Spider-Man 4 gets a potentially devastating production update

Let's rewind time back to Dec. 17, 2021. We were about to witness one of the most memorable and iconic cinematic experiences ever made in the superhero world. While it was well-known Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield were reprising their role as the wall-crawler in Spider-Man: No Way Home, watching it come true was a different beast of its own. We all laughed, screamed, and perhaps even cried. However, what we didn't know was that such a special moment would have its price, as we'd have to wait nearly five years for the movie's follow-up to be released.

The untitled Spider-Man 4 was originally slated to be released on Jul. 24, 2026. While we're still a long way off from that day, fans were just happy to know when the big day would come. That being said, it appears we'll have to wait even longer than originally anticipated. Back in October, Tom Holland announced the script was excellent but still needed a bit more work. However, we might have not been aware of how much work that was, as a delay is all but confirmed at this point.

Spider-Man 4 is reportedly a long way from starting production

According to reliable insider Daniel Richtman, Sony and Marvel are facing script issues since they want their upcoming Spider-Man movie to be even better than No Way Home. As a result, the writing team is reportedly reworking the story in order to ensure a better cinematographic experience. This comes right after the news that Sony is putting "a lot of tender loving care" into the creation of Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, as well as the announcement of the end of their cinematographic universe centered around the wall-crawler's villains.

At the time of writing this, Kraven the Hunter has merely grossed $44.5 million dollars on the worldwide box office, against its $110 million budget. This recent flop joins the ranks of Madame Web which also failed to turn in a profit. Besides, even if Venom: The Last Dance won't lose Sony any money, it's the least-grossing movie in Eddie Brock's franchise and far from being the success a trilogy capper should be. All these failures had the studio reconsider its strategy moving forward, and canceling any active Spider-Man spin-offs on the table such as El Muerto.

With that in mind, it shouldn't come as quite the shock that Spider-Man 4 will likely be pushed back in order to ensure a better script. Let's be honest: It's the right move, even if it means we'll have to wait even longer before Spidey swings onto the big screen on its own stand-alone project. Back in November, we heard reports that Spider-Man 4 would be delayed to December 2026, and now it's looking all the more likely. The only question remaining is: Could the story be radically different if a new release date is on the table?

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a huge machine comprising many different interconnected projects. The premise of one single movie could widely affect every entry in the saga that comes after. With Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars on the horizon, that concept will be even more true than ever. So perhaps Spider-Man 4's rewrite won't be done only to ensure the movie has better quality, but also that it perfectly fits into the timeline. On the bright side, we'll Tom Holland wear the red and blue suit once again on the big screen in Doomsday — which is still on track to be released on May 1, 2026, so that will make the wait feel a bit shorter.

Tom Holland previously announced shooting for Spider-Man 4 would begin in the summer of 2025. So if a delay is indeed in the cards at Sony and Marvel, an announcement would have to be made soon. And if not, we'll learn the answers ourselves in just a matter of months.