Spider-Man 4: Release date, cast and plot as Sadie Sink joins film

Between this and Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, 2026 is certainly shaping up to be the biggest year yet of Tom Holland's career, and we now know one of the stars who will be joining him in the cast for Spider-Man 4: Sadie Sink.

The Stranger Things star has been announced as part of the ensemble in an as-yet-unconfirmed role, but already speculation is rife as to who she might play, from Jean Grey to Black Cat.

For more on that and much more, read on for everything you need to know about Spider-Man 4.

Spider-Man 4 release date

As things stand, Marvel has set aside a release date of Friday 31st July 2026 for the new film, which means it will arrive just short of five years after the previous outing for the webslinger became a monumental hit in December 2021.

Of course, it's possible things could shuffle around a bit between now and then (it's already been pushed back one week from the originally slated 24th July date) so if we hear any news of a date change, we'll update this page accordingly – but until then, you can get the above date in your diary.

Filming is expected to get underway sometime this summer – with Tom Holland of course currently busy shooting Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey – and we'll keep you updated when we hear things are officially under way.

One thing is for sure: we're going to be seeing a lot of Holland in summer 2026...

Who will be in the Spider-Man 4 cast?

It's no surprise to anyone that Tom Holland will be back for his fourth outing as Peter Parker/Spider-Man – while we can also safely expect Zendaya to return to her role as MJ.

But in some slightly less expected news, it's now been revealed that Stranger Things star Sadie Sink will be part of the cast, with The Hollywood Reporter breaking the news that she was in line for a key role – although it's not yet been announced exactly who.

As for further cast, nothing has been confirmed at this stage. We'd think there's a high chance that Jacob Batalon will have some sort of role to play as Ned and it's likewise possible that MCU stalwart Jon Favreau will be back once again as Happy Hogan.

One way or another, the film seems likely to be less star-studded than No Way Home – which famously saw Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield reprise their roles as earlier iterations of the iconic superhero alongside various other big names from those past entries.

But we'd still expect some more big names to be announced in due course – with no word yet on who might be playing the villain this time around. Watch this space!

Who is Sadie Sink playing in Spider-Man 4?

Of course, with the news that Sadie Sink will be joining the MCU with this film, much speculation has already begun as to who she might be playing – with that information not yet having been divulged.

One rumour that has been doing the rounds at this early stage is that she could popular X-Men character Jean Grey aka Dark Phoenix, who has notably previously been played on the big screen by both Famke Janssen and Sophie Turner in the 20th Century Fox Marvel days.

Sink would certainly fit the role, and it's been clear for some time now that the Marvel is ramping up its plans for the X-Men to officially join the MCU, but as yet this is nothing more than a rumour.

And there are plenty of other characters Sink could potentially play, with fans already having put forward a number of suggestions.

One such example is Angelica Jones/Firestar – a comic book super-hero and mutant who has not yet appeared on the big screen – while another is Felicia Hardy, aka Black Cat, a character who at various points has been an enemy, ally and love interest of Spidey and was previously played in The Amazing Spider-Man by Felicity Jones.

Another possibility is that she could be the latest actress to play iconic romantic interest Gwen Stacey – following Bryce Dallas Howard and Emma Stone – while one theory, is that she could play Mary Jane Watson, although given the MCU already has it's own MJ in Zendaya's Michelle Jones-Watson, this seems more far-fetched.

As soon as we catch wind of any further rumours, we'll post them right here – so do keep checking back.

What could happen in Spider-Man 4?

This being not just an MCU film but a Spider-Man MCU film, it should come as no shock that specific plot details are being kept firmly under-wraps for the time being. In fact, the film doesn't even have a confirmed title yet!

However, Tom Holland did previously explain that fans can expect something a little different than previous outings for the character.

“The idea is crazy," he said while appearing on Good Morning America in 2024. "It’s a little different to anything we’ve done before, but I think the fans are gonna really respond to it."

Meanwhile, producer Amy Pascal previously explained how the film would naturally follow-on from the happenings in No Way Home.

"We have to deal with the fact that he decided he was going to give up being Peter Parker, and that he was going to focus on being Spider-Man because being Peter Parker was too hard," she told Deadline.

It's also worth noting that are also three further MCU films due for release before we get to Spider-Man 4 – most crucially Avnegers: Doomsday – and it's very possible events from those films could end up factoring into play.

The film is set to be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who previously helmed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Is there a Spider-Man 4 trailer?

Of course, with shooting not even underway yet, we're a while away from a trailer being released – but as soon as any footage, or even first-look images, become available you can expect to find them right here.

Spider-Man 4 will be released in cinemas on Friday 31st July 2025.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.