Spider-Man is perhaps one of the most beloved characters in the Marvel Universe, and a new report reveals who may be the next web-slinger in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Who Plays Spider-Man in the MCU?
British actor Tom Holland has played Peter Parker, AKA Spider-Man, since 2016 when he appeared as the New York web-slinger in Captain America: Civil War. He starred in two other non-solo movies, Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
Holland led his own trilogy for Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures, all directed by Jon Watts. Across Phase Three and Phase Four of the MCU, three Spider-Man movies were released: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
Over time, the Spider-Man trilogy grew in popularity thanks to Tom Holland’s goofy and charming portrayal of the iconic Marvel Comics character. Spider-Man: No Way Home earned close to $2 billion at the global box office, but it wasn’t just Tom Holland that drew in audiences.
After months of rumors and a rocky development process due to Disney and Sony’s shaky contract, No Way Home saw the return of former Spidey stars Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.
Both starred as Peter Parker in previous Spider-Man entries for Sony—Maguire in Sam Raimi’s trilogy and Garfield in Marc Webb’s subsequent two-parter- and their appearance in the MCU was made successful by the inclusion of the Multiverse.
The last time audiences saw Spider-Man was in No Way Home, where the Avenger made everyone forget who he was in order to save the world from Multiversal threats. Even his girlfriend, MJ Watson (Zendaya), and best friend, Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon), are forced to lose their memories of Peter Parker.
While there is a Spider-Man in the MCU, one has yet to be fully confirmed for Sony’s Spider-Man Universe.
What is Sony’s Spider-Man Universe?
Sony’s Spider-Man Universe officially started with Venom (2018) and has yet to include an actual Spider-Man. Because Sony Pictures owns the rights to the Spider-Man catalog of characters, Marvel Studios had to work in tandem with Sony to bring Tom Holland’s iteration to the franchise.
Since Venom, the SSU has gained a handful more movies, including Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), Morbius (2022), Madame Web (2024), the upcoming Kraven the Hunter (2024), and Venom: The Last Dance (2024).
While there has been no actual Spider-Man in the SSU, the box office bomb Madame Web did introduce a new Peter Parker in the form of May Parker’s (Emma Roberts) newborn child.
For a full and comprehensive guide on the differences between the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, then head here.
Tom Holland and Spider-Man 4
What is the latest news about Spider-Man 4?
The Spider-Man 4 project was first discussed back in 2016 with Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group chairman Tom Rothman, stating that the fourth movie was in development along with the third film that eventually became Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Since then, there has been a steady stream of updates, including Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige’s announcement that the fourth installment’s story had been completed.
“All I will say is that we have the story,” Feige told Entertainment Weekly in February 2023. “We have big ideas for that, and our writers are just putting pen to paper now.”
Prior to this, both Amy Pascal and Tim Rothman had also confirmed that development was still in progress for Spider-Man 4.
Related: Five Years Later, Marvel Officially Changes Its ‘Spider-Man’ Sequel Movie
Tom Holland would later say that discussion had been underway involving him and the studios, but they had to be shut down thanks to the nationwide Writers Guild of America (WGA), Screen Actors Guild (SAG), and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) strikes that followed.
Is Tom Holland returning as Spider-Man?
Tom Holland will be set to return to Spider-Man 4. If the fourth Marvel movie takes place not long after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, it will be interesting to see how Marvel and Sony handle Peter Parker’s new life as an unknown hero.
In the “Spider-Man: No Way Home — The Art of the Movie” (2023), Jon Watts confirmed that No Way Home was actually the real origin story of his take on the Spider-Man legend.
“In the end, you know, it was nice to be able to have everything coalesce into, at its essence, the simple story of Spider-Man,” Watts said (via The Direct). “We just really all took our time telling the first issue of ‘Spider-Man’ — that origin story.”
That said, Tom Holland may not play Spider-Man in the MCU in the long run. In 2021, right before the debut of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Holland said that he would be doing something wrong if he was still playing Spider-Man into his 30s.
“Maybe it is time for me to move on,” the Marvel star told GQ. “Maybe what’s best for Spider-Man is that they do a Miles Morales film … If I’m playing Spider-Man after I’m 30, I’ve done something wrong.”
However, while some took this to mean Holland would immediately end his run as Peter Parker when he turns 30 in 2026, the actor clarified his comments in a 2022 interview with Esquire Middle East.
“What I basically was trying to say is that if I am 30, still playing Spider-Man, and I haven’t passed on the baton to a Miles Morales or a Spider-Woman or something more diverse, then I will have done something wrong in the sense of the duties I have to the character,” Holland told the outlet. “Not, like, ‘If I’m playing Spider-Man in my 30s, I’m some washed-up has-been.'”
There has, of course, already been a successful Spider-Man expansion using the Miles Morales character. Sony’s critical and commercial Into the Spider-Verse franchise, which includes Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), has grossed over $1 billion globally.
However, despite Tom Holland being happy to stay in the role under these conditions, new reports have surfaced revealing who may replace Holland as Spider-Man in the MCU.
Casinos.com has compiled the odds of who may be next in line to take on the Spider-Man character, and the results are extremely interesting. The list and the odds of them playing the role in the future are as follows:
Taron Egerton 6/4
Jonathan Bailey 2/1
James Norton 5/2
Aidan Turner 3/1
Dallas Dupree Young 7/2
Miles Brown 4/1
Caleb McLaughlin 4/1
Logan Lerman 5/1
Theo James 5/1
Noah Jupe 6/1
Asher Angel 6/1
Shameik Moore 8/1
Jharrel Jerome 9/1
Andrew Garfield 12/1
Tobey Maguire 14/1
Tiffany Espensen 16/1
Jessica Henwick 18/1
Lee Yoo Mi 20/1
Some of the names on there are already well-versed in the Spider-Man character, such as Shameik Moore, who plays Miles Morales in the Into the Spider-Verse movies, and Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, who have already played the part in live-action Sony movies.
The top two actors, Taron Egerton and Jonathan Bailey, are interesting choices. Egerton, known for his role in the Kingsman franchise and his role as Elton John in Rocketman (2019), has also been rumored to be taking on the role of X-Men character Wolverine.
Related: Fans in Shock as ‘Spider-Man 4’ to Feature the Death of Peter Parker: Report
As for Jonathan Bailey, the Bridgerton star will soon make a splash on the big screen later this year as Fiyero in John M. Chu’s Wicked (2024) alongside Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba) and Ariana Grande (Glinda). Bailey has also been cast alongside Scarlett Johansson in the upcoming Jurassic World 4 (2025) movie.
What other Spider-Man projects are coming up?
As Spider-Man 4 continues its development, other Spider-Man projects are lined up, including Spider-Man Noir starring Nicolas Cage on Amazon Prime and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man on Disney+. In the latter, Hudson Thames will reprise his role as Peter Parker after playing the character in What If…?
Who would you like to see play Spider-Man in live-action after Tom Holland? Let us know in the comments down below!
