The 2026 release date for the upcoming Spider-Man 4 movie has been scrapped at Marvel Studios.Credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel StudiosAt the end of last year, and after much speculation, Tom Holland–star of Marvel and Sony’s Spider-Man franchise–confirmed that a fourth Spider-Man movie was in development. Projected to hit movie theaters in July 2026 following the Russo Brothers’ crossover event, Avengers: Doomsday (formerly Avengers: The Kang Dynasty), this would be the follow-up to 2021’s almost two-billion-dollar smash hit, Spider-Man: No Way Home.Jon Watts is not returning for this fourth installment, with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) helmer, Destin Daniel Cretton stepping in to direct the highly-anticipated movie. As for the rest of the cast, no other actor is confirmed aside from Tom Holland, and earlier reports suggested that Holland’s on (and off) screen girlfriend Zendaya (MJ) will have a reduced role in the film.Credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel StudiosAs Jon Watts previously explained, the MCU Spider-Man trilogy is essentially a long origin story for the famous New York wallcrawler. The movies–Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), and Spider-Man: No Way Home–defied expectations by bringing an inner circle who knew his superhero identity immediately around Peter Parker.No Way Home reset this by making Peter sacrifice everything to save the world. Due to his friends forgetting who he is, the fourth Spider-Man movie has the opportunity to tell a new story, with different characters. If the reported working title of the movie–Blue Oasis–is anything to go by, audiences could be getting the MCU debut of Gwen Stacy, a possible new love interest for Holland’s Peter Parker.Credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel StudiosAs Holland confirmed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last year, Spider-Man 4 will enter production this year, and was originally lined up to take the July 24, 2026 slot in the release calendar. However, that date has now been scrapped.Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures, the collaborators on the Spider-Man movies, have delayed the release of the film by a week, meaning it will open on July 31, 2026, instead. This move places it two weeks after Christopher Nolan’s upcoming fantasy epic, The Odyssey (2026), which is likely the main reason for the switch-up.First of all, Nolan, who helmed hits like Interstellar (2014) and 2023’s Oppenheimer, will attract large audiences, with the movie also claiming many of the IMAX screens during its early run–something Marvel and Sony will want for Spider-Man. Not only that, but Tom Holland–and Zendaya–are also starring in The Odyssey.Credit: Sony PicturesAdditionally, July 31 places the film right in the last weekend of July, echoing Deadpool & Wolverine‘s release date last year. “What’s so special about July 31 over July 24?” Deadline wrote. “It’s the last Friday in July, which essentially where Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine played to an opening of $211.4M domestic, $444.7M worldwide.”Based on the Homer poem, Nolan’s new feature film sees Matt Damon play Odysseus in a stacked cast of currently undisclosed roles. Damon, Holland, and Zendaya will be joined by Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Samantha Morton, Charlize Theron, and Jon Bernthal, among many others.With Spider-Man 4‘s later release date, it will now go up against Paramount’s Paw Patrol 3.Credit: Marvel StudiosBefore Marvel fans even get around to reuniting with the iconic web-slinger, Phase Five has to end and Phase Six has to begin. With Captain America: Brave New World (2025) becoming the 35th MCU movie and penultimate of Phase Five, the franchise will soon turn a corner with Thunderbolts* wrapping up the current Phase and Matt Shakman’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps commencing Phase Six.Starring Pedro Pascal (Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby (Sue Storm/Invisible Woman), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Ben Grimm/Thing), and Joseph Quinn (Johnny Storm/Human Torch), The Fantastic Four: First Steps will introduce this classic team into the MCU for the first time before they go on to star alongside Robert Downey Jr. (Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom) in Avengers: Doomsday (2026).Credit: Marvel StudiosWith Spider-Man 4 coming so soon after Avengers: Doomsday, it can be expected that Holland’s fan-favorite character will appear in the next Avengers installment, but in what kind of capacity remains to be seen. After Spider-Man 4, the Multiverse Saga will begin its descent to the end, with 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars–also from the Russos–wrapping up this chapter of the MCU.How do you feel about Spider-Man 4 going later? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!The post Marvel and Sony Scrap ‘Spider-Man 4’ Release Date appeared first on Inside the Magic.