Spider-Man 4 eyeing Shang-Chi director Destin Cretton to take the helm after Jon Watts exit

MCU‘s upcoming Spider-Man 4 may have found its new director.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures are eyeing Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton to helm the Spider-Man 4.

This announcement comes after a period of speculation regarding who would take over the helm following Jon Watts’ departure from the franchise.

Cretton’s involvement comes as no surprise, given his established relationship with Marvel Studios.

His previous work on Shang-Chi was both a critical and commercial success, earning praise for its fresh take on a Marvel superhero origin story. 

Cretton had also been attached in the past to direct Avengers: The Kang Dynasty before scheduling conflicts led him to exit the project.

While plot details for the fourth Spider-Man instalment remain a closely guarded secret, the sequel is expected to follow the dramatic events of No Way Home.

In the previous movie, a multiverse plot brought past Spider-Man actors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield into the MCU, culminating in a spell that erased Peter Parker’s identity from the memories of everyone around him, including his close friends Ned and MJ.

Tom Holland and Zendaya are both expected to return, though official casting and further plot details have yet to be confirmed.

The movie was initially rumored to focus on a more grounded, street-level story, possibly involving characters such as Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin.

However, recent reports suggest that the focus has shifted toward a multiverse storyline, potentially similar to Spider-Man: No Way Home.

There are also speculations of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield reprising their roles as alternate universe Spider-Men once again.​

Holland, who has expressed deep care for the character’s legacy, previously said that any continuation of the Spider-Man story would need to “do justice to the character” and wouldn’t be made just for the sake of another sequel.