Who will succeed Jon Watts? 'Spider-Man 4' director search begins
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has indicated a possible change in the director's chair for the forthcoming Spider-Man 4. In a conversation with CinemaBlend, Feige expressed, "We love Jon Watts. Jon did three of the best Spider-Man films ever for us. He's got lots of things going on now. So we'll probably be looking for somebody else, just because he's busy." If not Watts, then who might take the helm of Spider-Man 4?
Where is Watts busy?
Watts, who successfully helmed the previous three Spider-Man films—Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home—is currently involved in multiple projects. These include the film titled Wolfs starring Hollywood A-listers George Clooney and Brad Pitt, and directing episodes of the upcoming Disney+ series Skeleton Crew. Feige's statement suggests that these commitments will likely prevent Watts from returning to direct Spider-Man 4.
Who can be the potential successors to Watts?
Feige's remarks have sparked conjecture about who might succeed Watts as the director of Spider-Man 4. Names such as Sam Raimi, who directed the original Spider-Man trilogy (2002-2007) have come up. Raimi aside, TV directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, recognized for their work on Ms. Marvel episodes and the Bad Boys franchise, have been suggested. However, these rumors remain unverified at this point.
'Spider-Man 4' script anticipated to be finalized by year's end
Meanwhile, in a discussion with Io9, Feige recently disclosed that a draft of the script for Spider-Man 4 is expected to be submitted soon and will be finalized by the end of this year. He stated, "Amy [Pascal] and I are working on it. We have writers who are going to be delivering us a draft relatively soon," as reported by Screen Rant. This suggests that the film's production is progressing despite the potential change in director.
Expected release and storyline details for 'Spider-Man 4'
Following the pattern set by previous films in the series, Spider-Man 4 is anticipated to be released sometime in 2026. The film will carry forward the story of Peter Parker (Tom Holland), who was just embarking on his journey as a solitary, financially strapped Spider-Man at the conclusion of No Way Home. The upcoming film will delve into his struggles without the backing of his former friends or the guidance of Iron Man, following the events of Avengers: Endgame.
