The MCU‘s forthcoming Tom Holland-led Spider-Man 4 has gotten a big Zendaya update with a Fast and Furious twist.
Jeff Sneider of The InSneider is reporting that Spider-Man 4 is aiming to begin filming in the fall. Perhaps this played into Euphoria Season 3‘s production pause, as Zendaya stars in the HBO series.
Speaking of the actress, Zendaya is coming back for the new MCU film. This is huge news, as the ending of No Way Home left it up in the air (but more on that later).
Additionally, experienced Fast and Furious director Justin Lin is reportedly in the mix to helm the film. He began his tenure in the franchise with the third film and directed The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. However, he sat out the seventh and eighth films before returning for F9 in 2021.
In 2023, Justin Lin was set to return and direct Fast X. However, in the production process, he was replaced by Louis Leterrier (Transporter). He did get credit for co-writing the script and as a producer, however.
What this means for Spider-Man 4
Should Lin join the MCU, that'd be big for Spider-Man 4. However, if the film was hoping to get back to street-level adventures, Lin may not be the man for the job.
After all, Lin's Fast and Furious films laid the groundwork for the bonkers heights the series has reached. It was Lin's Fast Five that absolutely set the stage for what was coming next. The franchise now features high-octane chases with magnetic trucks and sports cars using a grappling hook to swing across islands.
How would he do bringing the MCU's Spider-Man back to Queens? Lin is a talented tentpole film director — he directed Tokyo Drift, the most stylistic film in the series, and Star Trek Beyond — but it remains to be seen if he can do street-level adventures.
What Zendaya's return means
Zendaya returning to the MCU's Spider-Man series was a no-brainer. It was as inevitable as Thanos himself. However, it is a bit disappointing to see her return this soon.
At the end of No Way Home, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) asks Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to wipe the world's memory of him and Spider-Man alike. This gave Peter a clean slate as he now has to rebuild his life without any of his friends, including MJ (Zendaya).
But at the end of the film, Peter visits the cafe that MJ works at. He sees her with his best friend, Ned (Jacob Batalon), as they share excitement to go to MIT.
Peter went there to attempt to get MJ to remember him. During their final goodbye, before Doctor Strange executes the spell, MJ asks Peter to find her. However, seeing her happy, and more importantly, safe, Peter makes the mature decision and leaves her be.
As he leaves, MJ does seem to sense something. She is also still wearing the necklace that Peter gave her in Far From Home.
Again, Zendaya was always going to return to the Spider-Man series. Personally, I would have liked to have seen at least one film go by without her playing a major role. Ideally, Peter and MJ wouldn't reconnect until the end of this next MCU Spider-Man trilogy.
The MCU's Spider-Man series
In Captain America: Civil War, Holland's Peter Parker/Spider-Man was introduced. Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) recruited the high schooler to join his team. This launched a new era in the hero's lore.
A year later, Holland led his first solo Spider-Man adventure, Homecoming. He would lead two more films, Far From Home and No Way Home. They were all box office hits — Homecoming made $880 million; Far From Home made $1.1 billion; and No Way Home made $1.9 billion.
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