Will Spider-Man 4 With Tobey Maguire Actually Happen?

With Spider-Man: No Way Home reviving interest in Spider-Man 4, could the long-lost sequel finally happen?

There has been a lot of anticipation for Tobey Maguire and Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 4 since Spider-Man: No Way Home, but the chances of the sequel happening are less certain. The MCU’s Spider-Man: No Way Home marks Tobey Maguire’s return to Spidey’s suit after a substantial 14-year absence. Maguire reprised Peter Parker’s role from Raimi’s Spider-Man universe for a Spider-Man team-up with Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland’s Spideys in the MCU as they battled the villains from his first two movies.

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With Sam Raimi’s trilogy still held in high regard among subsequent incarnations of Peter Parker, Maguire’s return as Spider-Man was a long-awaited achievement for devotees of the superhero’s first major film appearance. His last appearance in the Spidey suit was in 2007’s Spider-Man 3, now considered the weakest of the trilogy. While critics and audiences deemed Spider-Man 3 a narrative disappointment after the widespread acclaim of its predecessors, Sony still made millions from the movie, with $894.9 million in box office earnings worldwide making it the highest-grossing installment in the trilogy.

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Sam Raimi’s trilogy proved itself worthy of a future despite mixed reviews of Spider-Man 3, with the demand for Spider-Man 4 even higher since it amends the story of Maguire’s hero. Raimi and Maguire were set to return for Spider-Man 4, as well as the fifth installment as a follow-up. The cancellation of Spider-Man 4 by Sony in 2010 hasn’t deterred audience demand for a return by Maguire and Raimi. When the franchise rebooted with Andrew Garfield in 2012, the idea of Maguire and Raimi returning seemed moot. Maguire’s appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home, however, led to an online campaign for Raimi’s Spider-Man 4, leading to greater prospects for the sequel.

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Why Did Spider-Man 4 Never Happen

A new script by Zodiac’s James Vanderbilt, rewrites, concept art, and the casting of new characters was all part of Spider-Man 4’s development after Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire were set to return. According to reports, the development of Spider-Man 4 was hampered by creative disagreements between Sony and Raimi, with the director unhappy with Spider-Man 3 and eager to make Spider-Man 4 the best installment yet. Sony was worried about having to push Spider-Man 4’s release date back even further by 2010, according to Raimi’s interview with Vulture.

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Raimi withdrew from the project before shooting began, telling Sony to cancel Spider-Man 4 in favor of the reboot they’d planned – which would soon become Garfield’s The Amazing Spider-Man films. Raimi explained that although Spider-Man 4 was canceled after at least three years in development, he and Sony still ended on good terms, with then studio head Amy Pascal thanking him for not wasting the studio’s money.

What’s Been Said So Far About Spider-Man 4

Over a decade has passed since Sony scrapped Spider-Man 4, but Spider-Man: No Way Home has finally spurred the studio, director, and actors to seriously consider returning to Tobey Maguire and Sam Raimi’s universe. Raimi’s remarks on a Spider-Man 4 return give hope to the cause, though Sony has yet to hint at a sequel. Sam Raimi recently revealed that he has been considering continuing his Spider-Man series after joining the MCU as director of Doctor Stranger in the Multiverse of Madness. Previously, he didn’t believe returning to Spider-Man would be possible, but now he believes “anything is possible” and he’s “completely open” to making it.

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Although it seemed unlikely before Spider-Man: No Way Home, the MCU movie finally fulfilled the fans’ wishes for Maguire to reprise his Peter Parker role, even if it doesn’t imply a Spider-Man 4 sequel is imminent. As of yet, Maguire hasn’t indicated whether he’d be interested in returning for Spider-Man 4, though he felt No Way Home was a proper way to end his character’s saga. In contrast, Kirsten Dunst, who played Spider-Man love interest Mary Jane Watson in Raimi’s trilogy, seems excited about returning. Dunst has previously expressed an openness to reprising her role as MJ along with her desire to join the multiverse of the MCU.

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How would Spider-Man 4’s story unfold?

Asked whether he would return for Spider-Man 4, Sam Raimi said he is open to the possibility but hasn’t outlined a storyline yet. Since Spider-Man 3 has been 15 years old, and No Way Home has introduced new developments for Maguire’s Peter Parker, a new Spider-Man 4 is unlikely to follow its original narrative template. In 2007, Spider-Man 4’s original script called for Dr. Curt Connors to become the villainous Lizard. However, the character was carried over to Andrew Garfield’s The Amazing Spider-Man. Spider-Man 4 was also set to co-star Anne Hathaway as Felicia Hardy/Black Cat, John Malkovich as Adrian Toomes/The Vulture, as well as the villain Mysterio.

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It’s unlikely Raimi’s Spider-Man 4 story would still focus on the same characters as The Amazing Spider-Man films or the MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy. Although the multiverse allows the Peter Parkers to fight the same – but different – villains, Sony is unlikely to repeat major battles with these characters so close together. In Raimi’s Spider-Man 4 story, Maguire’s Peter Parker would likely have to face a new villain, perhaps one that relates better to his struggles as a 40-year-old rather than the young hero grieving Harry’s death.

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What are the chances of Spider-Man 4 happening? Is it realistic?

Although Spider-Man: No Way Home has launched the best campaign for Spider-Man 4 since Sam Raimi’s trilogy ended, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen. Unlike the 40-year-old Spider-Man who assisted Holland’s conflicted MCU hero, if Tobey Maguire were to return as Peter Parker in a full movie, it wouldn’t probably happen for several more years. There haven’t been too many comments from Maguire about returning, so Sony needs to work with Raimi on a Spider-Man 4 that makes sense for the actor to reprise his role. It’s unlikely Spider-Man 4 will come to fruition until Maguire is engaged. Raimi and Dunst seem on board to restart the film’s development.

As important as it is to ensure the cast and director are willing to return, Spider-Man 4 is also hindered by Sony’s and Marvel’s separate plans. Although it’s unclear which Peter Parker will star in these films, the odds point to Tom Holland reprising his role as the web-slinger in another Spider-Man trilogy. With Holland taking the lead as the MCU’s Spidey, Raimi’s movie is also less realistic considering that the demand for The Amazing Spider-Man 3 increased after No Way Home. Garfield’s Peter Parker in No Way Home stole the show if any of the Spideys deserved another full-length movie. It is unlikely that Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man will return in full capacity since fan campaigns have urged the studio to consider Andrew Garfield for Peter Parker in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe franchise, perhaps as Eddie Brock’s opponent in Venom 3.

Hopefully, Sony will find an alternative spot for Spider-Man 4 outside Holland and Garfield’s anticipated venture when the second movie releases, then many fans may be satisfied with the sequel. As Maguire has not necessarily expressed interest in returning to the franchise, seeing him again in one of the Spider-Man universes is much more likely to be in a minor or cameo role, similar to his role in No Way Home. Despite this, audiences shouldn’t count Spider-Man 4 out of the realm of possibility, but it’s not highly likely for it to happen a very long time from now.

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