Let’s be honest MCU Tom Holland and the Andrew Garfield’s reboot versions of Spider-Man are good but they can hardly replace Sam Raimi’s Wall-Crawler trilogy in our hearts. Portrayed by the talented Tobey Maguire, Raimi’s Spider-Man is the most iconic Spidey in the 2000s, and his critically acclaimed trilogy is a part of every 90s kids’ awesome childhood. While the first two Movies.are widely praised by both fans and critics, the threequel, unfortunately, didn’t quite live up to the expectation, therefore the much-anticipated part 4 didn’t come to fruition, much to the fans’ dismay.
However, after 16 years of waiting, we might finally get our hands on that Spider-Man 4 after all. According to a former Marvel and MCU actor, who also plays in the Sam Raimi franchise, there have been rumors about a potential fourth movie being built. Better yet? Toby Maguire might return for the iconic role as well.
#1. What the ex-Marvel actor has to say about Spider-Man 4?
Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment
If you have watched the threequels of Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 and the MCU Spider-Man: No Way Home, you might remember Thomas Haden Church, who plays the villain Sandman in both movies. Sandman first appears as the antagonist in Spider-Man 3, and then reprises the role in No Way Home 14 years later, along with Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), and Doc Ock (Alfred Molina) to fight the Spider-Men. Tobey also returns in the movie as a Peter Parker variant alongside Andrew Garfield, and works together with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man to defeat the Sinister 6.
In his recent interview with Comic Book, Haden Church revealed some positive news about Sam Raimi, who also directed Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and is planning to resurrect the canceled Spider-Man 4. And that’s not all, as he also reported that Tobey Maguire might be in for the project, reprising the role of the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment
“There's always been some kind of…I've heard rumors…that Sam Raimi was going to do another [Spider-Man movie] with Tobey [Maguire] and if that happens, I would probably campaign to maybe at least do a cameo.” Said Haden Church, who also implied that he wouldn’t mind having a supporting role in the movie.
Since there is no official statement from Sony, Sam Raimi, and Maguire’s sides regarding this matter yet, and the revelation by Haden Church was also just rumors, fans have the right to remain skeptical about whether Spider-Man 4 will come to life or not. Besides, with both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes going on, with thousands of performers revolting, it’s hard to expect that the much-anticipated sequel will come to life anytime soon.
#2. Why was Spider-Man 4 canceled?
Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy is easily one of the best superhero franchises in the 2000s, as Marvel Studios only kickstarted their MCU project in the latter half of the decade. However, while the first two movies gained favorable reviews from the audience, the third part also received backlash with the storytelling and character development, especially MJ. The movie was still successful enough at the box office to convince Sony to make the fourth, which was set to release on May 6, 2011.
However, the much-anticipated project fell through as both Raimi and Sony failed to get together a deserving story in time that can be equal to the first two parts. Sony was also planning for the Spider-Man reboot with Andrew Garfield back then anyway, so Raimi and Sony executive Amy Pascal came to an agreement to terminate Spider-Man 4.
#3. What can we expect from Spider-Man 4 (if the film is resurrected)?
Source: Marvel
By the time the fourth movie was canceled, both Sam Raimi and Sony had already decided on the main cast of the film. The project was supposed to bring back the old faces from the previous movies, with Peter (Tobey Maguire), Mary-Jane (Kristen Dunst), Aunt May (Rosemary Harris), and JJ Jameson (J.K. Simmons). The movie also introduced multiple new villains from the comic like the third part, with the Vulture, Black Cat, Lizard and Mysterio.
And with the imminent success of Spider-Man; No Way Home in 2021, with fans welcoming the return of both Maguire and Garfield, maybe Sony and Sam Raimi have decided that it’s a good time to bring back the franchise that the audience loves so much. We can expect the main cast, with Maguire, Kristen Dunst, JJ Jameson, or Bryce Howard Dallas to return as our iconic characters, and a new set of villains to come into the scene as well.
For now, though, we’ll have to wait for any official confirmation from Sony. Let us know in the comment if you want Spider-Man 4 to come to fruition.