WhileSpider-Man: Homecominghits theaters in a matter of weeks, Marvel Studios, Sony Pictures, and Disney already have big plans for the franchise going forward. Indeed,Spider-Man: Homecoming 2is set for release on August 17, 2025, and while we don’t have any official word on who’s writing or directing that movie yet, the complex deal that brought together Marvel and Sony has stipulations that clue us into what may be coming down the pike.
PerTHR’sextensive profile ofSpider-Man: Homecoming, starTom Hollandis contractually obligated to star inSpider-Man: Homecoming 2andSpider-Man 3, but when it comes to the next sequel it won’t beRobert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man working alongside Peter Parker. The inclusion of Iron Man inHomecomingwas a smart way to clue fans into the fact thatSpider-Man: Homecomingdoes indeed take place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Downey Jr. is a busy and expensive guy. So the current contract between Sony and Marvel—which lets Marvel take the creative lead on theSpider-Manmovies while Sony pays for and reaps the profits from them—says that Sony will get another MCU character that it does not own to use inSpider-Man: Homecoming 2.
So who will be starring alongside Holland in the sequel? We likely won’t have a solid idea until we seeAvengers: Infinity War, which hits theaters next May and finds Peter Parker fighting alongside every MCU hero we’ve seen thus far. Holland made his debut inCaptain America: Civil Warand had a pretty fun antagonistic rapport withChris Evans’ Captain America, but Evans has made it pretty clear that once his contract expires withAvengers 4,he’s eyeing the door.
We’ll likely see inInfinity Warwhich hero/character Parker has solid chemistry with, and that will probably be the MCU hero that pops up inSpider-Man: Homecoming 2. Whether that character will have as prominent a role as Downey Jr.—who’s essentially a co-star ofHomecoming—remains to be seen.
The report also notes thatMichael Keaton’s contract only has him playing the villainous Vulture in one movie. SoHomecomingis likely the last we’ll see of him. Although that’s kind of standard procedure for the MCU, as villains not named Loki don’t really have a tendency to return down the line.
All eyes will be onHomecomingto see how audiences respond, but it’s safe to assume preliminary discussions aboutSpider-Man: Homecoming 2are already taking place. So time to place your bets on who will be joining Spidey in the next adventure. Will it beBenedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange?Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow? Or maybePaul Rudd’s Ant-Man? Sound off with your guess in the comments below.
For more onSpider-Man: Homecoming,peruse our recent coverage.
