Summary
- Destin Daniel Cretton is the top choice to direct Spider-Man 4, with production aiming for an early 2025 start.
- Cretton's success with Shang-Chi makes him a favorite at Marvel, with deals for Holland, Zendaya, and writers in progress.
- Cretton's experience in character-driven films and Marvel projects signals exciting potential for Spider-Man 4's direction.
Following the enormous success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, speculation ran rampant on who would take over directing duties for Spider-Man 4 and what the story would entail. With the sequel gearing up for production, rumors surrounding the next potential director can finally be put to rest, as one filmmaker is game to direct the next chapter of Tom Holland's Spider-Man franchise.
Holland's tenure as the web-slinger began with the character's inaugural and historic Marvel Cinematic Universe appearance in 2016's Captain America: Civil War before launching into his own standalone film the following year with Spider-Man: Homecoming. Sequels released in the form of 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home and 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home, with each film becoming a much larger success than the last and led the triumvirate of the Holland-led films to be recognized as the Home trilogy. Jon Watts, director of the trilogy, has stepped down from directing duties for the forthcoming sequel, leaving the role open to a filmmaker who is no stranger to the MCU.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton is Marvel and Sony's top choice to direct the currently untitled Spider-Man 4. While no negotiations have been made, Cretton is in early talks with the studios and is the leading candidate for the project. Deals are also currently underway for Holland and Zendaya, who have been negotiating with producers and executives during the development of the sequel. Writing duo Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers are returning from the Home trilogy for screenwriting duties while Marvel's Kevin Feige and Sony's Amy Pascal will produce the film. Production on the sequel has ramped up significantly and is eyeing an early 2025 start for shooting.
Cretton has become a favorite at Marvel following the success of Shang-Chi. The director was set to tackle the then-titled Avengers: Kang Dynasty before stepping down to focus on other Marvel projects, such as a sequel to Shang-Chi and the Wonder Man Disney+ series. Before stepping into the world of Marvel, Cretton premiered his two earliest films, Short Term 12 and I Am Not a Hipster, at Sundance in 2009 and 2012, respectively. Following the films' critical acclaim, Cretton directed Brie Larson and Woody Harrelson in 2017's The Glass Castle and found himself directing Larson again in 2019's Michael B. Jordan-led Just Mercy. Since Shang-Chi's 2019 debut, Cretton has produced Michael Mann's Tokyo Vice and Disney+ series American Born Chinese, also helming a couple of episodes for the latter.
With Spider-Man 4's production firing on all cylinders, speculation about the creative team can soon be put to rest now that deals are being finalized -- though rumors and theories on where the story could go following No Way Home's ending still serve as passionate topics among fans. Cretton is sure to be a fantastic choice for the sequel; having directed acclaimed character studies and one of the Multiverse Saga's stronger entries, Cretton's expertise in balancing character with spectacle can only mean amazing things for Spider-Man 4.
Spider-Man is one of the biggest names in entertainment today. The superhero first appeared in the Marvel comic Amazing Fantasy #15 before becoming a leading figure in the Marvel comic-book universe.
Spider-Man has also featured in numerous films and a plethora of video games, most notably Insomniac Games' Spider-Man (2018) and Spider-Man: Miles Morales.