The Fate of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man 4 Could be Deeply Intertwined with an Upcoming Will Smith Movie – Here’s why
As the Marvel Cinematic Universe keeps growing, fans look forward to the further adventures of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. The much-awaited sequel to Spider-Man: No Way Home is set to go into production later this year for the fourth installment of the franchise. However, both Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios still lack a director for the film.
Amidst this uncertainty, a new contender for the directorial role has emerged. Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are the directing duo in the upcoming action thriller Bad Boys: Ride or Die. The action-packed sequel to the Bad Boys franchise has them in line for the chance to direct Spider-Man 4.
Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah Speak on Directing Spider-Man 4
As for El Arbi and Fallah, the duo are no strangers to directing superhero movies, as seen by their involvement with the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel as well as leading the recent failed attempt at Batgirl.
As speculations about their connection to the production of Spider-Man 4 started circulating online, El Arbi and Fallah responded to the rumors with hope. During an interview with ComicBook, they revealed the rumors, but they were reluctant to share more details, which may suggest that they might not have been officially contacted for the movie. When asked about it, they said,
Adil El Arbi: [The reports] came out of nowhere, because we’ve got the Sony bosses here, and they didn’t tell us anything!
Bilall Fallah: I’m a superfan of Spider-Man, so you can imagine, when I was reading that, I was like, ‘Whoa — that would be cool,’
Bad Boys: Ride or Die is coming to theaters on June 7, 2024. The Will Smith, Martin Lawrence starrer movie will show the cop duo fighting to restore the honor of their late captain, who has been falsely flagged for working for a drug cartel. El Arbi and Fallah’s possible directorial role in Spider-Man 4 may depend on the results of the Bad Boys project.
Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah Would Like to Bring Michael Keaton in Spider-Man 4
Amidst the uncertainty surrounding the directorial choice, one thing that El Arbi and Fallah know is how to pay homage to the past and spark nostalgia in audiences. During the Bad Boys: Ride or Die premiere, the two said that they wanted to see the return of Michael Keaton as Adrian Toomes, aka The Vulture, from Spider-Man: Homecoming.
In the conversation with ComicBook, when the idea of bringing back Michael Keaton was discussed, El Arbi replied,
We’re going to bring Michael Keaton in everything now.
Keaton’s possible comeback as The Vulture in Spider-Man 4 will not only serve continuity to the series but will also fulfill the fans’ wish to see the characters come back on the big screen. The director duo has worked with Keaton in the scrapped project of Batgirl.
The Vulture was last seen in Morbius where he gets transported to another universe’s captivity. Later, he is seen wearing his suit and interacting with Morbius to build a team against Spider-Man.
As the fate of Spider-Man 4 is still unclear, one thing that adds to the speculation is that the success or failure of Bad Boys: Ride or Die might define the future of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man.
