4 big Spider-Man 4 details emerge and one star’s role has been “reduced”

Tom Holland is set to make history with Spider-Man 4, but four new rumored details about the Marvel movie suggest there’s trouble afoot, as a major star’s role has reportedly been cut back. 

Long before the Webslinger set foot in the MCU, Tobey Maguire took on the mantle in the Sam Raimi films, followed by Andrew Garfield’s turn as Peter Parker in Marc Webb’s superhero movies. But both of these never made it past the trilogy mark. 

However, given the success of the 2021 Spider-Man: No Way Home, which is currently the seventh highest-grossing movie of all time, it’s no surprise a fourth film got the greenlight. 

Details for now are far and few between, although a new report from industry insider Jeff Sneider features rumors of four major details – three are great, but one has fans concerned about the upcoming Marvel movie.

Spider-Man 4 rumors point to Venom, Daredevil, Mephisto, and less Zendaya

Marvel Studios

According to Sneider, symbiotes are set to make an appearance in Spider-Man 4, as is Charlie Cox as Daredevil and Sacha Baron Cohen’s Mephisto – but Zendaya’s role as MJ has reportedly been “severely reduced.”

The idea of a potential Venom crossover shouldn’t be all that surprising, given Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock left a piece of the symbiote behind in the post-credits scene of No Way Home. 

Sneider doesn’t specify whether this storyline will tie to the now-ended SSU version of the character or not, but it would certainly add an interesting element to the MCU movie. 

Similarly, Cox’s Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, made a cameo in No Way Home. Although he’s reprising his role for the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again series, fans have been eager to see him teaming up with the webslinger.

Sneider suggested that his potential return in Spider-Man 4 demonstrates the MCU’s pledge to further connect its movie and TV worlds.

Marvel Studios

Adding to the long-rumored MCU debut of Sacha Baron Cohen as demonic villain Mephisto, the scooper suggested that he may be the big bad of Spider-Man 4. 

As for Zendaya’s reduced role, this also shouldn’t come as a surprise. Euphoria Season 3, Dune 3, and Christopher Nolan’s next movie are just a few of the projects she’s got in the pipeline. But that doesn’t make the news any easier for the fans.

There were already concerns of delays surrounding Spidey 4 after the news that Holland had been booked for the Nolan project too. 

It’s worth noting that all of this is speculation for the time being, with the Disney-owned studio yet to confirm any of these details, so take them with a pinch of salt.

Spider-Man 4 speculation met with mixed reactions

Taking to ScreenTime’s X/Twitter post about Zendaya’s potential “reduced” role, one commenter wrote, “I hate when this happens because it affects the story being told and affects the characters we love, just because of busy schedules.”

“That’s nonsense man, changing the script for her schedule is absurd,” said another, while a third added, “Zendaya’s schedule so packed, even Spider-Man gotta wait for his MJ moments.”

Others aren’t as concerned, however, especially as MJ’s memory was wiped in No Way Home. “Well right now in the MCU, she doesn’t even remember Peter/Spidey anyways. So that’s just fine,” said one. 

Another commented, “Tbf, they did erase Peter’s identity in the last movie. She could have a smaller role in this movie without it really affecting the story. They can always bring her back in the next movie.”

Alongside the Zendaya news, there’s been plenty of chat about the Venom, Daredevil, and Mephisto rumors. 

“Honestly, Peter is alone, broken, putting everything into his vigilante persona as his personal life no longer exists: it’s the best possible time to tap into that anger and give him the symbiote suit,” wrote one Redditor. 

Another said, “Street-level heroes, courtroom drama, and web-slinging action? Spider-Man 4 with Daredevil is about to be EPIC!” And a third added, “That would be insane! Can’t wait to see how they bring these characters into the mix!”

A fourth chimed in, “Daredevil, Symbiotes and Mephisto in Spider-Man 4. What kind of story are they cooking up haha.”

This is one of many reasons a lot of Marvel fans are taking the report with a pinch of salt, including this person who pointed out, “Worth noting that the Spider-Man 4 script is currently being rewritten, so anything you hear right now doesn’t really matter.”

For more from the world of Marvel, here’s everything we know about Avengers: Doomsday, Secret Wars, and Daredevil: Born Again.