Marvel Studios & Sony Pictures made headlines back in December when they broke the mold by officially announcing a release date for a Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel, seven months ahead of the first film's release date. At the time, many were worried this was a sign that the Marvel/Sony deal wasn't built to last, but after hearing a lot more from both Feige and Pascal on the currently ongoing press tour, it appears as though the early sequel announcement was always part of the plan and it's now being touted as the first installment in Phase 4, expected to set off a new direction in the MCU.
Speaking of the sequel, Marvel has shown quite an affinity for bringing back their directors for second and third sequels and we're now at the point where many are asking whether Homecoming director Jon Watts will return to helm the 2019 sequel. In an extensive interview with Collider, during the Homecoming press junket, Feige and Pascal, when asked explicitly about whether they had plans in place to bring back Watts, both producers expressed their confidence in the up-and-coming director while also more or less confirming he'd be back for the follow-up.
KEVIN FEIGE: Certainly that’s the intention for sure.
AMY PASCAL: He knocked it out of the park. We would be crazy [not to]. He did a wonderful job and the whole atmosphere of the movie, all the things that people like about it are the things he brought to it. He’s really special.
Meanwhile, Watts was a little more coy with his answer but did ultimately reveal that he initially signed a two-picture contract with Marvel & Sony. “I don’t like talking about anything until the movie comes out… [But] yeah I think I’m signed for two movies.”
As for where he'd like to take Peter Parker in the sequel, in a separate interview with ScreenRant, he suggested team-ups with one of two other Avenger teammates: Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow and Chris Evans' Captain America. "I like to think of what he could learn from Black Widow, but then I think he would be too nervous to even get a single word out. If he was around her, that would be really funny. Yeah, seeing Spider-Man and Captain America together, not fighting each other, I think would be fascinating. There are great moments between the two of them in the comics and to see what that would be like in this world would be pretty cool."
There are no confirmed production start dates, but Feige & Pascal revealed to Collider that prep work will begin this August and that they were "thinking about starting [filming] in April or May this time.” They also confirmed that, as expected, Spider-Man: Homecoming 2 won't be the film's official title and that they are still workshopping different subtitles internally.
The sequel is slated to hit theaters July 5, 2019.
Looking ahead at Holland's schedule, he's likely already wrapped Avengers: Infinity War and is expected to begin Doug Liman's Chaos Walking in August. After completing that shoot, he's expected to head back to Atlanta for Avengers 4 in the fall/winter and will then get a short break before starting Spider-Man 2 in the spring. A busy couple of months for the rising star.
So, what do you guys think? Sound off with your thoughts below!
A young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who made his sensational debut in Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging super hero in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine – distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man – but when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened.
Spider-Man: Homecoming features:
Director: Jon Watts
Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Marisa Tomei as May Parker
Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man
Michael Keaton as Adrian Toomes/Vulture
Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan
Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts
Donald Glover as Aaron Davis
Logan Marshall-Green as Jackson Brice/Shocker #1
Bokeem Woodbine as Herman Schultz/Shocker #2
Zendaya Coleman as Michelle
Laura Harrier as Liz Allan
Tony Revolori as Flash Thompson
Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds
Michael Barbieri as Jason Macendale
Kenneth Choi as Principal Morita
Martin Starr as Mr. Harrington
Hannibal Buress as Coach Wilson
Isabella Amara as Sally
Jorge Lendeborg Jr. as Jorge
J.J. Totah as Seymour
Selenis Leyva as Ms. Warren
Abraham Attah as Abraham
Michael Mando as Mac Gargan
Garcelle Beauvais as Doris Toomes
Tyne Daly as Anne Marie Hoag
Tiffany Espensen as Cindy
Angourie Rice as Betty Brant
Michael Chernus as Phineas Mason/Tinkerer
Christopher Berry as Randy
Tunde Adebimpe as Mr. Cobbwell
Ethan Dizon as Tiny
Spider-Man: Homecoming swings into theaters July 7