What is going on with Tom Holland’s future with the Spider-Man franchise? It’s a question that die-hard Spidey fans keep asking, particularly after no concrete details regarding Spider-Man 4 were shared by Marvel Studios during San Diego Comic-Con. There are open holes on the calendar of upcoming Marvel movies, but nothing in place for Holland’s continuation as Peter Parker… or any specific information as to whether the fourth Spider-Man movie would be a street-level adventure, or a sprawling multiverse movie.
Which makes it all the more painful to watch this sweet social media video of MCU Spider-Man stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Jacob Batalon watching their early audition reels, knowing how that journey was going to end. There’s something so endearing and innocent in seeing Holland cracking up over his use of the Spider-Man web hands, or Zendaya just acing her audition. Try and remember how great this trio was as the beating heart of the MCU Spider-Man trilogy. It might never be this good again:
I’m torn when it comes to the future of Tom Holland, and the upcoming Spider-Man stories told in the MCU. As is demonstrated in that clip above, those three have incredible chemistry. It helps make Spider-Man: No Way Home easily one of the best Spider-Man movies ever made. And there’s the fact that Holland and Zendaya remain an item in real life, something that any Spider-Man movie could capitalize on.
However, I desperately want the ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home to stick. Peter Parker (Tom Holland) made an enormous sacrifice to correct his multiversal error, allowing Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to wipe Peter from the memories of anyone who knew him… including his girlfriend (Zendaya) and his next friend (Jacob Batalon). This is classic Spider-Man, making him an isolated hero doing what is right, even though it hurts. To just bring back MJ and Ned would negate the painful sacrifice. Zendaya and Batalon need to sit out at least one movie, if not more, before Marvel brings them back into Peter’s life. In my personal opinion.
Right now, I’d take ANY news regarding Spider-Man 4. While the responsibility of announcing the next chapter in Tom Holland’s Spider-Man falls to Sony, that studio is currently only teasing its third Venom movie, and a Kraven the Hunter film that feels like it’s being undersold. For all we can tell, we might see Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse before Tom Holland suits up again. Which makes that above video joyous, but also painful to watch, because we simply don’t know if it will ever be that fun again any time soon.
Those waiting on more Marvel stories can prepare for Agatha All Along, a continuation of the WandaVision story that stars Kathryn Hahn, and will be available to anyone with a Disney+ subscription beginning on September 18.
