How ‘Spider-Man 4’ Might Impact Marvel Studios 2024 Theatrical Slate

A new rumor has Sony looking to start production on a fourth Spider-Man solo film in the Summer of 2023 for a Summer 2024 release. If everything goes according to plan, that fourth film would be part of Marvel Studios’ ongoing Multiverse Saga and 2024 is already shaping up to be a busy year in that regard with 4 films headed to theaters. How might a potential fourth Spider-Man film shake up that slate? Let’s take a look.

Current Slate

May 3, 2024: Captain America: New World Order
July 26, 2024: Thunderbolts
September 6, 2024: Blade
November 8, 2024: Untitled Deadpool and Wolverine Movie

By all current accounts, Sony is keen on getting Spider-Man 4 into theaters in July. The studio already has an Untitled Marvel Sony Film slated for that date and if they get production underway in Summer of 2023, as the new rumor states, a July 2024 release date sounds about right. However, Marvel Studios has Thunderbolts slated set for release just 2 weeks after that which is far too close to the potential Spidey 4 date. It seems nearly impossible to believe both films will release in July. One or the other must move and there are plenty of options available.

Option #1

An easy solution is for Thunderbolts to move into August. By sliding ahead to August 2nd, 2024, Spider-Man 4 gets room to breathe and Thunderbolts can take advantage of following that film into theaters. 3 weeks is the same grace period Disney gives its own films (Captain America: New World Order will run for 3 weeks before Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes; Inside Out 2 will run for 3 weeks before Mufasa: The Lion King), Marvel Studios has released a successful film in August before in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and Disney does not currently have a theatrical release slated for August 2024. Of the two “Summer films” for Marvel Studios, Thunderbolts would have to be the one to move because from everything I’ve come to understand, it must follow Captain America: New World Order.

Option #2

Another frequently discussed scenario is having Spider-Man 4 open in December. SpiderMan: No Way Home opened on December 17th, 2021 and raked in almost $2B; however, there is one major consideration to this option: Avatar 3 is currently slated to open on December 20th, 2024. Sony could opt to release Spider-Man 4 on November 29th, which would place the release 3 weeks after Deadpool and Wolverine and 3 weeks before Avatar 3. Part of the strategy in a December opening is to take advantage of the holiday break, however, and a November 29th release combined with Avatar 3’s presence would all but ensure that theaters playing Spider-Man 4 around Christmas time would be sparsely populated.

Option #3

A third possibility could arise out of the continued delays to Marvel Studios Blade. After several delays, the film recently took on a new director and another new writer who is reportedly starting the script from scratch. Marvel Studios is still expecting to get the film into production next year and hit the targeted September 6, 2024 release date but should it encounter any more delays, Sony could put Spider-Man 4 in September or Marvel Studios could push Thunderbolts to September, allowing Sony to have Spider-Man 4 in July. Moving Blade would complicate things for Marvel Studios as it would likely cause a cascade of subsequent moves into 2025 and beyond, but that’s hardly something Sony would concern themselves with.

Other options exist, of course, but these 3 seem the most viable for a number of reasons. All things considered, the hardcore Marvel Studios’ fans dream probably looks something like this:

May 3, 2024: Captain America: New World Order
July 12, 2024: Spider-Man 4
August 2, 2024: Thunderbolts
September 6, 2024: Blade
November 8, 2024: Untitled Deadpool and Wolverine Movie

It may be a while before we get any official news, but shuffling the theatrical slate is now more normal than keeping it the same so don’t start etching your 2024 movie plans in stone just yet.

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