Sam Raimi isn’t completely (web-)shooting down a return to Spider-Man.
The original “Spider-Man” director told Comic Book Resources at WonderCon that while he’s not “heard about” a “Spider-Man 4,” he’s certainly open to it — especially if OG Spidey Tobey Maguire is in. Raimi, who helmed the franchise trilogy from 2002-2007, says he’s read the same online rumors you have.
“Well, I haven’t heard about that yet,” Raimi said of rumors about a fourth film with Maguire in the lead. “I did read that, but I’m not actually working on it yet. I mean, Marvel and Columbia are so successful with current ‘Spider-Man’ [movies], and the track there, and I don’t know that they’re going to go back to me, and say, ‘Well, folks, we can also tell that story!’”
Maguire reprised the role for 2021’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” alongside the newer web-slingers, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland.
Raimi continued, “I love all the new Spider-Man movies. I loved ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home.’ It was really, super powerful seeing Tobey [Maguire] again in it. I haven’t talked to Tobey about [a fourth movie], but maybe Marvel has or Columbia Pictures. I just worked with Marvel on a movie called ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.’ So, I’m on great terms with them. I’m sure I would hear about it if it was in the works.”
Holland is the current Spider-Man at Sony and Marvel. A fourth film for his Spider-Man is underway, which makes all of this even more confusing.
While Raimi would certainly revisit Maguire-as-Spidey again, he’d be happy to work with him again in a different role.
“I love Tobey. I love Kirsten Dunst. I think all things are possible,” Raimi said. “I don’t really have a story or a plan. I don’t know if Marvel would be interested in that right now. I don’t know what their thoughts are about that. I haven’t really pursued that. But it sounds beautiful. Even if it wasn’t a ‘Spider-Man’ movie, I’d love to work with Tobey again, in a different role.”
Raimi’s “Spider-Man 4” was slated at Sony following the release of “Spider-Man 3,” which was the worst-reviewed installment but the highest grossing. Raimi’s “Spider-Man 4” was scrapped by the studio, which opted to reboot the franchise with Garfield in the lead.
It’s too bad because there was a whole plan in place. Bruce Campbell was set to star as Mysterio (a role later played by Jake Gyllenhaal in Holland’s “Spider-Man” films) and Raimi was planning on including Kraven the Hunter in his original fourth installment. A standalone “Kraven the Hunter” feature is soon to be released with Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the lead.
Raimi told Rolling Stone in 2022 that his “love for the characters hasn’t diminished one iota” since directing the first trilogy.
“It would be the same things that would stop me now that stopped me then: ‘Does Tobey want to do it? Is there an emotional arc for him? Is there a great conflict for this character? And is there a worthy villain that fits into the theme of the piece?’” Raimi said. “There’s a lot of questions that would have to be answered. If those could be answered, then I’d love to.”
