Marvel fans will need to practice patience as Disney's surprise announcement delays Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, pushing back the next epic team-up of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
Avengers: Doomsday now swings into theaters seven months later on December 18, 2026, with Secret Wars following on December 17, 2027. Amidst these shifts, conversation has turned to everyone's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
Tom Holland will reprise his role as Peter Parker sooner than expected in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, slated for July 31, 2026. The film continues Peter's journey after No Way Home erased his identity from public memory.
The reshuffle means Spider-Man: Brand New Day will now precede both Avengers films rather than serving as an MCU bridge between them. Previously, rumors suggested Sony and Disney were crafting another multiverse-spanning adventure fitting the current MCU landscape.
With production yet to begin, this new timeline gives Spider-Man's next chapter room to breathe, potentially grounding the story in New York's streets rather than cosmic conflicts.
Consider the original plan: Avengers: Doomsday would likely end on an Infinity War-style cliffhanger, pulling Spider-Man into its aftermath. Brand New Day would then need to either address these events, ignore them, or occur beforehand - narrative challenges that disappear with the revised schedule.
"This fundamentally alters expectations for Spider-Man 4," commented one Reddit user. "The film no longer needs to slot between the Avengers stories timeline-wise."
"If Brand New Day keeps its date, it probably won't be a multiverse epic," speculated another fan, referencing Secret Wars' comic book setting.
Sony's Spider-Man Universe: Chronological Viewing Guide
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Many Spider-Man enthusiasts welcome the chance to see Peter Parker focusing on street-level threats rather than intergalactic crises. "This is the best Spider-Man 4 news we've gotten," praised one fan.
"Releasing before Doomsday allows for a grounded story," noted another, citing recent casting rumors pointing toward classic New York-based villains.
The Bear's Liza Colón-Zayas reportedly joined the cast earlier this month, sparking speculation she might play Miles Morales' mother - fueling theories about the animated Spider-Verse favorite transitioning to live-action.
Disney's schedule adjustments also removed a mystery Marvel project slated for February 2026, possibly the perpetually delayed Blade reboot starring Mahershala Ali, which now appears shelved indefinitely.
Other Marvel-themed dates shifted to generic "Untitled Disney" slots, suggesting potential MCU expansion plans may be scaling back.
Looking ahead, 2025 brings The Fantastic Four: First Steps in July, while Disney+ prepares to debut Ironheart and Wonder-Man series.
2024's streaming offerings include Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, a Punisher special, and Vision Quest starring Paul Bettany, currently in production.
