Tom Holland Discusses Development of Fourth ‘Spider-Man’ Film

In a recent interview on the “Rich Roll Podcast,” actor Tom Holland shared insights into the development of the script for the fourth installment of his “Spider-Man” movie franchise. Holland revealed that while the script “needs work,” the writers are making significant progress. He commented, “I read it three weeks ago and it really lit a fire in me. Zendaya and I sat down and read it together and we at times were bouncing around the living room like this is a real movie worthy of the fans’ respect.”

According to a report by Variety, Destin Daniel Cretton, known for his work on “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” is in early discussions to direct the sequel. This marks a potential shift in directors, with Cretton possibly taking over from Jon Watts, who helmed the previous trilogy.

Discussing the complexities of the Marvel production process, Holland remarked, “One of the things is that, with Marvel, your film is a small cog in a large machine. That machine has got to keep running. You have to make sure you can fit into that timeline at the right time to benefit the bigger picture. That’s one of the challenges we’re facing. The time in which we need to get that done is a tall order but definitely achievable with the people we have working on it now.”

Holland has portrayed the character of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in three standalone films directed by Watts: “Spider-Man: Homecoming” (2017), “Spider-Man: Far From Home” (2019), and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021). He has also appeared in blockbuster hits such as “Avengers: Endgame.” Zendaya, who stars as MJ in the franchise, is expected to reprise her role in the upcoming film.

The conclusion of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” saw a pivotal moment where Benedict Cumberbatch‘s Doctor Strange cast a spell causing the world to forget Peter Parker’s identity, a challenge the forthcoming movie will likely address. In February 2023, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed that a fourth “Spider-Man” film was in the works, stating, “All I will say is that we have the story. We have big ideas for that, and our writers are just putting pen to paper now.” However, the process faced a delay due to the Writers Guild of America strike.

Holland has previously articulated a strong commitment to preserving the legacy of Spider-Man, having explained in past press engagements that any return to the role would depend on doing justice to the character. “I feel very protective over Spider-Man,” he remarked. “I feel very, very lucky that we were able to work on a franchise that got better with each movie, that got more successful with each movie, which I think is really rare, and I want to protect his legacy. So, I won’t make another one for the sake of making another one. It will have to be worth the while of the character.”

Fans of the franchise continue to await further announcements regarding the film’s progress and production timeline.