be posited as his archnemesis rather than Mr. Fantastic, as is tradition in the comics, something the MCU has yet to confirm. Unless Doctor Doom is actually a variant of Tony Stark (explaining Robert Downey Jr.’s casting), it makes far more sense for Fantastic Four: First Steps or Avengers: Doomsday to mark Doom’s debut.
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8 Spider-Man 4 Will Feature Tom Hardy’s Venom
Sony already missed their biggest chance to integrate Venom into the MCU
Tom Hardy’s Venom famously got a cameo appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home, bemoaning his poor luck with being sucked into another dimension only to be returned to the Sony extended Spider-Man universe as quickly as he arrived. Being by far the most famous Spider-Man villain Tom Holland’s version of the character has yet to interact with, a showdown between Venom and Spider-Man would be a thrilling prospect for Spider-Man 4. Sadly, if this match-up were to actually manifest, Sony would’ve needed to take more time setting it up by now.
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Venom got a glimpse of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in the mid-credits scene of Venom: Let There Be Carnage. However, the recently-released Venom: The Last Dance did nothing with this tease, essentially ignoring Venom’s brief time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It seems unlikely that the MCU would be willing to gamble on Venom’s sudden return to the franchise, or any other Sony extended Spider-Man universe character, for that matter.
7 Spider-Man 4 Will Feature Peter Parker Using A Symbiote
A lingering presence that could set-up one of Spider-Man’s most famous comic storylines
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While Venom’s wholesale return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Spider-Man 4 is quite an unlikely prospect, there is one lingering plot thread about his brief stay in the franchise that warrants addressing. Upon being warped back to his home dimension, Venom famously left a small piece of himself behind in the MCU, a small droplet of symbiote that quickly seemed to move and act on its own. This could be huge for the manifestation of Spider-Man’s black suit storyline, something that was attempted once before in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3.
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The ending of Venom: The Last Dance seems to imply that these unaccounted chunks of Venom biomass are very much capable of growing into a proper symbiote on their own. As such, it could easily be the case that Spider-Man 4 attempts a black suit Spider-Man storyline with the missing piece of Venom. That being said, the Spider-Man’s black suit is first introduced in the original comics in the Secret Wars crossover event, meaning Avengers: Secret Wars might be the more appropriate place for the MCU to explore this idea.
6 Kingpin Will Be The Main Villain Of Spider-Man 4
Spider-Man 4’s street level action seems to be challenged
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Stripped of his status as an Avenger and Stark Industries’ resources, Spider-Man is presented with a promising possibility to return to more street-level conflicts in Spider-Man 4. Because of this, many fans have speculated that Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin could finally make his MCU movie debut as a title villain, with his corruption of New York City’s government as mayor presenting a grounded threat for Spider-Man to tackle. D’Onofrio returned to the role in the MCU for the first time in Hawkeye, returning as the main villain of Echo which set up his rise to above-board power.
Vincent D’Onofrio is easily one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most compelling villains still active and alive at the time of writing, making him a shoo-in for the film’s antagonist. However, recent reports of a major re-write and story overhaul for the script of Spider-Man 4 could suggest that the film is moving away from a more grounded street conflict in favor of another multiversal story like Spider-Man: No Way Home. Considering that film is still the MCU’s biggest hit by far post-Avengers: Endgame, Kingpin’s chances of appearing in the film seem less and less likely.
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5 Andrew Garfield And Tobey Maguire Will Return For Spider-Man 4
The trio of Spider-Men might see a second outing
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Speaking of Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s box office success, a huge contributor of the film’s popularity was the return of both Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire as their own respective versions of Peter Parker. The two had excellent chemistry and camaraderie on-screen with Tom Holland, giving Spider-Man a rare chance to work in a team that exactly understood what he had been through as he battled his doppelgänger’s enemies. Naturally, it makes sense that rumors of the previous Spider-Men’s return, particularly that of Andrew Garfield, have been swirling.
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Interestingly enough, Andrew Garfield has directly addressed the Spider-Man 4 allegations of his return, insisting that the rumors were false, the mere result of internet sensationalism. That being said, it wouldn’t be the first time Andrew Garfield straight-up lied about his involvement in an MCU Spider-Man movie, with both himself and Tobey Maguire famously flat-out fibbing about their presence in the finished product. Even if the rumors have been outwardly dismissed, Garfield’s words need to be taken with a grain of salt.
