Summary
There’s a growing list of superhero movies that will likely never happen. Up there with the long-gestatedGambitmovie, a sequel to Ang Lee’sHulk, andAvengers: The Kang Dynastybeing swapped out forAvengers: Doomsday, few sting quite likeThe Amazing Spider-Man 3. Although the recast of Andrew Garfield’s version of Peter Parker allowed Tom Holland to debut as the character inCaptain America: Civil War, many feelThe Amazing Spider-Man 3was pruned like a TVA variant ahead of its time.
Following the success of the Sam RaimiSpider-Manmovies, and thedisappointment of 2007’sSpider-Man 3, Sony decided to reboot the series. Tobey Maguire was out, and although Garfield was supposed to lead a franchise of at least four movies (with multiple spin-offs planned), things came tumbling down following the commercial and critical disappointment of 2014’sThe Amazing Spider-Man 2. Still, this was only the start of the story.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Writer Talks The Amazing Spider-Man 2
The world ofThe Amazing Spider-Mancame crashing down in 2015 when Sony brokered a deal with Marvel Studios to bring the character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Garfield has spoken candidly about finding out he was being let go as Spider-Man, tellingVarietyin 2016:
I found that really, really tricky. I signed up to serve the story, and to serve this incredible character that I’ve been dressing as since I was three, and then it gets compromised and it breaks your heart.
Even thoughThe Amazing Spider-Man 3never happened, Garfield at least got to reprise his role as that universe’s Peter Parker inSpider-Man: No Way Home. Both Garfield and Maguire got to suit up again, and ever since, there’s been chatter about whether they’ll be back forSpider-Man 4or even projects of their own. As recently as January 2025,Garfield expressed a desire to play Spider-Man again.
AsThe Amazing Spider-Man 3never got past the planning stages, fans might be questioning what there is to rescue. Still,The Amazing Spider-Man 2writer Alex Kurtzman has spoken toScreen Rantabout the possibility of revisiting the idea and how far things had progressed:
You know, we never wrote it. We never wrote it. I did 2 and that was it for me.
It’s far from him saying he’d be willing to return, but at least it’s not a definite no.The Amazing Spider-Man 3aimed for a June 2016 release, with Kurtzman also scheduled to pen a fourth mainline movie for May 2018. Various tidbits confirmed Chris Cooper would reprise his role as Norman Osborn (albeit as a head in a box). The crux of the story would have revolved around Peter recovering from the death of Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). After being cut fromThe Amazing Spider-Man 2,Shailene Woodley’s Mary Jane Watsonwas expected to have a major role.
A much bigger Spider-Man universe was in the works. Alongside the frequently discussedSinister Sixmovie from Drew Goddard, leaked messages from the 2014 Sony hack revealed that Stone was supposed to return inThe Amazing Spider-Man 4— resurrected as Carnage. This was far from the wildest idea, with Sony also eying Raimi to direct another trilogy that would eventually lead to aSpider-Man vs. The Amazing Spider-Manmovie. Multiple spin-offs were in the works. Alongside the two-partSinister Sixouting, there was some form of Venom x Carnage crossover, as well as a solo movie for Felicia Hardy/Black Cat (played by Felicity Jones inThe Amazing Spider-Man 2).
Jump forward to 2025, and it seems that Sony hasn’t learned from the mistakes of its past. Despite not being officially canceled, the sprawling Sony’s Spider-Man Universe has come to anunderwhelming end withKraven the Hunter. This leaves the future slate of Spider-Man outings looking a little sparse.Beyond the Spider-Versefaces troubles of its own. Aside fromSpider-Man 4slotting in betweenAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Wars, it looks like all other projects includingNightwatch,Jackpot, the untitled Hypno-Hustler movie, and a TV series based on Cindy Moon/Silk have fallen into the abyss.
The Amazing Spider-Man 3 Needs to Happen
There could soon be a Spider-shaped void in the MCU. WithTom Holland talking about retiringfrom acting as soon as he becomes a father, his time as the wall-crawling hero looks like it’s running out. While that seems like the perfect chance to finally introduce Miles Morales into live-action, there’s the small problem that the character doesn’t exist yet. Donald Glover played Miles’ uncle, Aaron Davis/Prowler, inSpider-Man: Homecoming, but until Miles is established,The Amazing Spider-Man 3could fill the inevitable gap inSpider-Manmovies.
Critics have already said that Destin Daniel Cretton’sSpider-Man 4needs a bigger twistthan just bringing back Garfield and Maguire again, although it looks increasingly likely that they’ll be back in action. There are continued rumors that Maguire in particular is being set up for a substantial role inSecret Wars.But in terms of the previous Spider-Man appearing in anything other than cameo form for future Marvel projects, things remain unclear. Even the underperforming mainlineSpider-Manmovies have always scored big at the box office, and when it comes to Garfield’s tenure, his story feels unfinished.
One ofThe Amazing Spider-Man 2’s big critiques is that it felt like just a springboard to future adventures. This isn’t hard to see, considering there were cameos from the likes of Felicia Hardy and Alistair Smythe (B. J. Novak), the massiveSinister Six post-credit scene, and Paul Giamatti’s maligned performance as Aleksei Sytsevich/Rhino. The fact that details aboutThe Amazing Spider-Man 3are thin on the ground could actually work in its favor. Kurtzman could be able to rework whatever plans he presumably had into something that can learn from the mistakes of the SSU and other comic book movies.
It wouldn’t be surprising if the fan reaction alone to having Garfield back inNo Way Homehad at least mended some old bridges between the star and Sony. Even if not forThe Amazing Spider-Man 3, Garfield has gushed aboutDrew Goddard’s plans for the Sinister Six, expressing hope that the idea could be revisited one day. There was plenty of speculation that Garfield was the Spider-Man of the SSU. There were also high hopes it was going to lead to its own Sinister Six crossover with the likes of Jared Leto’s Morbius and Michael Keaton’s Vulture.
It seems unlikely that Sony will take a gamble on another SSU movie. However, a full-blownThe Amazing Spider-Man 3resurrection could restore hopes that the studio knows what it’s doing with its bible of Spider-Man characters and maybe even restart the idea of a connected expanded universe. For the time being, Garfield’s Spidey suit remains hung up in a wardrobe, waiting for his seemingly inevitable cameo in the MCU’sSpider-Man 4.
