In recent months, the Spider-Man 4 rumours have gone from being fun and exciting to verging on exhausting. Villain after villain has been rumoured to appear in the movie and, as things stand, we're no closer to knowing who Peter Parker will battle.
What's become apparent is that there won't be room in this project for all of them. Spider-Man 4 is already in the somewhat awkward position of coming out between Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, as Tom Holland will star in all three movies (meaning his next solo outing will surely be affected by them).
In this feature, we recap each of the characters rumoured to be in the movie, and what their involvement could mean for each respective version of filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton's Spider-Man 4. We also attempt to figure out what's really going on.
You can check out this breakdown by clicking on the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
6. Daredevil, Ant-Man, And The Kingpin
It's widely believed that Marvel Studios' deal with Sony Pictures stipulates that an MCU character must appear in these Spider-Man movies. So, it was reported relatively early on that Paul Rudd's Ant-Man would be teaming up with Peter Parker.
While nowhere near the list of our dream teams, it's a fun idea. Even more exciting were reports that Spidey would be joined by Daredevil to battle The Kingpin.
Presumably, this trio would embark on a street-level adventure to take down Wilson Fisk once and for all. This is the movie most fans want but whether it can fit into the Multiverse Saga and not interfere with Daredevil: Born Again season 2 plans is another matter.
5. Venom And Knull
Right around the time Knull was featured in the final trailer for Venom: The Last Dance, we were told that Eddie Brock and Spider-Man would join forces to take down the King in Black on Earth-616.
Knull was described as a Multiversal baddie who, amid the Multiverse's collapse, planned to plunge what was left into darkness. It made sense and sounded like a fitting "side mission" of sorts for the wall-crawler where he'd finally team up with Tom Hardy's Symbiote.
Venom: The Last Dance did nothing to set the stage for this and it still feels like a bad idea for Marvel Studios to sully the Spider-Man franchise by linking it to Sony's spin-offs...unless Hardy is playing a Sacred Timeline Variant.
4. Ghost Rider And Mephisto
In the comics, Spider-Man and Mary Jane exchange their marriage in a deal with Mephisto to save Aunt May's life. It's a widely despised story, making this particular rumour all the more confusing.
Then again, why wouldn't Peter make a deal with the devil after the world has forgotten him? That would be one way to undo Doctor Strange's spell and Mephisto is expected to be a major player in the MCU moving forward.
As for Ghost Rider, having the Spirit of Vengeance team up with the web-slinger is a wild idea and one which could see Nic Cage reprise the role given the Multiverse of it all. Still, it feels a tad gimmicky.
3. The Punisher, Hulk, And Some Familiar Villains
We'll combine these rumours into one entry because very little has been revealed about either of them. The first is the more believable of the two as it claims an early draft of the script featured a Spider-Man: Homecoming rematch with the hero fighting Scorpion and Shocker.
That actually sounds amazing but perhaps not the show-stopping spectacle Sony wants after the record-breaking Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Perhaps that explains why there's supposedly been talk of throwing The Punisher into the mix for a team-up which will see him and Spidey fight The Hulk! Yeah, we're not buying it either. It sounds like a weird movie but, hey, it could work...
2. Spider-Man (x3)
Unsurprisingly, Sony is said to be keen on recapturing the magic of 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home - and that $1.9 billion box office haul - by reuniting Tom Holland with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.
It sounds like they could fit into any of the stories above, though we still think this team-up is being saved for Avengers: Secret Wars. Regardless, there's said to have been a clash between Marvel Studios and Sony when it comes to a street-level vs. Multiversal tale.
There's also been a fair bit of online chatter about Miles Morales making his MCU debut in this movie. That's presumably so he can become a supporting character in the next trilogy and, eventually, Earth-616's main Spider-Man.
1. So, What's The Deal With Spider-Man 4?
This is the million-dollar question, right? As these rumours continue to swirl, it's beginning to feel like we're being deliberately misled. We've heard of Marvel Studios leaking false information to throw fans off the scent in the past, and that's surely what is happening here.
It's impossible to take the information above and make a coherent movie out of it, meaning we're no closer to knowing what's really planned for Spider-Man 4.
Then, there's the inevitability of some social media scoopers taking advantage of the uncertainty surrounding this movie to come up with any claim they like! Could one of the claims above be true? Of course, but for now, your guess is as good as ours when it comes to which one...