New ‘Spider-Man 4’ Director Opens Doors For Spider-Man To Appear in ‘Shang-Chi 2’

Nearly a year ago, it was announced that a new Spider-Man installment in the MCU was in development. However, Jon Watts stepped down from the project, citing the challenge of replicating the success of No Way Home and choosing to focus on other projects outside the MCU.

Recently, several potential directors have been considered, and according to The Hollywood Reporter, Daniel Destin Cretton is now the leading candidate to direct the new film.

Fans of the MCU know that this won’t be Daniel Destin Cretton’s first project in the franchise. He directed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and also helmed two episodes of the upcoming Wonder Man Disney+ series. Additionally, Cretton is set to return as both writer and director for Shang-Chi 2, following the success of the first film. He signed an overall deal with Marvel in December 2021 and expressed his enthusiasm for continuing his collaboration with Marvel Studios and working on new projects with Onyx Collective.

With Cretton now working on multiple MCU projects, it’s plausible to speculate that Spider-Man might make an appearance in Shang-Chi 2 and that Shang-Chi could feature in Spider-Man 4.

Details about the plots of both films remain scarce, but Shang-Chi 2 is expected to delve into the origins and significance of the Ten Rings, which are rumored to play a significant role in upcoming multiversal storylines. Spider-Man 4 is also rumored to focus heavily on multiverse themes, and including Shang-Chi could address the character’s absence and delays, as mentioned by the film’s star a year ago.

While Spider-Man and Shang-Chi haven’t interacted in the MCU so far, they have teamed up in the comics. Shang-Chi has even trained Spider-Man in martial arts to help him enhance his fighting skills after losing his spider-sense. Both characters have also been part of larger superhero teams, such as the Avengers.

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