Spider-Man 4: Drew Goddard is reportedly Sony and Marvel’s top choice to direct if Jon Watts does not return

Rumors about Sony and Marvel‘s Spider-Man 4 continue to swirl, with more whispers caught in the wall-crawler’s web daily. Today, we’re hearing that Cabin in the Woods and Bad Times at the El Royale director Drew Goddard is the top pick to replace Jon Watts if he chooses not to return to the superhero franchise. Word about the studios eyeing Goddard for the gig comes from industry insider Daniel Richtman, whose track record for leaking news is often on point.

Late last month, Spider-Man actor Tom Holland told Collider he feels protective over the friendly neighborhood wall-crawler and would not reprise the role unless a fantastic idea for a sequel presents itself.

“All I can say is that we have been actively engaging in conversations about what it could potentially look like for a fourth rendition of my character. Whether or not we can find a way to do justice to the character is another thing. I feel very protective over Spider-Man. I feel very, very lucky that we were able to work on a franchise that got better with each movie, that got more successful with each movie, which I think is really rare, and I want to protect his legacy. So, I won’t make another one for the sake of making another one. It will have to be worth the while of the character.”

Thankfully, Drew Goddard is well-versed in bringing comic book characters to life on screens. He served as an executive producer on Netflix’s Daredevil and The Defenders series, and he’s currently working on Sony and Marvel’s Sinister Six film project. If Watts passes on directing Spider-Man 4 and Goddard steps up to the plate, fans with open arms will likely welcome him.

Knowing that Spider-Man: No Way Home banked $1.9 billion at the box office, It’s easy to see why Sony is determined to spin up another Spider-Man sequel. Meanwhile, the Spider-Verse continues to expand with Kraven the Hunter, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Sergei Kravinoff, aka Kraven, Madame Web, featuring Dakota Johnson as Jennifer Carpenter, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, Venom 3, and various other projects all in the works. While Holland says a story is still in the incubation stage, one has to wonder how long the studio will wait to announce Spider-Man 4 officially.

How would you feel if Sony and Marvel named Drew Goddard as the director of Spider-Man 4? Which villains would you like to see Holland’s Spider-Man square off against? How do you top the Multiversal madness of Spider-Man: No Way Home? Let us know what you think in the comments below.