It’s official: “Spider-Man 4” hits theaters in Summer 2026, making it a crucial season for the MCU and arguably the most important in Marvel Studios‘s existence. Variety reports that Destin Daniel Cretton‘s blockbuster starring Tom Holland will hit theaters on July 24, 2026. That’s two months after “Avengers: Doomsday,” setting up a one-two tandem that Kevin Feige hopes will launch a new wave of Marvel success after a period of tepid critical reaction and lower box-office numbers.
The July 2026 release date shouldn’t surprise Marvel fans following Holland’s comings and goings this week. The actor confirmed on “The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon” on Tuesday that “Spider-Man 4” would begin production in mid-2025. “Next summer, we start shooting. Everything’s good to go — we’re nearly there,” Holland confirmed. “Super exciting. I can’t wait!” But that news also makes Holland very busy very soon. He’s also set to star in Christopher Nolan‘s next film opposite Matt Damon, with that film bowing via Universal on July 17, 2026. That’s two Tom Holland vehicles in two straight weeks: surely either Marvel or Universal blinks and moves their movie to another weekend before then.
But back to Marvel’s big summer in 2026. One could look at “Spider-Man 4” dropping two months after “Avengers: Doomsday” as Feige putting all of his chips on the table. For one, “Doomsday” sees the Russo Brothers and Robert Downey Jr. return to the MCU, and that means Marvel Studios expect huge box office numbers for the film. “Avengers: Endgame” and “Avengers: Infinity War” remain the studios’ biggest all-time hits, with $2.799 billion and $2.048 billion at the global box office. And “Spider-Man: No Way Home” comes in at #3 on that list, too, with a global take of $1.926 billion. The 2021 film is also Marvel’s last uber-hit, so Feige expects that “Spider-Man 4” will make similar numbers. If both films do meet those lofty expectations, then maybe the recent superhero fatigue was all a lie, and a new wave of Marvel popularity surges through pop culture.
Or maybe Marvel fans don’t show up in droves for next year’s “Thunderbolts*” and “Captain America: New World Order” and the Summer 2026 release schedule comes too late for Marvel to right the ship completely. It’ll be curious to see how things shake out, in any case. But it’s too early to speculate about this yet. Right now, it’s wisest for Spider-Man fans to simply be excited that Holland’s Peter Parker is officially back. The actor also sounds excited about the upcoming film’s story, praising its script (still being written) as “a real movie worthy of the fans’ respect” and a story that “really lit a fire in me.” Vague comments, but compelling nonetheless. And no, let’s not discuss right now if Andrew Garfield or Tobey Maguire will be back this time (it’s much more likely Zendaya will be, though).
So mark your calendars, Marvel fans: Summer 2026 is as high stakes as it gets for the MCU. Stay tuned for more news on “Spider-Man 4” soon.
