Tom Holland has said he won't make another Marvel Cinematic Universe Spider-Man film just for the sake of it.
Speaking to Collider, Holland said he is having active conversations about a potential Spider-Man 4 but is so protective of the character he'd need a very good reason to make it.
"All I can say is that we have been actively engaging in conversations about what it could potentially look like for a fourth rendition of my character," Holland said. "Whether or not we can find a way to do justice to the character is another thing.
"I feel very protective over Spider-Man. I feel very, very lucky that we were able to work on a franchise that got better with each movie, that got more successful with each movie, which I think is really rare, and I want to protect his legacy. So, I won’t make another one for the sake of making another one. It will have to be worth the while of the character."
Holland has shared a similar sentiment in the past, of not wanting to tarnish the beloved trilogy of recent Spider-Man films. IGN said all three — Homecoming, Far From Home, and No Way Home — were great in our reviews, and Holland would seemingly only want to make another if it would match that quality. That being said, the actor did seem hopeful about finding a good idea earlier in 2023.
"I think we found the reason [we would do another film]," Holland said in June. "I’m really, really happy with where we’re at in terms of the creative. But I’m also a little apprehensive about it.
"There’s a bit of a stigma about the fourth one in all franchises. I feel like we hit a home run with our first franchise and there’s a part of me that wants to walk away with my head held high and pass the baton to the next lucky kid that gets to bring this character to life."
Discussions around a fourth film were put on hold in solidarity with the writers' strike that affected a ton of different TV shows and movies. Holland and the team appeared fairly happy with their idea, however, and Marvel boss Kevin Feige even said in February that his writers already have a story together.
It will likely be a while before we hear official confirmation of the fourth film, of course, since Marvel has another two phases of TV shows and movies to get through before unannounced films can come into the picture.
This wasn't helped by a complete reshuffle of Disney's schedule announced that saw the final Phase 6 film, Avengers: Secret Wars, pushed back an entire year to May 7, 2027, not to mention other doubts being cast as a result of allegations against Jonathan Majors and recent box office struggles.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
