Tom Holland will only return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for Spider-Man 4 on one very difficult condition. Following the massive success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, the iconic web-crawler has been absent from the MCU since 2021. However, Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios have been working on Spider-Man 4, which has been in the development stages for over a year at this point.
While Holland has confirmed that he has been having meetings about returning to the MCU, the actor is still treading carefully about reprising the role. In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment (via Kevin Polowy,) the MCU veteran talked briefly about Spider-Man 4 and what it would take for him to fully come back as the web-slinger. Unless they can outdo Spider-Man: No Way Home, Holland says Peter Parker can “swing off into the sunset,” stating the following:
If we can’t find a way to compete with the third one, he’ll swing off into the sunset.
Should Spider-Man 4 Be Peter Parker’s Final MCU Story?
At this point, it doesn’t sound as if Holland has fully signed on for a new contract with Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures but is testing the waters about Spider-Man 4. With that said, based on Holland’s statement, it does beg the question if Spider-Man 4 should potentially be looked at as Peter’s MCU finale. Holland is making a valid point that Spider-Man: No Way Home set the bar high for what sequels could do with Peter’s story, as the trilogy explored the multiverse.
But if the two studios can’t find a solid idea that could take Spider-Man into a sequel trilogy, it would maybe be wise if the next film tries to wrap up Peter’s story. Perhaps this could be the opportunity for the MCU to finally introduce Miles Morales in live-action, with Sony Pictures already looking at giving the character his own solo movie. Spider-Man 4 could see Holland finish his time in the MCU while paving the way for Miles to continue his legacy.
Needless to say, Spider-Man 4 definitely needs to happen, given how Spider-Man: No Way Home ended with Peter now being on his own. At the very least, the MCU should follow up on that story and give Peter a satisfactory conclusion, simply so that he isn’t all by himself in the world. Hopefully, more updates about Spider-Man 4 will begin to emerge sooner rather than later.
