It's easy to see why everyone involved might be keen for Cretton to return, as Brand New Day nears $2.5 million in ticket sales and becomes the third highest-grossing film of all time. It's also the best box office for a Spider-Man movie ever, and the biggest film of 2026 — at least until Avengers: Doomsday lands this December.Having said all of that, Cretton has plenty on his plate right now, meaning that his availability had not been assured. Marvel fans have been begging him to make a Shang-Chi sequel for years, which he previously spoke positively about still wanting to do.
But while Shang-Chi 2 may or may not happen, Spider-Man 5 seems a very safe bet. The only issue for Cretton is his own availability, amid an array of other projects he already has lined up including a Hawaii Five-O movie and a live-action Naruto adaptation. Sadly, though, Cretton will no longer be working on a second season of Wonder Man, after Disney's abrupt cancellation of the series.
When could Spider-Man 5 arrive? The earliest gaps in Marvel's release schedule are now not until 2029, when the studio has three untitled movies lined up to launch. (2027 will only feature Avengers: Secret Wars, while 2028 is already stuffed with X-Men, Ghost Rider, and Black Panther 3.) Still, Spider-Man: Brand New Day was filmed last summer for launch less than 12 months after, so it seems possible that Cretton will be able to tick off his other upcoming projects before returning to Spider-Man once more.As for the franchise's star, Tom Holland has , though has also said he was . Perhaps Spider-Man 5 is when we finally see a live-action Miles Morales introduced, with Sony's animated Spider-Verse trilogy that features the same character all wrapped up by the time it arrives. Time will tell, though it seems Cretton will be there when cameras do eventually roll.
Image credit: Jeff Spicer/ Getty Images for Sony Pictures.
News EditorTom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky