Unlikely Marvel Fan-Favorite Will Be Back in Spider-Man 4, Reports Say

On Jan. 29, 2025, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man will finally be released on Disney+. It's an exciting event in itself—for sure—but the best part of it all? From that day onwards, there will be no shortage of Spidey-related content for fans to enjoy. Many exciting projects are upon us, such as the live-action Spider-Man Noir show as well as the new Eddie Brock: Carnage comic book series. Fans will see the wall-crawler face new threats in the Ultimate Universe, and maybe we could even get a Venom spin-off game announcement. But perhaps the most anticipated project of them all is Spidey's next stand-alone adventure on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Spider-Man 4 will be released next year, which means the rumor mill is officially in full swing as insiders try to uncover what the movie will really be about. Now, a new report suggests fans will see the return of an unlikely fan-favorite who we all assume was gone for the better. It might prove to be a shocking twist, but one that could add a lot of depth to the movie if executed correctly. After all, wouldn't mind seeing her back one more time on the big screen.

Marisa Tomei will reportedly be back as Aunt May in Spider-Man 4

According to insider Marvel Leaks, Marisa Tomei will portray the role of Aunt May once again in the untitled Spider-Man 4. Of course, this comes as quite a surprise considering her character met her demise at the hands of the Green Goblin in No Way Home. Granted, comic book characters are no strangers to coming back to life after a shocking death. In fact, that's the norm 80% of the time unless you're Uncle Ben or Gwen Stacy. However, it's hard to think that Marvel will quite literally revive Aunt May on the big screen as it would prove to be a very controversial decision to put it lightly. So maybe there are other ways in which Marisa could still be back without pulling the old "cloning" or "resurrection" card.

First and foremost, it seems we're dealing with flashbacks here. After all, Peter is quite literally alone right now. The whole world forgot about his existence courtesy of Doctor Strange's spell—meaning his long-time friends don't remember him anymore. And the worst part? He doesn't have any family left either. With that in mind, the wall-crawler will likely be reminiscent of the good old times were May took care of him and even supported him in his crusade to save the day. It would be quite a heartbreaking contrast to see him share a laugh with his aunt only for the scene to cut back to the present day where he's living in a small apartment with no one else in sight. But let's face it; that's a very "common" scenario, and we're not here for the usual.

It's worth remembering that Spider-Man 4 has been long rumored to be a multiversal movie for quite some time now. Reports indicate Tom Hardy's Venom will team up with Tom Holland's Peter Parker, as well as Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire's versions of the web-slinger in order to face the King in Black himself, Knull. Besides, we've also heard that Avengers: Doomsday might feature all Marvel universes colliding with each other to form Battleworld; a single world comprised of the remains and beings of every single reality in existence. If that turns out to be the case, then Spider-Man 4 would deal with the ramifications of such a cataclysmic event, and what better way to do it than by introducing a multiversal variant of May?

But it doesn't have to stop there. What if Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker were to see a variant of Gwen Stacy? Perhaps Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man could cross paths with another version of Harry Osborn. In that way, Spider-Man 4 could be a movie about coping with grief and loss after opening old wounds. The friendly neighborhood hero has always been a character tragic in nature, and writers love to explore what his life could've been like had some of his loved ones not perished in battle. A very recent example is The Spectacular Spider-Men (2024) #3, in which Peter sees that which he most desires in a simulation, and that turns out to be a life as a dad of two with Gwen Stacy.

Eventually, Battleworld will be undone and Tom Holland's Peter Parker will have to return to his own reality where May is still dead. But allowing him to get a slight glimpse of this alternate life would be an amazing way to explore how being Spider-Man always comes at a great cost. That would make it all the more admirable when he willingly chooses to keep being a hero by prioritizing the lives of others rather than his. Let's face it: It's the last chance Marvel will get to tell a story like this before the Multiverse Saga comes to an end, so fingers crossed they make the most out of it.

Spider-Man 4 will be released on Jul. 24, 2026.