Summary
Tom Holland will return and reprise his role as the web-slinging superhero inSpider-Man 4. According to reports, he will find an unlikely partner in the fourth film.
Holland will have the most standaloneSpider-Manmovies because he only initially signed up for a trilogy, but due to the success ofSpider-Man: No Way Homein 2021, Marvel Studios had him return for another solo film.Spider-Man 4will continue his journey as Peter Parker following the events inNo Way Home. However, the upcoming movie will reportedly introduce a new character with a long history withSpider-Manin Marvel Comics, and they will work together to beat one of the strongestAvengers.
In one episode of The Hot Mic, host John Rocha said he heard from a “very strong source in the business” that there were plans for a Spider-Man and The Punisher tandem to bring down the Hulk inSpider-Man 4.“He told me that the plan forSpider-Man, the newSpider-Manmovie, was Spider-Man fighting the Hulk with the Punisher, so it was going to be ground-based.” He added that Marvel Studios “wants to move away from the intelligent Hulk” that fans saw from the previousAvengersmovies and will feature a “violent” version of the Hulk. However, Rocha added that he wasn’t sure if the same plot was what Holland read in the screenplay, especially afterKevin Feige disapproved of the script. Recent reports claimed that theSpider-Man 4script is being rewritten.
His co-host Jeff Sneider, a known movie insider, doubled down on the rumor by commenting that the Hulk’s involvement in the upcoming movie passed his “smell test.” The movie scooper, however, added that he wasn’t sure about The Punisher’s part in the film. He admitted that he also heard about it from some sources, but they weren’t sure about it. “I can see a Spider-Man versus Hulk fight. I can see, that’s happened in the comics,” Sneider added. “I did hear Punisher from one of the sources when I did thatSpider-Manreport earlier, but then another source had said, ‘Oh, I don’t know.’ You know like, I’d heard [Jon] Bernthal, but then I heard he was out. So, he could be in it, or you’re right, it could be like an old plan. The Hulk part of it, it passed my smell test.”
While it’s hard to say whetherThe Punisherwill appear inSpider-Man 4, his inclusion will not be surprising. Spider-Man and The Punisher have a complex relationship in Marvel Comics. Although they share the same goal of fighting for justice, they have different approaches, which put them at odds against each other. Spider-Man believes in the legal system and avoids killing criminals. On the other hand, The Punisher is inclined to use lethal force to eliminate the criminals for good. His brutal approach is rooted in his traumatic past and personal vendetta against crime after he witnessed how his family was brutally murdered.
As forSpider-Man 4featuring a violent and raging Hulk, the rumor is likely true. Rocha claimed that Marvel wanted to move away from the intelligent Bruce Banner and bring back the Green Monster with anger issues. Rocha’s statement aligns with the rumors that Marvel is developingWorld War Hulk. The anticipated movie is an adaptation from the comics of the same title featuring The Hulk being exiled by the Illuminati to Sakaar planet. A lot of tragic things happened to him and he lost the love of his life, which led Hulk to return to Earth and fight against the Earth’s heroes, includingAvengers,Fantastic FourandX-Men. So, featuring a brutal Hulk inSpider-Man 4is a good introduction toWorld War Hulk.
