Rumored Spider-Man 4 Plot Details May Explain Peter’s Absence in Avengers: Doomsday

Marvel Studios confirmed a plethora of actors who will appear in Avengers: Doomsday, but the star-studded ensemble cast was still missing some significant names. One of the most notable absences was Spider-Man actor Tom Holland, and now fans might know why there isn’t a chair with his name on the Doomsday set. In the latest edition of his newsletter, Hollywood insider Jeff Sneider shared information he’s heard about the Spider-Man 4 plot. While Holland currently has a rather high-profile scheduling conflict with Doomsday (which is now in production), that isn’t the only reason why he isn’t in Doomsday. The story Marvel is looking to tell in Spider-Man 4 apparently takes place during the events of Doomsday.

“Likewise, don’t expect to see Tom Holland in Doomsday, though it’s less about the actor’s schedule (he’s filming Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey right now before moving on to Spider-Man 4) and more about the character’s schedule, as I understand that Spider-Man 4 takes place at the same time as Doomsday, which would explain his expected absence from that film,” Sneider wrote. He also added that there are rumors Chameleon will be the villain in Spider-Man 4, but cautioned to “take that one with a grain of salt.”

During a special livestream event to commemorate the start of Avengers: Doomsday filming, Marvel Studios announced 27 actors who will be part of the film. The massive list contained names not just from various Multiverse Saga movies and TV shows, but also Fox’s X-Men film series. There were no Spider-Man actors revealed.

[RELATED – Marvel Studios Teases More Avengers: Doomsday Cast Members Could Be Coming]

Nolan’s The Odyssey began production back in February. Set photos that circulated online earlier this month showed Holland filming scenes for the historical epic. Once The Odyssey wraps, Holland will shift gears to Spider-Man 4, which starts shooting this summer ahead of its July 2026 premiere date. One of the most recent rumors regarding the film is that it will feature a female villain, leading some to speculate Black Cat has a role.

Shortly after the Doomsday cast was revealed, Marvel already started teasing there will be more announcements at some point in the future. While it seems likely there are additional Doomsday surprises in store, it sounds like Holland won’t be one of them. While that’ll be disappointing for those who enjoy his take on Peter Parker, it’s arguably for the best if Holland sits this one out. Avengers: Doomsday is going to have a lot on its plate (perhaps more than some viewers initially expected), and there’s already a danger of spreading things too thin. Given everything the film needs to accomplish, it might have proven difficult to fit Spider-Man into the sprawling narrative. On the heels of No Way Home‘s emotional ending, the character of Peter deserves to be front and center of another solo film before he’s part of a team-up again. This way, Marvel can sufficiently explore the fallout of what happened to Peter before he potentially joins Earth’s Mightiest again.

Just because Holland seemingly isn’t in Doomsday doesn’t mean he’ll be entirely sidelined for the Multiverse Saga’s conclusion. Avengers: Secret Wars will shoot next year, and it’s very plausible Spider-Man 4 could lay the foundation for Peter’s role in that film. Many fans are hoping Spider-Man 4 will tell more of a street-level story, but given its proximity to the dual Avengers movies, it will probably deal with the Multiverse in some capacity — even if it’s just a post-credits stinger where Peter learns about Doctor Doom’s arrival.