‘Spider-Man 5’ Gets a Disappointing Update After ‘Brand New Day’ Success

‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ has become one of the biggest theatrical events of the year, pulling in massive numbers since its July 31 release and reigniting excitement around Tom Holland’s future in the role. With the film’s box office run still dominating headlines, attention has naturally started shifting toward what comes next for the franchise.

That excitement got a boost recently when Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige addressed the future of the series directly, and producer Amy Pascal made her preference for the next director known just as clearly. Both comments pointed toward director Destin Daniel Cretton potentially returning for another installment, with Cretton himself offering a simple “sure” when asked if he’d be interested.

Despite that enthusiasm, a follow-up movie won’t be happening anytime soon. Cretton has now shifted his focus to a live-action adaptation of ‘Naruto’ for Lionsgate, a long-gestating project that has finally started moving into production, with filming expected to begin during the first half of 2027.

That timeline puts the ninja epic squarely at the front of Cretton’s schedule, even as Marvel keeps the door open for his eventual return to Spider-Man. The ‘Naruto’ project has been in various stages of development for more than a decade, and Cretton signed on to write and direct back in February 2024, well before ‘Brand New Day’ became his most high-profile theatrical release yet.

Cretton has spoken openly about what drew him to the franchise beyond its scale. Speaking with Rolling Stone while promoting ‘Brand New Day,’ the director described feeling deeply connected to Naruto’s arc of embracing the parts of himself he was once ashamed of, explaining that meeting creator Masashi Kishimoto only amplified that connection, according to Rolling Stone.

Cretton, who grew up half-Japanese in Hawaii, has said the story’s themes of embracing what makes someone unique hit close to home for him personally. That connection appears to be shaping how seriously he’s approaching the adaptation, with the director previously indicating the film will stay close to Kishimoto’s original story rather than compressing too much material into a single movie.

With casting for the ‘Naruto’ film’s Team 7 lineup already underway and principal photography targeted for early 2027, Cretton’s plate is full for the foreseeable future. That leaves ‘Spider-Man 5’ in a holding pattern, even as Marvel continues signaling long-term plans for Peter Parker’s story.

Feige has confirmed there are always plans for the character to continue, while Pascal has been direct about wanting Cretton back in the director’s chair if the studio has its way. For now, though, fans hoping for a quick follow-up to ‘Brand New Day’ will need to wait until Cretton wraps his passion project in the Hidden Leaf Village first.

Whether ‘Naruto’ delays a fifth ‘Spider-Man’ film by months or years remains unclear, but Cretton’s packed schedule makes one thing certain: Peter Parker’s next chapter isn’t coming as quickly as some fans might hope.

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