Spider-Man 4should continue the franchise’sMarvel Cinematic Universecrossover character trend, and there are now two main candidates for that role after the film’s biggest update in years.Tom Holland’sSpider-Man 4is finally moving forward at Marvel Studios and Sony. The project was a given due to the actor’s popularity andSpider-Man: No Way Homehaving nearly crossed the $2 billion mark worldwide. However, due to the 2023 Hollywood strikes and a director change, the MCU’sSpider-Man 4saw development stall for many months. Now, Marvel and Sony are gearing up for a filming start.
After directing theMCU’s Spider-Man trilogy, Jon Watts is out. The director chose to drop out of Marvel’s upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, being replaced byWandaVision’s Matt Shakman, and will not be back forSpider-Man 4. However, an MCU veteran will be taking over Peter Parker’s next adventure.Destin Daniel Cretton is in talks to helmSpider-Man 4.The director was behindShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, with sequel plans for that film continuing despite his Spider-Man movie. With Cretton at the helm,Spider-Man 4’s MCU crossover character is more likely to be one of two stars.
Shang-Chi Is Spider-Man 4’s Most Likely MCU Crossover Hero
The Character Is Closely Tied To The Movie’s Director
Every MCU Spider-Man movie has to feature an MCU crossover character. That was the deal Marvel and Sony struck in order for Holland’s Peter Parker to be shared between the two studios and appear in the MCU.Spider-Man: Homecomingused Iron Man, whileSpider-Man: Far From Homefeatured Nick Fury and Maria Hill, though both were later revealed to have been Skrulls in disguise. Finally,Spider-Man: No Way Homeincluded a Matt Murdock cameo and Doctor Strange in a major role. ForSpider-Man 4, Shang-Chi instantly becomes the most likely candidate.
Shang-Chi and Spider-Man have interacted before in the comics, with the Master of Kung Fu teaching the wall-crawler martial arts.
With Cretton at the helm ofSpider-Man 4and the director being the one responsible for Shang-Chi’s MCU debut, the character has a great chance of appearing in the anticipated movie. Shang-Chi and Spider-Man have interacted before in the comics, with the Master of Kung Fu teaching the wall-crawler martial arts. The MCU could feature a similarfriendship between the heroes inSpider-Man 4. Since he has only appeared in his solo movie so far in the MCU,Spider-Man 4becomes the perfect project to start seeing Shang-Chi interact outside of his bubble.
Daredevil Would Also Make A Lot Of Sense For Spider-Man 4
Matt Murdock Is The Fan-Favorite To Appear In The MCU Film
While Shang-Chi has risen to the top of the list of candidates forSpider-Man 4’s MCU crossover character, Charlie Cox’s Daredevil follows him closely.The character already appeared in Holland’s third MCU solo film, and after a tease of Matt Murdock and Peter Parker’s relationship,Spider-Man 4would be the perfect project to have a full-on team-up between Spider-Man and Daredevil. Cretton being chosen to direct the next Spider-Man movie is also good news for those who want to see Daredevil pop up in the project.
Daredevil was rumored to be part of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty back when Cretton was set to direct the MCU movie.
Cretton has shown both inShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsand his non-MCU projects, like Disney+‘sAmerican Born Chinese, that he possesses the talents to make Daredevil shine on the big screen.Multiple movies and shows by Cretton feature excellent hand-to-hand fight scenes, which is a must for Cox’s Daredevil, keeping in line with his Netflix series and MCU appearances.Spider-Man: No Way Home’s endingalso teased that a more personal street-level story could come next, which would be the ideal fit to bring in the also New York-based Daredevil.
Could Tom Holland’s Spider-Man 4 Feature Other MCU Characters?
Shang-Chi And Daredevil Are Not The Only Ones Who Could Appear
While Shang-Chi and Daredevil have the biggest chances of appearing in Holland’sSpider-Man 4with Cretton at the helm, other MCU characters would also make sense for the movie if a street-level story is in play. The MCU has done a fine job of populating its version of New York with many heroes over the years. After March 2025’sDaredevil: Born Againreleases, Jon Bernthal’s Punisher could be someone who crosses paths with Holland’s Peter Parker inSpider-Man 4, especially ifrumors that Kingpin will be the film’s villainturn out to be accurate.
10 Street-Level MCU Heroes We Want To See Team Up In Tom Holland’s Spider-Man 4
Tom Holland’s Spider-Man 4 has the perfect setup to be a street-level event, and there are some heroes who would be perfect to help Peter Parker.
A street-level duo could also show up to help Spider-Man in the movie, with the two versions of Hawkeye in the MCU, Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton and Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop, having had issues with Kingpin in the past. Even if Wilson Fisk has nothing to do with the film, a more grounded story set in NYC could feature characters like Netflix’s Defenders, Ms. Marvel, perhaps Doctor Strange again, and more. Since Cretton is the creator of the upcomingWonder Manseries, the hero could also beSpider-Man 4’s MCU crossover character.
Spider-Man 4
Cast
Spider-Man 4 is the first sequel to the MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy starring Tom Holland as the titular wall-crawler. After wiping his identity for the public’s memory in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker continues his crime-fighting adventures without the aid of Iron Man technology or the support of his former allies.
