Over the weekend, Marvel Studios announced an ambitious and shocking Phase 4 release plan, featuring ten titles ranging from a Black Widow solo film to an animated What If…? Disney Plus series. Yet, despite its jam-packed schedule, there were still quit a few highly anticipated titles left off the list. While president Kevin Feige confirmed Black Panther 2 and a Fantastic Four reboot are on the way, details on the future of a certain Web-Slinger are suspiciously quiet. If a new rumor is to be believed, though, Marvel may be making room for a Spider-Man 3 somewhere within Phase 4.
Far From Home has only been in theaters for less than a month, yet fans are already clamoring for a follow-up after that shocking mid-credits finale. Thanks to J.K. Simmons’ equally odd yet exciting cameo as J. Jonah Jameson, who reveals Peter Parker’s secret identity to the world, the Spider-Man franchise can go anywhere, and that’s exactly what Feige is promising.
In an after-panel interview with MTV, he let it slip that the studio has eleven projects in the works for the next two years, even though only ten were announced at Comic-Con. So, what’s this secret eleventh title? Well, considering FFH’s massive final twist and the fact that 23-year-old Tom Holland isn’t getting any younger, we’re willing to bet Marvel’s planing on a third standalone Spider-Man film sooner rather than later.
But why wasn’t it announced at Comic-Con? Well, for one, Marvel may not have all of the details ready. Norman Osborn is still expected to pop up sometime in Phase 4, and the next solo Spider-Man film would be the perfect place to do so. Yet, since FFH just came out a few weeks ago, it’s safe to say there isn’t even a title ready yet, let alone a script.
More importantly, there’s also a bit of legal concern regarding Marvel’s announcement of a Spider-Man 3. While the studio finally holds the sole rights to nearly every single one of its biggest characters, those under the Spider-Man umbrella still fall under Sony’s ownership. With the shared partnership between the two studios, the distribution and marketing of any Peter Parker standalone film still falls on Sony (which includes promotion at Comic-Con).
While this is all speculation that must be taken with a grain of salt, a Spider-Man 3 is certainly happening, so one hopes that Marvel will move on it before 2022. After all, by that point, Holland will be ten years older than the 16-year-old character he’s playing.