The neighborhood just got friendlier. After the massive global success of 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, we’d hoped we’d see Tom Holland’s suddenly friendless Peter Parker swinging through the streets of Manhattan again. It was by no means a done deal. Tom had finished his initial contract and Sony and Marvel Studios would need to hash out a new agreement were he to return in the MCU. But return he will, and according to The Hollywood Reporter, Spider-Man 4 has set its release date for Summer 2026.
It’ll be a big summer for Holland, who just joined Christopher Nolan’s next movie. That film will hit theaters July 17, 2026 while Spider-Man 4‘s scheduled date is July 24, 2026. Competing against himself, eh? Hollandheimer or whatever? Recently Holland mentioned he’s read the script and it needs a bit of work. They have time, at least.
The fourth film in the MCU’s super successful franchise-within-a-franchise will be demonstrably different than the previous three. For starters, it will be the first not directed by Jon Watts. Taking over directing duties is Destin Daniel Cretton who remains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe following his debut with 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. He had originally been on the slate to direct Avengers: The Kang Dynasty back when that movie, you know, existed. Not a bad consolation prize, I’d say.
With the state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in flux (to put it mildly), Holland’s Spider-Man will be a stabilizing force in the franchise both on screen and off. We only recently learned that the tumultuous Blade production is off the slate entirely. Up next will be Captain America: Brave New World in February of 2025. Down the pike, we’ll get Thunderbolts* in May 2025 and The Fantastic Four: First Steps in July.
What we don’t know is how and what Spider-Man will have to face in Spider-Man 4. Not least because Avengers: Doomsday—which will set up the eventual final bow of this iteration of the MCU (we’re assuming) in Avengers: Secret Wars—comes out two months prior. We shall see, won’t we?
Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.
