The Real Reason Sam Raimi Won't Direct Tom Holland's Spider-Man 4

Long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe conquered the world, Sam Raimi ushered in the golden age of superhero movies courtesy of his "Spider-Man" trilogy. Thanks to Raimi's blockbusters about Peter Parker and his alter ego, Marvel adaptations stopped being a laughing stock following years of ill-fated movies like "Howard the Duck." The director — along with star Tobey Maguire — helped turn Spidey into a bonafide live-action star. It's been smooth sailing for superheroes at the movies ever since.

Naturally, fans of spandex crusaders were excited when Raimi agreed to helm "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," which was released earlier this year. Furthermore, Marvel aficionados were beyond pleased with the finished product, as evidenced by the film's 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, now that Raimi has finally joined the MCU, many people would love to see him return to the "Spider-Man" saga and oversee the friendly neighborhood arachnid's next MCU outing. Unfortunately, Raimi doesn't envision himself cheating on his own "Spider-Man" franchise with the current iteration.

While "Spider-Man 3" didn't exactly blow people's minds, many fans would love to see Raimi have another crack at a Spidey flick in the near future (especially after learning that he had plans for another sequel back in the day). However, the director wouldn't direct the next Tom Holland-led flick if he was offered the chance, as he doesn't want to upset his favorite Spidey actor.

In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, Raimi praised "Spider-Man: No Way Home" for opening up the multiverse and bringing some of his old friends into the fold. He also had kind words to say about the direction in which the MCU has taken Spidey with Holland in the starring role — even if his personal loyalties lie elsewhere. "I love Spider-Man," Raimi said. "And I love Tom Holland in the role. [But] if I made a Spider-Man movie, it would probably have to be with Tobey or he'd break my neck."

Of course, Raimi might consider returning to the "Spider-Man" franchise if Marvel agreed to let him make a new movie with Maguire. "I don't know if Marvel would be interested in that right now. I don't know what their thoughts are about that. I haven't really pursued that. But it sounds beautiful," he previously told Fandango. "Even if it wasn't a Spider-Man movie, I'd love to work with Tobey again, in a different role."

Sam Raimi had plans for a fourth "Spider-Man" movie back in the 2000s, but that was a long time ago. The Hollywood machine has continued to churn out hit movies since then, and Raimi has moved on with his life. These days, he doesn't even think about "Spider-Man 4" very often.

During a recent conversation with ScreenRant, Raimi revealed that "Spider-Man 4" isn't at the top of his project wish list at the moment. On top of that, he's doesn't even know if Marvel's head honchos are interested in resurrecting his iteration of the franchise. "I currently don't have any plans to make Spider-Man 4," Rami said. "And they're so successful with the new Spider-Man series that I don't know if that's gonna happen or not. I haven't pursued that."

Still, stranger things have happened in Hollywood. Prior to "Spider-Man: No Way Home," no one expected Maguire, Holland, and Andrew Garfield to play their respective Spider-Men in the same movie. Theoretically, Raimi could make "Spider-Man 4" and it would make sense within the context of the MCU, so never say never. And if you need more reassurances, you'll be pleased to know that a notable Marvel employee wants to see this dream become a reality.

Grant Curtis — the Marvel producer whose credits include "Moon Knight," as well as Sam Raimi's original trilogy of "Spider-Man" films (per IMDb) — believes that Raimi's franchise still has life left in it. During an interview with Gizmodo from earlier this year, the producer revealed that Raimi and co. came up with plenty of material for more movies years ago, so they aren't short of ideas should "Spider-Man 4" ever materialize. "The Spider-Man movies we made were an incredible opportunity career-wise," Curtis recalled. "As a fan, I love the narratives that were generated from those three movies. There were other stories within those movies that did not get told. I hope someday, as any Spider-Man fan would tell you, that all of those stories come out, and that narrative continues."

Curtis' might only have been sharing his personal opinion, but it's good to know that some influential people have "Spider-Man 4" in their thoughts. It remains to be seen if Raimi gets to finish telling the stories that he envisioned all those years ago. However, he does want make a "Batman" (per Empire), and that's arguably even more exciting than "Spider-Man 4."