After directing films that either involved aliens or otherworldly stunts, Justin Lin now finds himself going back to the streets as the director of the more grounded version of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s next Spider-Manfilm.
According to Jeff Sneider, the long-time Fast and Furious director is close to landing his next directing gig and making his MCU debut. But, that’s not all.
In the same report, Sneider revealed that Zendaya is now prioritizing work on Spider-Man 4 after HBO suspended filming of Season 3 indefinitely.
Lin isn’t the first name to pop up as Marvel’s “choice” to direct Spider-Man 4. Previously, Drew Goddard, known for his work on Netflix’s Daredevil series, was rumored after Jon Watts, the director of the first three Spider-Man films for the MCU stepped down to be the director of Fantastic Four. Unfortunately, Watts also dropped out of the project.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Spider-Man trilogy is one of its most lucrative films. While Sony might have pocketed the most out of this partnership, Disney is more than happy to bite the bullet when each entry is a sure-fire billion-dollar blockbuster hit.
In total, this lucrative partnership between Sony and Disney has generated roughly $4 billion at the global box office, the highest for any non-Avengers trilogy in the MCU.
Earlier this year, reports of a disagreement regarding the direction of Spider-Man 4 between Sony and Marvel Studios emerged. According to sources, Sony wanted another large-scale studio blockbuster while Kevin Feige preferred a more “grounded” feel. The latter was heavily hinted at by the ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which saw Tom Holland’s Peter Parker give up his real identity to protect his loved ones. By the end of the film, gone was the heavily criticized Tony Stark-lite characterization of the MCU’s Peter Parker. In his place was a more relatable version of the web-slinger who lived in a rundown apartment with next to nothing to his name.
It was assumed that Spider-Man 4 would see Peter Parker struggle his responsibilities, presumably as a college student, and as Spider-Man, something that the MCU has so far glossed over.
Interestingly, an interview with Alex Perez shed light on a potential storyline for Spider-Man 4 that would see Peter Parker “take a backseat” to Spider-Man.
If true, a lone Spider-Man, consumed by loneliness, guilt, and a longing for family, will make for an easy victim for the Venom symbiote.
Ultimately, with Tom Holland previously saying that he “won’t make another [Spider-Man film] for the sake of making another [Spider-Man film]” it’s safe to say that Spider-Man 4 will be worthwhile.
As a bonus, with Zendaya in tow, maybe she could rope in Sydney Sweeney, who openly expressed wanting to star in Spider-Man 4 in a recent interview.
Unfortunately, with Spider-Man 4 not expected to start filming until later this year, don’t expect it to be released until late 2025 if not 2026. Thankfully, Spidey’s comic book best friend, Deadpool, will be in theaters in July to tide us over.
