‘Spider-Man 4’: Destin Daniel Cretton in Talks to Direct (Exclusive)
Tom Holland is set to return as Spider-Man, and the Marvel-Sony collaboration is eyeing a new director: Destin Daniel Cretton, the filmmaker behind Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Cretton is reportedly in talks to direct Spider-Man 4, putting an end to speculation about who would helm the next installment of one of Hollywood's biggest franchises.
Cretton’s involvement brings fresh energy to the Spider-Man saga, which stars Tom Holland as the web-slinger in a co-production between Sony and Disney’s Marvel Studios. He will become the fourth director to take on a Spider-Man solo film. The previous Holland-led movies were directed by Jon Watts, while Marc Webb directed The Amazing Spider-Man movies starring Andrew Garfield, and Sam Raimi helmed the Tobey Maguire trilogy.
Neither Sony nor Marvel has commented on the news.
Holland’s Spider-Man films have become box office juggernauts, with Spider-Man: No Way Home grossing nearly $2 billion after its release in December 2021, drawing audiences back to theaters during the pandemic. The film also featured Maguire and Garfield, uniting all three Spider-Man actors in a crossover event.
Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers will return as writers for Spider-Man 4, while Marvel head Kevin Feige and former Sony head Amy Pascal will produce the film.
According to sources, the project is moving full steam ahead, with filming expected to begin early next year. However, details of the plot remain under wraps. No Way Home ended with the world forgetting that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, including those closest to him, such as MJ (Zendaya), who no longer knows who Peter is. In June 2023, Holland revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that he and the producers had been in discussions about the next installment, saying, "The first few meetings were about, ‘Why would we do this again?’ And I think we found the reason why.”
Cretton is highly regarded within Marvel, with Shang-Chi standing out as a highlight in the post-Avengers: Endgame phase. He had been attached to direct Avengers: The Kang Dynasty but exited the project due to scheduling conflicts following Jonathan Majors' ongoing legal issues. Marvel has since sought to involve Cretton in another major feature, and his possible involvement with Spider-Man 4 signals a vote of confidence in his abilities.
Cretton is also in postproduction on Wonder Man, Marvel Television’s Disney+ series starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. He remains attached to projects like a live-action adaptation of Naruto and a Shang-Chi sequel, though it is unclear how his potential Spider-Man commitments will impact those.