A new director is finding himself stuck in Spider-Man’s web: Destin Daniel Cretton has been tapped to helm Marvel’s Spider-Man 4.
The news (via The Hollywood Reporter) demonstrates Marvel head Kevin Feige’s trust in Cretton, as its the fourth Marvel Cinematic Universe project given to the filmmaker. First came Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, one of the studio’s post-Avengers: Endgame high points. Then he was tapped for the Disney+ Wonder Man series starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, which is reportedly in post-production. Cretton was also set to direct Avengers 5 back when it was The Kang Dynasty, but dropped out last November amid Jonathan Major’s assault trial.
Now, Cretton will be given the webs reins to one of the biggest individual franchises in cinema. He takes over for Jon Watts, who directed No Way Home, Far From Home, and Homecoming. Thankfully, Cretton will have a well-versed team on the project, as Tom Holland will be back under the mask, while Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers (who have worked on all three MCU Spidey films to date) are working on the script. The co-production between Marvel and Sony is reportedly on a fast track as it looks to get before lenses early next year.
Cretton is also still attached to a Shang-Chi sequel as well as a live-action adaptation of the Naruto anime. There’s no word yet on how his Spider-Man 4 job might cause a sticky scheduling situation.
As for other Spider-Man projects, Nic Cage is still set to lead a live action Spider-Man Noir series for MGM+ and Prime Video. Meanwhile, we’re still awaiting word on Spier-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part II), which is being led by our 2023 Filmmakers of the Year Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, and Joaquim Dos Santos.
Elsewhere in the MCU, Robert Downey Jr. reportedly got paid to return to the franchise as Doctor Doom in Avengers 5, which is now called Avengers: Doomsday and will be directed by MCU icons the Russo Brothers. Given the character’s connection to the characters, it’s also possible Downey first appears in next years The Fantastic Four: First Steps alongside Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. What’s more, Holland’s Spider-Man will likely be in the next two Avengers films, so it’ll be interesting to see how he reacts coming face-to-face with a very different variant of his former mentor.
James Spader was also recently revealed to be returning to the MCU, reprising his Ultron role for the upcoming Vision Disney+ series spinning off of WandaVision. All this comes on the heals of Deadpool & Wolverine’s record-breaking box office run. Up next for the MCU will be Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha All Along series premiering September 18th on Disney+, followed by Captain America: Brave New World hitting theaters on February 14th, 2025.