With Spider-Man 4 currently on the way, fans are having fun posting theories and wishlists about what they hope to see in the upcoming Tom Holland movie. And since the last film ended with Peter Parker being erased from the memories of everyone who knows him, that creates a blank canvas for what’s in store for the webslinger and his alter ego, including a new love interest. So could we be about to see a male love interest in Spider-Man 4?
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Recently, a Spidey fan tweet demanding Marvel “give him a boyfriend” went viral on X, with over 200,000 likes and a very robust discussion about Peter exploring his sexuality in his new, baggage-free existence. Some commenters started floating some ideas, including a gender-swapped version of his comic book love interest, Gwen Stacy (“Glen Stacy”) or the introduction of Web-Weaver, a gay Spider-Man variant from the comics. Clearly, there is a lot of interest in the superhero’s romantic life, and if rumors are to be believed, there is indeed a new love on the horizon for Peter.
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Back in March, Sadie Sink was cast in Spider-Man 4 in an unspecified role. Naturally, given her age, build, and features, some of the speculations point to the Stranger Things star playing one of Peter’s comic book love interests like Gwen Stacy or, who knows, the famously redheaded Mary Jane Watson. Of course, Zendaya has been playing MJ a.k.a. Michelle Jones in three previous installments, but given the franchise’s multiversal nature and penchant for messing with canon, it’s not too far-fetched to have the original MJ appear in this universe.
But of course, this whole speculation could be so far from the actual storylines, so let’s move on to what we know so far about this highly anticipated sequel!
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What we know so far
After months of speculation, Sony and Marvel announced that the fourth film would be called Spider-Man: Brand New Day, ditching the “Home” themes from the previous three films. The title without a doubt signals a new beginning for Peter and Spidey, who were literally wiped out of existence while trying to save the world at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home. A new start is also happening behind the scenes, with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Dustin Daniel Cretton taking over directorial duty from trilogy stalwart Jon Watts.
Male Love Interest Spider-Man 4
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Who will be in it
Holland is reprising his role as Peter Parker. For a while, there was uncertainty if the English actor would come back to the role. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in 2023 he stated:
“I feel very protective over Spider-Man,” he said in 2023. “I feel very, very lucky that we were able to work on a franchise that got better with each movie, that got more successful with each movie, which I think is really rare, and I want to protect his legacy. So, I won’t make another one for the sake of making another one. It will have to be worth the while of the character.”
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However, the star put the rumor to rest when he revealed in October last year that he’d “sat down and read (the script) together” with co-star/fiancee Zendaya, which got them “bouncing around the living room”. “We have a creative and we have a pitch and a draft, which is excellent,” Holland said at the time. “It needs work, but the writers are doing a great job.”
Speaking of Zendaya, her MJ is most definitely set to play a big part. Although their characters’ memories of Peter got completely wiped out, it’s hard to believe that she and Peter’s best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) will be sidelined given how pivotal they were to the franchise.
Male Love Interest Spider-Man 4
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A more unfamiliar face set to arrive in Spidey’s orbit, however, is The Punisher. It was confirmed that Joe Bernthal will reprise his role as The Punisher in the forthcoming film, making it the character’s big screen debut.
Bernthal previously played Frank Castle, The Punisher’s alter ego, on Netflix's critically acclaimed Daredevil TV series. The popularity of the character led to The Punisher getting its own series on the streamer, in which the vigilante goes on a crusade against New York's criminal underworld. The series, along with all other Netflix-Marvel series, eventually got cancelled when the deal ended, leaving some things unresolved. Last year, the character crossed over to MCU when he was brought back in Disney+'s Daredevil: Born Again series. Bernthal is also set to co-write a standalone Punisher movie for Disney+, due sometimes in 2026, in addition to returning for Born Again Season 2.
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With The Punisher appearing in Spider-Man, there is a huge possibility that Daredevil, a.k.a. Matt Murdock, could also return to the Spidey-verse after his brief cameo in the last movie. The Charlie Cox character appeared in the 2021 movie as Peter’s defendant after Mysterio set him up as a murderer. One can hope!
Of course, earlier we mentioned Sink joining the cast. Liza Colon-Zayas from The Bear has also been selected for another role that has not been specified.
Shooting and release date
Male Love Interest Spider-Man 4
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Meanwhile, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is slated to begin shooting in August, with pre-production currently underway at UK’s Pinewood Studios. Reportedly, the production will have a location shoot in Glasgow. This marks the second Spider-Man installment to shoot across the pond after Far From Home (2019). No Way Home (2021) and Homecoming (2017) both shot in Atlanta, Georgia. Sony and Marvel have dated the film for a July 31, 2026, release date, pushing it back a week from its original July 24 launch.