4 Spider-Man 4 Will Introduce The MCU’s Norman Osborn And Doc Ock
The MCU could finally see its homegrown versions of Spider-Man’s more famous rogues’ gallery
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Spider-Man: No Way Home gave Tom Holland’s Peter Parker a unique chance to do battle with the erratic villains of his cinematic counterparts that have appeared on-screen before. With many regular names in the Spider-Man mythos yet to appear as their main timeline selves in the MCU, Spider-Man 4 could finally allow for the franchise to present its own unique ideas for iconic Spider-Man characters. Most commonly appearing in rumors for the film are Norman Osborn and Dr. Otto Octavius, who have been speculated to make their proper mainline MCU debut.
Introducing different versions of Norman Osborn and Dr. Octavius to Peter Parker in the MCU does come with a significant drawback. Since he already knows their names, meeting his home universe’s version of them will likely make him wary of their potential to become the Green Goblin or Doc Ock, ruining the chance for a classic mentor-turned-villain arc for both of them. Still, it would be amazing to see the MCU’s unique take on such iconic Spider-Man antagonists.
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3 Spider-Man 4 Will Feature Miles Morales
Peter Parker isn’t the only Spider-Man anticipated for Spider-Man 4
Another iconic Marvel Comics character the MCU has yet to introduce their own version of is none other than Spider-Man successor, Miles Morales. Obviously, Miles Morales is already the star of Sony Animation’s Spider-Verse movies, including the hotly-anticipated Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. Still, a live-action Miles has yet to materialize, and Spider-Man 4 is the perfect chance to give Tom Holland’s version of Peter Parker some new allies in the form of Miles Morales.
Miles has already been vaguely alluded to in the MCU, with Donald Glover’s Prowler offhandedly mentioning his nephew in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Complicating his chances are Kevin Feige’s comments on Miles Morales’ possibility of appearing in the MCU only coming after the third Spider-Verse film is released, which is unlikely to precede Spider-Man 4. Still, the obvious fan demand for Miles and easy access to him via the multiverse makes for a rumor too compelling to ignore.
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2 Spider-Man 4 Will Be A Daredevil Crossover
Matt Murdock is now an MCU regular
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If there’s on character that’s almost certain to appear in Spider-Man 4, it’s Charlie Cox’s Matthew Murdock, a.k.a. Daredevil. Ever since his official integration into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Daredevil has been a regular cameo in any Marvel project taking place in New York City. Beyond appearances in shows like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Echo, Daredevil has even already appeared in an MCU Spider-Man movie once before, thanks to his cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
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Daredevil is soon to headline his own show in Daredevil: Born Again, which could easily flow into a Spider-Man 4 appearance. It would actually be astonishing for Peter Parker’s new street-level activities not to cross paths with the defender of Hell’s Kitchen at this point. Even if Spider-Man 4 isn’t a street-level story, it would be utterly absurd for Charlie Cox’s Daredevil to not make at least a cameo appearance.
1 J.K. Simmons Will Return As J. Jonah Jameson In Spider-Man 4
It’s hard to imagine anyone else as J.J.J.
One underrated aspect of the MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy was the return of J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson. Without any need for a multiversal explanation, the iconic performance from Sam Raimi’s original trilogy resumed in the MCU without missing a beat, with J.K. Simmons lending himself to the character as entertainingly and emphatically as ever. With Doctor Strange erasing Peter Parker’s identity in Spider-Man: No Way Home, J. Jonah Jameson can go back to his more pure form – An extremist news pundit who condemns Spider-Man as a mysterious masked menace.
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By now, Simmons’ return as J.J.J. is hardly a rumor and more like a known secret. It would truly be surprising for the MCU to make no use of Simmons’ incredible voice as a mouthpiece for Spider-Man’s activities since the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, even if no one else from the previous cast appears. In some strange way, Simmons’ presence as the hilariously paranoid journalist is a comforting point of near-certainty in the sea of doubt surrounding the plot of Spider-Man 4.
Upcoming MCU Movies
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Captain America: Brave New World
Release Date February 14, 2025
- Thunderbolts*
Release Date May 2, 2025
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Release Date July 25, 2025
- Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
Release Date May 1, 2026
- Spider-Man Homecoming 4
Release Date July 24, 2026
- Avengers: Secret Wars
Release Date May 7, 2027
Captain America: Brave New World
Thunderbolts*
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
Spider-Man Homecoming 4
Avengers: Secret Wars
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