Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed that a fifth SPIDER-MAN movie remains on the table, though star Tom Holland has earned himself a break first.
“There are always plans,” Feige told Variety on Aug. 4. “But right now, he’s going to rest after that global tour.”
SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY hit theaters July 31 and immediately started rewriting the record books. The movie opened domestically to $360 million, beating out AVENGERS: ENDGAME’s previous record of $357.1 million, and pulled in $932 million worldwide over its debut weekend, according to Rotten Tomatoes. Its opening day, including Thursday previews, hit $168 million, edging out ENDGAME’s previous mark of $157.4 million, per ABC News.
Feige credited both the cast and the finished product itself for the reception.
“I can only speak to BRAND NEW DAY, and audiences responded to a movie that’s well-crafted and well-made,” he told Variety.
“There’s nothing like a shared experience,” he added. “There’s nothing like a moment for the whole globe to come together.”
BRAND NEW DAY picks up directly after SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME, following an adult Peter Parker as he rebuilds a life alone after erasing himself from the memories of everyone who loved him.
Related: SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY Is Already Making History
“BRAND NEW DAY is very directly a part four,” Feige said. “It picks up right after the events of SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME, and yet it tells a story that resonates.”
He described the story’s emotional core in plainer terms, too, one that will sound familiar to any parent watching a teenager stare at a screen instead of stepping outside.
“It’s ultimately about loneliness and the dangers of staying in our apartments by ourselves, looking at our phones,” Feige said.
Feige also teased where Spider-Man swings next, hinting the ending points toward “another very well-known Marvel franchise created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby,” without spoiling which one.
As for Holland himself, the actor sounds game to keep suiting up whenever Marvel calls. “It’s on the cards,” he said, per Screen Rant, about a SPIDER-MAN 5. “It’s a little unclear right now, but I’m sure that whatever happens with Spider-Man, it’ll be very bright.”
For now, though, Feige says Holland and co-star Zendaya have earned some downtime.
“He and Zendaya are going to take a good and restful victory lap, which they very much deserve,” Feige said.
Movieguide® gave BRAND NEW DAY a strong 4 out of 4 quality rating in its own review, praising Peter Parker’s arc as a genuine act of sacrificial love, a Christ figure who lays down his life for others and calls even his enemies toward redemption. That praise came with a steep caution, however. Movieguide®’s critics counted nearly 40 instances of foul language across the runtime, undercutting an otherwise redemptive story, a reminder that families should weigh both halves of the verdict before buying tickets.
Movieguide® also tracked the movie’s trailer breaking its own record weeks before release, drawing 718.6 million views in 24 hours, nearly double the mark set by DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE. The hype, it turns out, wasn’t hollow.
Whether Holland dons the suit a fifth time is still an open question. But between the box office numbers and Feige’s careful hints, nobody at Marvel Studios sounds ready to say goodbye to this Spider-Man.
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