Rumors are swirling that Sony and Marvel are going to start filming Spider-Man 4 next year, with it further claimed the flick is casting a new female lead, leading to questions if Zendaya will be back as MJ.
The rumor comes from scooper MyTimeToShineHello who also claims Spider-Man 4 is casting in what sounds as a possible villain role.
“Spider-Man 4 begins filming in the UK at the end of May 2025, and they’re casting a new female lead as well as a new male lead to serve as a foil for Peter,” tweeted the account.
Spider-Man 4 begins filming in the UK at the end of May 2025, and they're casting a new female lead as well as a new male lead to serve as a foil for Peter pic.twitter.com/ijCvZFE3Dt
— MyTimeToShineHello (@MyTimeToShineH) September 25, 2024
Black Cat in Spider-Man 4 instead of Zendaya’s MJ?
What is interesting about the possibility that Zendaya might not be a part of Spider-Man 4, or that she could have her role drastically reduced, is that the end of No Way Home, MJ (and everybody else) forgot that she knew Peter Parker.
Following Doctor Strange casting the spell, two weeks later, Peter visits MJ to reintroduce himself to her and Ned, but he decides against it.
Spider-Man 4 could very well be a new beginning for Spidey in the MCU. Fan theories offer the new female lead could be Black Cat.
Zendaya wants to be looked at as a person
What is also interesting is that while appearing recently in NYC for Dune: Part Two, Zendaya joked around questioned if she is cut out for fame and the pressures of being a celebrity (via Deadline).
“I feel like, often, I am not cut out for that part of it,” she admitted. “I do love my job, I’m so grateful. I love doing the work, I love being on set, I do love moments like this — don’t get me wrong — but I am terrified of that part of it, often.”
She continued, explaining her background as an introvert: “I was a shy kid, always have been, and so this part isn’t natural — that is a huge reason why fashion became important to me because it became like armor to pretend to go out and do the job.”
She added, “So I don’t know if I, either, can fully relate, but I definitely understand what you’re saying, and I think that’s what’s terrifying to me. I would like to be a person and for people to see me as that first. I don’t necessarily know if I want or can handle all of that or want [that] — some people that’s part of it, they enjoy the power that comes from it, and I don’t know if that’s for me.”
Sony and Marvel haven’t officially announced anything about Spider-Man 4 as of yet, so per the norm, all the rumors are just that, and take them with a grain of salt.