Is Sam Raimi Working On 'Spider-Man 4'?

By Andrew Sanford | Film | April 2, 2024 |

By Andrew Sanford | Film | April 2, 2024 |

Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films helped change the course of comic book movies. The first two hold up as some of the best in their genre, and the third made its own kind of mark. Still, their legacy is undeniable. Tobey McGuire’s take on Peter Parker returned in the newest MCU Spidey flick, No Way Home. The “Spidey Dance” from Spider-Man 3 has been memed to death. All three movies will return to theaters this summer (much to the delight of Martin Scorcese). They are a cultural touchstone, and there was almost another one.

Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics and fans, Spider-Man 3 made over $800 million at the box office. So, naturally, Sony greenlit a fourth film that went into pre-production the same year the third film was released. The movie would have involved John Malkovich as the Vulture and Anne Hathaway as the Black Cat. After disagreements between Raimi and the studio, the film was canceled, and the series was rebooted by 500 Days Of Summer director Marc Webb. However, Anne Hathaway would still play a different cat-oriented character, and Raimi would return to the world of Marvel.

After director Scott Derickson left the sequel to the 2016 film Doctor Strange due to creative differences, Raimi was brought in to replace him. The excitement around Raimi’s return to superheroes was palpable, especially given his horror roots. The movie brought Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier into the MCU, albeit on an alternate Earth. This was months after Tobey McGuire’s Spider-Man had been reintroduced in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The success of both films left fans clamoring for Raimi to finally make his fourth Spider-Man film.

Demand for Raimi’s return has gotten so strong that the director recently addressed rumors that his return was almost certain. His response is certain to disappoint some fans. “Well, I haven’t heard about that yet,” Raimi said while speaking to CBR. “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!’”

The director’s reasoning makes sense. People are still waiting for news on Tom Holland’s fourth outing as the character, which is all but assured. The Spiderverse films are immensely popular. Sony doesn’t need to make another Sam Raimi Spider-Man film. Does that mean they won’t make one? No. We’re talking about Sony, the same company that released Morbius in theaters twice. If they see an opportunity to make money, they will pounce. If the rerelease of Raimi’s original trilogy goes well, they may pounce sooner than later.