It sounds like theupcomingSpider-Mansequelis really shaping up to be something special. While plot details for the still-untitledSpider-Man 3have been firmly under wraps, as filming got underway word started to leak that the follow-up might be attempting something like a live-action version ofSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. We know for certain thatJamie Foxxis reprising hisAmazing Spider-Man 2role as Electro andAlfred Molinais reprising hisSpider-Man 2role as Doc Ock,bringing together the universesof both theTobey MaguireandAndrew GarfieldSpider-Man movies. Indeed, going further, it’s a very safe bet that you’re going to see Maguire, Garfield,Kirsten Dunst, andEmma Stoneappear in some way, shape or form alongside this current franchise’s starsTom HollandandZendaya.
Which is why it doesn’t seem like Holland is exaggerating when he calls the upcoming film “the most ambitious standalone superhero movie ever made.” Indeed, speaking withVariety, Holland understandably couldn’t reveal specifics, but he does seem to be indicating this is much more than just a simpleSpider-Mansequel:
“I can say that it’s the most ambitious standalone superhero movie ever made. You sit down, read the script, and see what they’re trying to do, and they’re succeeding. It’s really impressive. I’ve never seen a standalone superhero movie quite like it. And I’m just, you know, again, that lucky little shit who happens to be Spider-Man in it. We got a lot more shooting to do. We started before Christmas and shot for like seven weeks. We stopped for the Christmas break, and then we’re starting again. I’m just as excited as everyone else to see it, let alone be a part of it.”
Certainly one might read these comments and say, “He knows he was inAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgameright?” but I think what Holland is getting at is that those films were superhero team-ups, whereasSpider-Man 3is largely a standalone sequel – albeit one that crosses the streams of various universes.
You may recall thatSpider-Man 3almost didn’t happen. Or at least, not with Marvel Studios’ involvement. After the successful release ofSpider-Man: Far from Home, Disney and Sony Pictures entered into negotiations to extend their partnership on anotherSpider-Mansequel, one that would continue what worked on the first twoSpider-Manmovies in that Marvel Studios would take creative lead but Sony would pay for, distribute, and reap most of the box office. Those talksfell apart at one point, but thankfully they all eventuallycame to an agreementandSpider-Man 3is indeed being creatively spearheaded by Marvel Studios after all.
How willSpider-Man 3pave the way for future MCU movies, and future Sony Marvel movies for that matter? Production is about to get underway on the sequelDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so it appears the idea of the multiverse will be integral to the MCU going forward. It also provides a path for Sony to continue making its own Marvel movies without Marvel Studios – likeVenom 2andMorbius– while not having to worry about messing with any MCU continuity.
As Holland said filming onSpider-Man 3continues under the direction ofJon Watts, who helmed the first two MCUSpider-Manmovies, and the film is scheduled to open in theaters on August 16, 2025.
Check out a complete list ofupcoming Marvel moviesheading our way over the next few years.
