Spider-Man 4 Announcement 15-Year Anniversary, Could It Happen Now?
Could Spider-Man 4 happen after all these years?
Spider-Man 4 was announced 15 years ago today and people are buzzing. Yes, back in the late 2000s Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire were slated to make another Spider-Man movie with Sony. With the current focus on the multiverse, could Spider-Man 4 really happen now? Possibly. But, the question is even more complicated than that. While Maguire appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home with Tom Holland and Andrew Garfield, that kind of cameo is not the same as a whole new movie in that original universe. (Or, even more likely, one that looks a lot like it, but isn't completely the same.)
Hysterically, back in the olden days of Twitter (2009), Sony Pictures announced that May 6, 2011 would be the release date for Spider-Man 4. Now, being from the future, you know that didn't happen. However, that hasn't dimmed fan desire for a return trip. Especially, when people loved seeing the actor back in the tights for Tom Holland's last MCU adventure. There were plenty of reasons that movie didn't transpire. Miscommunications from the studio, growing frustration from Sam Raimi, pay disputes, the looming dominance of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and a host of other challenges derailed what could have been.
Sony Pictures to release Spider-Man 4 on May 6, 2011.
— Sony Pictures (@SonyPictures) March 12, 2009
However, nothing is forever in our world and that might go doubly in the world of entertainment. Tobey Maguire and Sam Raimi have joked about doing another entry in their Spider-Man series in recent years. So, the rumblings are clearly out there. At this point, Sony holds a lot of the cards as well. It's pretty unlikely that Spider-Man 4 happens. But, fans of the Wall-Crawler shouldn't dismay because you'll almost undoubtedly see Maguire back in the role of Spider-Man by the time Avengers: Secret Wars rolls around.
The Door To Spider-Man 4 Is Open
Spider-Man: No Way Home's importance in this conversation cannot be overstated. The movie is unquestionably the biggest superhero movie released since Avengers: Endgame hit theaters. As a result, that kind of success was always going to have some fans wondering. Couple that with aging Millennials looking back to their formative years and Gen Z fomenting their own Y2K nostalgia, the resulting picture is quite clear. Fandango asked Sam Raimi about re-entering his Spider-Man universe, and he sounded very down for all of it.
"I've come to realize after making Doctor Strange that anything is possible, really anything in the Marvel universe, any team-ups," Raimi previously said of another Spider-Man sequel. "I love Tobey. I love Kirsten Dunst. I think all things are possible. I don't really have a story or a plan. I don't know if Marvel would be interested in that right now. I don't know what their thoughts are about that. I haven't really pursued that. But it sounds beautiful. Even if it wasn't a Spider-Man movie, I'd love to work with Tobey again, in a different role."
So, there is some desire. But, other roadblocks remain. Both Maguire and Raimi both know how important they are to the entire enterprise. So, Sony Pictures would have to back up the Brinks truck for anyone involved. (Dunst figures in all of this too, after all she's got mouths to feed.) Let's not forget, there also has to be a decent story for this massive reunion to take place. So, while the nostalgia hounds of social media are aching for this project, a lot would have to go right for it to become a reality.
A Much More Likely Scenario
To re-state the previous point, Spider-Man: No Way Home looms large. If you're looking for Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man again. The MCU might hold the answers you seek. Kevin Feige and the company have made no secret that the plan for this Multiverse Saga is to bring different takes on characters together for one massive celebration of everything Marvel. Fans already got their first taste in No Way Home. The second course is on the way this summer with Deadpool & Wolverine. However, the star of this meal is Avengers: Secret Wars.
If you were devising a way to eclipse Avengers: Endgame at the box office and the zeitgeist, how would you do it? Teaming Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, and Tobey Maguire returning as Spidey would be a great start. Most fans have already taken this admission as gospel. But, the TVA's inclusion in Deadpool & Wolverine also heightens the potential for a return trip for the Raimi Spider-Man. Roping him and Andrew Garfield's version in for another go-around seems like a lock basically.
One of the very fun facets of the last MCU Spider-Man film was how the two older Peter Parkers really ended up learning something and being changed by their time with Holland's variant. Their solo stories have a winding road to completion on their own. (Heck, Maguire's was basically done before we portal-ed him in!) It's much easier to see them pop-up in Secret Wars than another solo film. However, we cannot rule out how much Sony likes money and how much fans seem to love nostalgia right now, despite the social media chatter to the contrary.
Do you think there will be a Spider-Man 4? Let us know in the comments down below!