Credit: Sony PicturesIs a new Sam Raimi Spider-Man movie truly inevitable?
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The story of Queens native Peter Parker and his role as New York City’s Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, along with the moral lesson of “with great power comes great responsibility,” has embedded itself into global cultural consciousness. Throughout various cinematic adaptations, various actors have taken on the iconic web-slinging superhero, taking inspiration from the Marvel Comics created by superhero legends Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
Beginning with Tobey Maguire’s portrayal in director Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy that spanned 2002 to 2007, and Andrew Garfield’s take on the hero in 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel The Amazing Spider-Man 2, the most recent portrayal of Peter Parker has been brought to life by Tom Holland.
Following The Walt Disney Company’s Marvel Studios deal with Sony Pictures, Holland made his big screen debut in Captain America: Civil War (2016), going on to star in Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2017, as a part of the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Related: Report: Disney Will Finally Introduce Fan-Favorite Spider-Man to MCU in ‘Spider-Man 4’
Now that Maguire, Garfield, and Holland have come together in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home to great commercial and decently critical success, the ball is in Marvel Studios and Sony’s court as to whether they want to revive the older Spider-Man properties.
Director Sam Raimi is now opening up about the possibility of a Spider-Man trilogy sequel with Maguire in the suit.
Sam Raimi Talks Spidey 4
Sam Raimi has heard all the rumors. And likely the multiple comments from Sandman/Flink Marko actor Thomas Hayden Church alluding to a Raimi-directed Spider-Man 4.
According to an interview with CBR, Raimi is keen to lay some of these rumors to rest, stating that he’s “not actually working on it yet”:
Well, I haven’t heard about that yet. I did read that, but I’m not actually working on it yet. I mean, Marvel and Columbia are so successful with current Spider-Man [movies], and the track there, and I don’t know that they’re going to go back to me, and say, ‘Well, folks, we can also tell that story!’ I’m not sure, but I love all the new Spider-Man movies. I loved Spider-Man: No Way Home. It was really, super powerful seeing Tobey [Maguire] again in it.
That’s a lot of “yet”.
Continuing, Raimi added that even though he hasn’t openly talked to Maguire about a follow-up movie, it’s possible that “Marvel has, or Columbia Pictures [has]”. He then states that though ultimately unsure, since he worked on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 2022 with Marvel Studios, the working relationship is there:
I’m not sure, but I love all the new Spider-Man movies. I loved Spider-Man: No Way Home. It was really, super powerful seeing Tobey [Maguire] again in it.
I haven’t talked to Tobey about it, but maybe Marvel has, or Columbia Pictures. But, I just worked with Marvel on a movie called Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. So, I’m on great terms with them. I’m sure I would hear about it if it was in the works. I think so. I don’t know.
Even though Raimi is allegedly “unsure” and not at the stage to definitively say anything about the film, it’s a very real possibility considering Raimi’s very specifically worded response. Saying that he hasn’t “heard about [a Spider-Man follow-up] yet” (emphasis from CBR), and also reminding fans of his good relationship with the major Hollywood studios that would be needed for this hypothetical movie seems like a bit of a wink to fans that this film could “yet” be possible.
It would also be wise to remember that Marvel Studios (rather notoriously) likes to ensure cast and creatives stay silent on MCU projects — even encouraging them to openly lie about them to maintain the ultimate surprise for their fans.
With such a carefully worded response from Raimi, it seems the likelihood of a Maguire-led Spider-Man 4 could very well be a possibility.
How Could Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man 4 Happen in the MCU?
Marvel President Kevin Feige has been planning for a team of “street-level” heroes to take center stage in the MCU — Charlie Cox’s Daredevil/Matt Murdock, set to return from his Marvel Netflix-era hiatus in Daredevil: Born Again, as well as Holland’s iteration of Spider-Man.
The narrative focus on Wilson Fisk/Kingpin (portrayed by Vincent D’Onofrio), established in Hawkeye (2021) and Echo (2023), will likely culminate in a storyline where the menacing Kingpin becomes Mayor Fisk of New York City, posing a challenge for the street-level vigilantes who must go up against the baddie. Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson/Captain America might have plotlines intersect in Captain America: Brave New World, with future Multiverse shenanigans in Avengers 5 (formerly Avengers: The Kang Dynasty) and Avengers: Secret Wars bringing Maguire’s Spider-Man back to lead the newly assembled Multiversal Avengers.
Would you watch Spider-Man 4 with Tobey Maguire, directed by Sam Raimi? What would you like to see in the film? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
More on Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Trilogy
On top of the titular role of Spider-Man/Peter Parker played by Tobey Maguire, director Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. Kirsten Dunst depicted Mary Jane Watson, Peter Parker’s enduring romantic interest, as James Franco embodied the role of Harry Osborn, Peter’s closest ally who later becomes his adversary. Willem Dafoe delivered a striking performance as Norman Osborn, also known as the Green Goblin, Spider-Man’s initial formidable opponent. In the sequel, Spider-Man 2 (2004), the original cast reprised their roles, with Alfred Molina joining as Dr. Otto Octavius, a brilliant scientist transformed into the villainous Doctor Octopus.
The trilogy reached its conclusion with Spider-Man 3 (2007), where Peter confronts the dark side of himself empowered by the symbiote, leading to clashes with Venom (Topher Grace), an intimidating adversary formed by the fusion of the alien symbiote and Eddie Brock, alongside the tragic Sandman/Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church) and the formidable New Goblin (James Franco).
Renowned for its action-packed scenes, memorable performances, and, most importantly, a particular brand of early 2000s nostalgic camp, the trilogy holds a special place in superhero cinema. A fourth movie has reportedly been floated, with stars commenting on its possibility, but without any official confirmation.