The Dream of SPIDER-MAN 4 Fades as Sam Raimi Closes the Door on It
Sam Raimi helped shape what modern superhero movies look like. His Spider-Man trilogy didn’t just define an era, it set a bar that studios are still chasing. Because of that legacy, fans have spent years hoping he’d one day return to finish what he started with Spider-Man 4.
Raimi later stepped into the MCU with Doctor Strange, and we also saw Tobey Maguire swing back into action in Spider-Man: No Way Home and that got fans excited about the possibilities. It felt like the door was cracked open again.
Unfortunately, now that door sounds like it’s firmly shut.
While promoting his new movie Send Help, Sam Raimi spoke with ScreenRant and made it clear he’s at peace with leaving his version of Peter Parker in the past. Raimi explained that revisiting his old continuity doesn’t feel right anymore.
He feels like Spider-Man and Mary Jane "have gone elsewhere. It wouldn’t be right for me to go back and try and resurrect my version of this story.” He pointed out that the franchise is now "following a new artist," and said that audiences are "really into [Tom Holland's] story."
That doesn’t mean Raimi has any bitterness toward the franchise or the people he worked with. Quite the opposite. He still has affection for the character, the producers, and the experience, but he views his time with Spider-Man as a completed chapter. To him, it’s similar to how comic book creators eventually step away and let someone else carry the story forward.
“For a brief time I was handed the torch to carry on after 40 years of Spider-Man comics. And then after my three movies, I handed the torch off to someone else,” he continued. “And I think they’ve got to keep running with the storyline and the audience that is now following the torchbearer.”
For longtime fans, that might be tough pill to swallow. Raimi’s trilogy, starring Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker, still holds a special place in superhero movie history. I loved those movies and I’d love to see Raimi jump back into that world and tell another story.
The emotional weight, practical action, and slightly unhinged comic book energy made those films unforgettable. It’s no surprise fans spent years wondering what Spider-Man 4 could be.
Even so, hope is a stubborn thing in fandom. No Way Home showed audiences that Maguire’s Spider-Man found some peace and even hinted that things worked out with MJ. That was enough to get people wondering if Marvel might one day revisit that corner of the multiverse.
Just because Tom Holland is currently carrying the franchise forward doesn’t mean Marvel can’t play with other versions of Spider-Man.
For now though, Raimi sounds ready to move on, and he wants fans to do the same. He’s content letting it stand as is. As much as fans may want one last swing, Raimi and Maguire teaming up for Spider-Man 4 is looking less and less likely.