Destin Daniel Cretton is ready to take on the challenge, just like a spider would.
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| Destin Daniel Cretton Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images |
The director behind Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is in negotiations to helm Spider-Man 4. This move puts an end to the speculation surrounding who would handle one of Hollywood's most massive franchises.
Cretton will bring new energy to this latest version of Spider-Man, which stars Tom Holland. The project is a joint effort between two studios: Sony and Disney-owned Marvel Studios. This makes him the fourth director to take the reins of a solo Spidey film.
Jon Watts directed the previous three Holland-led movies, while Marc Webb directed the two Amazing Spider-Man films starring Andrew Garfield. Sam Raimi was behind the trilogy featuring Tobey Maguire.
Sony and Marvel declined to comment.
The Holland-led Spider-Man films have grown into a $1 billion franchise, with Spider-Man: No Way Home drawing pandemic-weary audiences back to theaters and earning nearly $2 billion after its release in December 2021. The film also featured Maguire and Garfield.
Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers are returning as scriptwriters, while Marvel boss Kevin Feige and former Sony chief Amy Pascal are producing.
According to sources, Spider-Man 4 is moving forward quickly and is set to start filming early next year.
The plot remains under wraps, as No Way Home concluded with the world forgetting that Peter Parker was the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. This memory wipe extended to those closest to him, including MJ (Zendaya), who no longer recognizes Peter.
In June 2023, Holland told Reporter that he and the producers had recently held several meetings about a possible fourth installment. "The initial discussions revolved around, 'Why should we do this again?' And I think we've found the reason," Holland said.
Cretton is highly regarded within the Marvel universe. His Shang-Chi is seen as a standout in the post-Avengers: Endgame era, and he was initially set to direct the high-budget Avengers: The Kang Dynasty but stepped down last November due to shifts in the production schedule and changes brought on by Jonathan Majors' assault trial. Marvel has long wanted to find another film for him to direct.
Landing the Spider-Man project is also seen as a show of confidence in his work on Wonder Man, Marvel Television's Disney+ series starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, which is currently in postproduction.
The director is still attached to helm a live-action adaptation of Naruto and a sequel to Shang-Chi, though it remains unclear how Spider-Man will impact those projects.