During SDCC ’22, Marvel Studios The One Above All, Kevin Feige, made it clear that Daredevil and Spider-Man were being propped up as the leaders of the street-level stories the studio had planned. By that time, development on the story for a fourth installment in the MCU-set Spidey franchise has been ongoing for several months and by the end of 2022, rumors had begun to swirl that star Tom Holland had agreed to a new deal that would allow Sony and Marvel Studio to continue their successful collaboration. Though no confirmation of that deal ever came through, in early 2023, Feige confirmed that the “big idea” for Spider-Man 4 had been found and that writers were “putting pen to paper”; of course, like every other project in Hollywood, development on that script came to a halt when the Writers Guild of America began their strike–the first of two major strikes in the industry–in late May. With the strikes settled and Hollywood finding its way back to some semblance of normalcy, the rumor mill has been kickstarted and some interesting rumors about what that fourth Spidey film might be have made the rounds.
Just last week, insider Daniel RPK indicated that–as has been expected for some time–Daredevil will team up with Spider-Man in Spidey 4. However, according to RPK, while The Man Without Fear seems set for a major role in the film, another Marvel hero might join him in a…smaller role…as Paul Rudd‘s Scott Lang has been mentioned as potentially having a role similar in size to that of Tony Stark in Spider-Man: Homecoming or Doctor Strange in Spider-Man: No Way Home. As has been rumored for quite some time, the film would see Spidey and his pals take on Wilson Fisk’s Kingpin, who is rumored to become the Mayor of New York in Daredevil: Born Again and set his sights on the city’s vigilantism.
While Born Again is undergoing significant restructuring under the watchful eyes of directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead and showrunner Dario Scardapane, both Holland and Kingpin actor Vincent D’Onofrio have expressed their desires to see the Fat Man take on the Web-Slinger in Spidey 4, making it likely that whatever ties existed between the two projects before will remain. Now, a new rumor from a very solid source seems to support that idea and adds a little more spice to the dish!
According to Cryptic HD Quality, Marvel and Sony are treating Spider-Man 4 as their “Street Level CIVIL WAR,” referencing Captain America: Civil War, the film in which Holland made his MCU debut as Spidey.
Putting together a street-level Civil War would mean that Spidey would need to bring in some more of his amazing friends, and according to the rumor mill, that’s exactly what he’ll be doing. Cryptic HD Quality went on to reveal that Peter Parker would be aided by a roster of heroes that includes–but is not limited to–Haille Steinfeld‘s Kate Bishop, Alaqua Cox‘s Maya Lopez/Echo and Jessica Jones. Jones has long been rumored to return in multiple projects such as Echo and Daredevil: Born Again and the studio has been eager to work with actress Krysten Ritter who has also expressed an interest in revisiting the character who she first played in 2015 in Netflix’s Jessica Jones.
I would absolutely just die to play Jessica again. I had the best time doing it and I just love her so much. I’m so proud of that character. Not only because it was like a great role and she’s such a bad-ass, but that character has really resonated with people in a way that I don’t know who else has. Really, really resonated with women and girls, trauma survivors. It’s just so, so big and such a thing I’m so grateful to have been a part of. So if there’s ever an opportunity for me to put on those boots, I will be there in a flash.
Krysten Ritter on returning to the role of Jessica Jones
While the insider didn’t include the character on his list of street-level allies that Spidey might recruit, The Punisher seems like a possibility to join the squad as well. Jon Bernthal is set to reprise the role in Daredevil: Born Again and D’Onofrio has indicated he’d love to see Fisk square off with Frank Castle in the MCU, specifically in Spider-Man 4. That cast of characters joining Holland’s Peter Parker would certainly make for the type of big event film that Sony and Disney would like to put together for the Wall-Crawler’s next outing. Now…just what villains would Kinpin assemble on his side of the equation to be worthy of such a roster of heroes…?
