Before Spider-Man joined the MCU, we only saw this web-slinging hero on the big screen through Sam Raimi’s films. In 2007, Spider-Man 3 was not meant to be the conclusion of Spider-Man films. A fourth film was in the development stages with its release date set for May 6, 2011, only for those plans to be scrapped. Thomas Haden Church, who played Spider-Man 3 villain Sandman, touches up on the rumors on whether or not a fourth Spider-Man starring Tobey Maguire is in the works.
With the success the Sam Raimi films had critically and financially, it was a shame we had to say goodbye to them after the third movie. Fortunately, Tobey Maguire put back on the Spider-Man suit after 15 years with Spider-Man: No Way Home which gave us some closure as to how his Peter Parker was doing. Spider-Man 3’s Sandman actor Thomas Haden Church gave us some hope when speaking to ComicBook about the possibility of a fourth movie based on some rumors he heard.
There's always been some kind of…I've heard rumors…that Sam Raimi was going to do another [Spider-Man movie] with Tobey [Maguire] and if that happens, I would probably campaign to maybe at least do a cameo.
This makes my nostalgic self so happy if this ends up being true of seeing Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man arc continue. It doesn’t come as too much of a surprise that Thomas Haden Church would like to return to the Spider-Man world. He was one of the era villains that made their way into Spider-Man: No Way Home and reunited with Tobey Maguire’s Peter.
A few years ago when the Easy A actor looked back on his role of Flint Marco in Spider-Man 3, he said he was very proud of the movie, his character, and all of the people he worked with. But even if a Spider-Man 4 doesn’t come to fruition, it doesn’t mean we won’t possibly see the last of Flint Marco. Church has teased Sandman’s possible return while speaking with MCU director Jon Watts, but that he’d be in human form instead of sand. Maybe that means we’d get the chance to see how he turned his life around after being cured in No Way Home.
Since Stan Lee’s Spider-Man has so many villains and storylines, it was a challenge for Sam Raimi to determine what would be featured in his next Spider-Man movie. There were talks of The Lizard to be Spider-Man 4’s main and only villain only for the Vulture and Vultress to be added to the mix. After battles with Sony Studios on the failure to find a satisfactory script Raimi could be proud of, Spider-Man 4 was canceled altogether.
The letdown of Spider-Man 3 came from overstuffing the movie with too many villains. It’s one thing to bring back the signature villains we loved from the previous movies as it invokes nostalgia in its audience. But the introduction of too many villains in one movie could provide us with too many storylines that could make us scratch our heads. It appeared that a fourth web-slinging movie made by Sam Raimi could have been headed in that same direction which the Drag Me to Hell director didn’t want in the first place for the third film. But as Raimi still thinks about his “unborn” Spider-Man movie all the time and No Way Home reminded audiences why we love Tobey Maguire’s Peter, news of a Spider-Man 4 would thrill audiences.
I’m crossing my fingers that what Thomas Haden Church heard about the chances of a Spider-Man 4 movie is true. After all, fans have been reaching out to Sony about these rumors so they're well aware of their wishes. And Sam Raimi told ComicBook last year he'd love to come back to the Spider-Man franchise or have another chance to work with the Seabiscuit actor again. Until then, you can watch all three of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movies on your Netflix subscription and Disney+ subscription.
