Rumors suggesting that key Spider-Man characters could return in Spider-Man 4 causes a wave of criticism aimed at Sony from Marvel fans.

Recent Spider-Man 4 rumors suggest Sony might want to bring back Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield for another MCU multiverse movie and fans aren’t pleased. As of now, there is no official word on what the MCU’s Spider-Man 4 story could be, as the movie is still in development. However, after the heights of its predecessor and Spider-Man: No Way Home’s ending, there are plenty of directions in which the Marvel movie could go – but one such rumored direction is receiving criticism from social media.

Many have flocked to X (formerly Twitter) to express just how little they want Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield to return in Spider-Man 4. It isn’t that they have any grievances with Maguire or Garfield’s Spider-Man, or that they didn’t like Spider-Man: No Way Home, but the consensus seems to be that fans want a more down-to-Earth story for the next MCU Spider-Man movie. You can read some of the online discourse below:

@AshleyKSmalls reacted by pointing out Sony’s rumored attempt to bring back Maguire and Garfield would be more of a business decision than a story one and urged the studio not to follow through.

NO

No Way Home is a magic in a bottle kind of movie you just can’t recreate. Seeing Tobey and Andrew as Spider-Man again was as awesome as it was satisfying. Doing it again would lessen the impact tenfold. Especially since, I’m sure, many have accepted they’ll be in Secret Wars. https://t.co/6UX0XkBw7d pic.twitter.com/Gg6WtQ6g6w

— Quint Dunaway (@QuintDunaway) January 25, 2024

@QuintDunaway gave a defiant “NO” to the rumor and elaborated that, while bringing Maguire and Garfield back worked once, doing it again would be far less exciting.

“Spider-Man 4 needs to be HU-” https://t.co/O3x6ojJbUg pic.twitter.com/wo0MmyFGey

— mo (@mofromyt) January 25, 2024

@mofromyt effectively used a GIF of Soldier Boy from The Boys to shut down any talks of Spider-Man 4 being a spectacle film like No Way Home.

Replying to the rumor, user @driftyfilm hypothesized that Sony was simply looking to make the most money possible from the upcoming Spider-Man movie, implying they don’t care about the film’s quality.

Following @driftyfilm’s thought that such a move by Sony would be financially motivated, @Gam3rdudeJ suggested that perhaps Sony is nervous about the financial viability of their Spider-Man Universe. Though it’s hard to know how the future films will perform, Madame Web‘s box office projections aren’t promising.

@CS11__ also believed bringing back Maguire and Garfield would be more about money than the actual quality of the movie, going on to mention that No Way Home‘s set up for new adventures would feel wasted if Sony simply back-tracked and made a similar film to the third one.

@GunnerDobbins correctly pointed out that Tom Holland’s Spider-Man hasn’t had a classic low-stakes Spidey adventure devoid of other major MCU heroes. Peter’s identity being wiped from the MCU’s collective memory seems to be the perfect set up for him to be on his own.

@Clementenya also expressed a desire to see a more grounded Spider-Man 4, pointing out that recently the hero has become much more high-concept than his normal relatable self. Spider-Man hasn’t traditionally been a hero whose appeal is big multiverse-spanning adventures.

Spider-Man 4 Bringing Back Maguire & Garfield Would Be A Disservice To No Way Home

Perhaps the biggest problem with bringing back Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield would be the impact it would have on the legacy of Spider-Man: No Way Home. The novelty of seeing the three Spider-Men together was a big part of that film’s appeal, but if it becomes the new normal, it will feel much less exciting and unique. That’s not to mention the story issues that would crop up by essentially retreading the same ground as the previous film.

Thanks to Doctor Strange’s memory wipe, the other Peters wouldn’t remember Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. This would lead to repetitive scenes of them all having to meet each other again. Additionally, it would significantly downplay Peter’s sacrifice at the end of No Way Home if he went right back to having the other Peters knowing and supporting him. Hopefully, these rumors about Sony’s plans for Spider-Man 4 prove not to be true, or maybe they will reconsider given the vocal backlash to the idea online.

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