The web-slinging adventures of Spider-Man are set to continue with a fourth installment in the Tom Holland-led franchise, and it appears the film has found its director. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Destin Daniel Cretton, known for directing the critically acclaimed ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’, is in early talks to take the helm of ‘Spider-Man 4’.
If the deal goes through, Cretton will succeed Jon Watts, who directed Holland’s previous three Spider-Man films: ‘Homecoming’, ‘Far From Home’, and ‘No Way Home’. The screenplay for the fourth film is being penned by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, with Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige and Sony’s Amy Pascal serving as producers.
Cretton’s experience with Marvel extends beyond ‘Shang-Chi’, as he was initially slated to direct ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’. However, he stepped down from the project last November to focus on other Marvel projects, including a ‘Shang-Chi’ sequel and the upcoming Disney+ series ‘Wonder Man’, which is currently in post-production.
The report from THR also indicates that production on ‘Spider-Man 4’ is scheduled to begin early next year. Meanwhile, Deadline reports that Tom Holland and Zendaya, who plays MJ in the franchise, have been in communication with Spider-Man producers and executives regarding the development of the fourth film. New deals for both actors are “likely to be underway soon.”
Holland has been portraying Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) since 2016’s ‘Captain America: Civil War’, while Zendaya joined the cast as MJ in ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’. In July, Feige revealed that he and Pascal were already working on ‘Spider-Man 4’ and expected to have a script finalized “relatively soon.”
While there is no official release date for ‘Spider-Man 4’ yet, fans are eagerly anticipating the next chapter in the web-slinger’s journey, especially with Cretton’s potential involvement, which could bring a fresh perspective to the franchise.