Image credit: Sony Pictures Releasing
A new report suggests that Sony and Marvel clashed over the potential director for the upcoming Spider-Man 4.
What did Sony and Marvel clash over Spider-Man 4 about?
According to a new report from noted insider My Time to Shine on social media, issues arose over the director pick for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The report notes that head of Sony Tom Rothman “really wanted” Jon Watts — who directed the first three Marvel Studios Spider-Man films — to return to the Spider-Man franchise for the next movie. However, when it became clear Watts wasn’t returning, Rothman had another idea.
The report mentions that Rothman looked to Venom’s Ruben Fleischer, and brought him up as a potential director. My Time to Shine notes that Marvel Studio head Kevin Feige “rejected” the thought, though, and instead brought in Destin Daniel Cretton, who is directing the project now.
Tom Rothman, head of Sony, really wanted Jon Watts back for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. When it became clear that it wasn’t going to happen there was a short period when he wanted Venom’s Ruben Fleischer to direct. Kevin Feige rejected the idea and instead courted Destin Daniel… pic.twitter.com/2eapvTrgor— MyTimeToShineHello (@MyTimeToShineH) November 26, 2025
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is being directed by Cretton from a screenplay written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. The movie will once again be led by Tom Holland as he reprises his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Emmy winner Zendaya and Jacob Batalo are also expected to return for the sequel.
They will be joined by cast members Sadie Sink (Stranger Things), Liza Colón-Zayas (The Bear), Jon Bernthal, and Tillman, among others. The movie is produced by Kevin Feige, Amy Pascal, Rachel O’Connor, and Avi Arad.
Spider-Man 4 will be released in United States theaters on July 31, 2026, ahead of Avengers: Doomsday (December 18, 2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (December 17, 2027).
