Summary

Swinging with practical stunts doesn’t work for Spider-Man, says MCU director Jon Watts: “It’s boring. It looks dumb.”
Marc Webb enhanced Spidey’s swinging in
The Amazing Spider-Man
with practical stunts, unlike Jon Watts.

Spider-Man 4
is on the way, with Tom Holland wanting to play the iconic hero for a long time.

The MCU’s Spider-Man director, Jon Watts, has given a valuable piece of advice to whomever steps forward to direct the fourth film in the franchise. Watts was responsible for giving the iconic hero his first standalone film within the Marvel Cinematic Universe – Spider-Man: Homecoming – and cementing Tom Holland’s place as one of the best live-action portrayals of Peter Parker. Watts then went on to direct both follow-ups, Spider-Man: Far From Home and No Way Home, with the latter teaming Holland’s version with Tobey Maguire’s and Andrew Garfield’s in a multi-verse colliding narrative. Watts won’t be returning to helm Spider-Man’s fourth MCU movie, but the director has given an invaluable piece of advice to whoever sits in the director’s chair next.

Speaking to Collider at CCXP in Mexico City, Watts was asked if he had any advice for future Spider-Man filmmakers. The director’s guidance was insanely practical, as Watts discussed one of the most important aspects of bringing Spider-Man to life in live-action… his web swinging. He said:

“I have a very practical bit of Spider-Man advice, and I think every Spider-Man director goes through it. It doesn’t look good when someone is just swinging on a rope. You think you’re gonna go in there, you’re like, ‘we’re gonna do it all practical. We’re gonna get a stuntman. We’re gonna be swinging around.’ It’s boring. It looks dumb. It looks like a monkey swinging on a vine when you put someone on just a rope.”

Spider-Man 3 / Spider-Man: No Way Home Release Date December 17, 2021 Cast Angourie Rice , Tom Holland , Zendaya Coleman , Marisa Tomei , J.K. Simmons , Benedict Cumberbatch , Willem Dafoe , Jamie Foxx , Alfred Molina , Tobey Maguire , Andrew Garfield Runtime 2hr 28min

One such Spider-Man director who went through the process was Marc Webb, who directed The Amazing Spider-Man, starring Andrew Garfield in the titular role. Webb used practical stunts to enhance Spider-Man’s swinging, giving it a more realistic look. One Reddit user has shared a behind-the-scenes clip of Garfield’s Spider-Man in action, swinging under a railway.

However, Jon Watts clearly isn’t a fan of the practical style, considering Spider-Man’s ability to swing super-human. Watts’ concluded his advice for the next Spider-Man director by saying:

“Don’t waste your time. That’s my advice to the next Spider-Man director.”

What’s Happening With Spider-Man 4?

Spider-Man: No Way Home is still among the best MCU movies post-Avengers: Endgame, and fans have been desperate for a fourth installment since. Spider-Man 4 is officially happening, but it may be some time before it hits theaters. Tom Holland recently addressed the film’s production schedule during at appearance at Sands International Film Festival. Speaking to Deadline, Holland said:

“We have the best in the business working toward whatever the story might be. But until we’ve cracked it, we have a legacy to protect. The third movie was so special in so many ways that we need to make sure we do the things right.”

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When the film is eventually released, it will make Spider-Man the second character in the MCU to receive a fourth standalone film – with the first being Thor in the critically panned Thor: Love and Thunder. The fourth installment will also make Tom Holland’s iteration the first to receive a fourth movie, with Tobey Maguire starring in three standalone films, and Andrew Garfield in two. However, it looks like Tom Holland won’t be stopping after a fourth. During the same interview, Holland revealed he wants to play Spider-Man for a long, long time.

“The simple answer is that I’ll always want to do Spider-Man films. I owe my life and career to Spider-Man.”

Tom Holland’s previous appearances as Spider-Man can be streamed on Disney+.