When Mattson Tomlin, the screenwriter behind The Batman and its sequel, quietly tweeted about Spider-Man 4 on October 25, 2025, fans didn’t just cheer—they held their breath. "Slow and steady wins the race," he wrote. "There won't be anything to say about that for a long time (if ever!) because it involves a lot of people and politics and things going right that have nothing to do with me, but I haven't gotten a 'no' yet!" That single line, casual yet loaded, is the closest thing to hope we’ve had for a Spider-Man 4 starring Tobey Maguire since the original trilogy fizzled out in 2010.
What’s the Vision? A Superhero Dad
Tomlin didn’t just whisper about a sequel—he painted a vivid picture. Back on July 30, 2025, he laid out his pitch: What if Tobey’s Peter Parker is a husband and a father? No capes on the laundry. No midnight web-slinging while changing diapers. Just a man trying to be present—for his kids, his wife, his neighborhood—while the world keeps needing Spider-Man. It’s a twist that’s never been explored in any of the eight theatrical Spider-Man films to date. In the comics? Sure. The Ultimate Spider-Man series from 2024 showed Peter and Mary Jane raising a daughter while battling new threats. But on screen? Nothing. Not even in Spider-Man: No Way Home, where Maguire returned, but only as a nostalgic cameo, not a character in evolution.Why This Matters—And Why It’s Been Dead for 14 Years
The original Spider-Man 4 was slated for May 2011. Sam Raimi was ready to direct. Maguire was in peak physical shape. The script? A mess of studio interference. Rumors swirled about a villain based on the Symbiote, but creative clashes killed it. Sony panicked. They rebooted. Andrew Garfield came in. Then Tom Holland. And for a decade, the idea of returning to Raimi’s world felt like a dream—until December 2021, when No Way Home shattered the multiverse wide open. That’s when things changed. In April 2022, Sam Raimi told Moviepilot: "I didn't think it was possible but after jumping back in with the multiverse I realized just like Doctor Strange does, anything is possible now. So I'm completely open to it." And Maguire? In the February 2023 book Spider-Man No Way Home: The Official Movie Special, he didn’t just say yes—he sounded like a kid who’d been handed his old bike again: "If these guys called me and said, 'Would you show up tonight to hang out and goof around?'... it would be a 'yes!' Because why wouldn't I want to do that?"The Obstacles: Marvel’s New Rules and Sony’s Silence
Here’s the twist: the dream might be dying not from lack of passion, but from corporate strategy. Insider Alex Perez reported in late October 2025 that both Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s arcs as Spider-Man will conclude with Avengers: Secret Wars—set for release in May 2026. That doesn’t mean they won’t appear. It means their stories won’t continue beyond it. And then there’s Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, who’s been clear: after the Multiverse Saga ends, the MCU will settle into a "singular timeline." Variants? They’re being retired. No more alternate-universe spin-offs. That’s a death knell for a standalone Spider-Man 4 under the MCU banner. Maguire’s Peter Parker is a variant. So is Garfield’s. And Feige’s vision? No more variants. Not after Secret Wars. Meanwhile, Sony Pictures hasn’t issued a single public statement about Tomlin’s efforts—not since October 25. Not on Twitter. Not in press releases. Not even a polite "thanks for the pitch." That silence speaks volumes. Sony owns the rights to Spider-Man films, but Marvel controls the MCU. Any new project needs both to agree. And right now? They’re focused on Holland’s Spider-Man and the post-multiverse reset.
Could It Still Happen? The Glitch in the System
Here’s the thing: Tomlin hasn’t been told no. Not once. That’s not nothing. In Hollywood, "no" is loud. Silence? Silence means someone’s still thinking. What if Sony and Marvel strike a backroom deal? What if Secret Wars ends with Maguire’s Peter Parker choosing to stay in the MCU—not as a hero, but as a mentor? What if the next Spider-Man movie isn’t called Spider-Man 4, but Spider-Man: Legacy? A one-off, standalone film, produced by Sony, with Marvel’s blessing, that gives Maguire’s arc the emotional closure fans have waited 15 years for? It’s not impossible. It’s just complicated. And in Hollywood, complicated doesn’t mean dead—it just means slow.Why Fans Should Care
This isn’t just nostalgia. It’s about representation. We’ve seen Spider-Man as a teen. As a young adult. As a reluctant hero. But we’ve never seen him as a dad. A tired dad. A dad who misses school plays because a bank robbery’s happening downtown. A dad who whispers "I love you" to his kids before swinging off into the rain. That’s the story Tomlin wants to tell. And honestly? It’s the one we’ve been waiting for.Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tobey Maguire really returning for Spider-Man 4?
Maguire hasn’t signed on to anything yet, but he’s publicly said he’d say yes to any Spider-Man project—no questions asked. His enthusiasm is real, but without official studio greenlighting, it’s still a "maybe." The key hurdle isn’t his willingness—it’s whether Sony and Marvel can align on the multiverse’s future.
Why hasn’t Sony Pictures commented on Spider-Man 4?
Sony typically stays quiet until a project is far enough along to be announced. Given the complex rights-sharing agreement with Marvel Studios, any Spider-Man film involving Tobey Maguire requires approval from both companies. Silence doesn’t mean rejection—it means negotiations are still happening behind closed doors.
Could Spider-Man 4 be part of the MCU?
It’s unlikely. Kevin Feige has confirmed the MCU will move to a singular timeline after the Multiverse Saga. Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker is an alternate-universe variant, and Marvel has signaled it won’t be producing more variant-led solo films. Any new project would likely be a Sony-produced standalone, separate from the MCU’s core continuity.
What’s the biggest obstacle to making Spider-Man 4?
The biggest obstacle isn’t money or talent—it’s narrative ownership. Sony owns the film rights, but Marvel controls the MCU’s direction. For Spider-Man 4 to happen, both studios must agree on whether Maguire’s version can exist outside the MCU’s new rules. That’s a legal and creative minefield.
Is Mattson Tomlin the only writer pushing for this?
Tomlin is the most vocal, but he’s not alone. Multiple insiders confirm that fan demand and the success of No Way Home have sparked internal discussions at Sony. However, Tomlin is the only one publicly pitching a specific, emotionally grounded vision—fatherhood—which makes his pitch stand out in a sea of generic sequel ideas.
When could Spider-Man 4 potentially be released?
Even if everything aligned tomorrow, production wouldn’t start before late 2026. With filming, VFX, and post-production, a release date wouldn’t land before 2028. And that’s assuming the project gets the green light. For now, 2028 is a hopeful guess—not a promise.
