Tom Holland says one major concern is hindering Spider-Man 4’s progress

Tom Holland has revealed plans for Spider-Man 4 are already underway after speculation over his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

The 27-year-old actor has appeared as Peter Parker in several of the franchise’s films, including his own trilogy: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) and Spider-Man: No Way Home, which was released in 2021.

While the MCU’s fourth Spider-Man film has been confirmed, Holland has expressed concerns over the project’s plotline.

Speaking to Deadline at the Sands International Film Festival, where his new short film Blackbird was being screened, Holland said the team attached to Spider-Man 4 are desperate to avoid reusing old Spider-Man tropes.

According to Holland, “the best in the business” are already working on the plot for Spider-Man 4, but the project won’t progress until the team “make sure” they’re not “overdoing the same things” as previous franchise installments.

“Until we’ve cracked it, we have a legacy to protect,” he said. “The third movie was so special in so many ways that we need to make sure we do the right thing.”

“This is the first time in this process that I’ve been part of the creative [team] so early,” he added. “It’s just a process where I’m watching and learning. It’s just a really fun stage for me.”

Last June, negotiations for Spider-Man 4 were stalled when the Writers Guild of America (WGA) began industrial action over issues relating to pay.

But even with writers’ strikes resolved, complex ownership rights still pose a major problem to the project’s progress, according to Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman.

“When you can expect [another Spider-man movie]?” he said. “I don’t know. Serve no wine before it’s time.”

It comes after Kirsten Dunst revealed earlier this month she would have reprised her role as Mary-Jane Watson in Spider-Man: No Way Home had she been asked. “No, no. I would have,” she told British GQ when asked if anyone had contacted her about featuring in the 2021 film alongside Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.

She added her experience of making the Spider-Man trilogy felt different to current superhero films, saying: “It was more innocent, I think.”

“Sam Raimi was like a cult director, so it felt like we were making an indie disguised as a superhero film.”