Spider-Man 4 Rumor Suggests Tom Holland's Movie Will Show Fans Something They Haven't Seen in 18 Years

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is right around the corner, as its release date of July 31, 2026, looms ever closer. Fans of Tom Holland's Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise have been waiting patiently for news regarding its next installment, which will act as the first chapter in a new trilogy of Spider-Man films. Very little information about the upcoming sequel has been revealed, which comes out between two massive MCU releases, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. While some have expressed concern that this could lead to a multiversal story in Brand New Day, recent rumors offer a ray of hope that this won't be the case.

The latest reports for the upcoming MCU sequel include several casting calls for actors who will appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. While these rumors must always be taken with a grain of salt, they can offer much-needed insight into a film's story. If true, the latest round of casting calls hints at Brand New Day visiting a familiar location for Spider-Man fans, though this will mark the first time it has been visited in almost twenty years.

A New Casting Call Suggests an Exciting Possibility for Spider-Man 4

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Is Returning to Empire State University

The latest Spider-Man 4 casting rumors have the movie searching for actors to play teachers at Peter Parker's school. This seemingly minor casting call has massive implications for Brand New Day's story and setting. If true, these rumors suggest that Spider-Man: Brand New Day will return to Empire State University, Peter Parker's college of choice in Marvel Comics. Although Peter never graduated from high school in the MCU, the final scene of Spider-Man: No Way Home shows a GED Prep Book in his new apartment, suggesting that he will soon take the test and begin applying to colleges. Given that the MCU's recent projects (specifically Captain America: Brave New World, Daredevil: Born Again, and Thunderbolts*) seem to be set in early 2027, Brand New Day would take place about two or three years after the events of No Way Home. Depending on how long he waits to start college, Peter Parker will likely be a freshman or sophomore at Empire State University when he appears next.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Cast & Character Guide

Character

Actor

Peter Parker/Spider-Man

Tom Holland

TBA

Sadie Sink

If Peter Parker is a college student in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has a chance to explore a new dimension of his character. Tom Holland's first three Spider-Man films focused heavily on the character's teenage years, playing around with his youthful energy, which contrasted well with the other, older heroes around him. Now, over ten years after he first became Spider-Man at fourteen years old, Peter Parker is no longer the child superhero he once was. Brand New Day opens the door for a more mature Peter to come to the forefront of the franchise. As a college student at Empire State University with no caretaker and no supplementary technology at his beck and call, Peter will be portrayed as a much more adult version of the character that audiences grew to love over the last decade.

It's Been Too Long Since Spider-Man Went to College

The MCU Is Breaking an 18-Year Record in the Spider-Man Franchise

Surprisingly, the last time a live-action iteration of Peter Parker was depicted as a student at Empire State University was eighteen years ago in Spider-Man 3. The 2007 movie marks the last time that a film explored Peter's life as a college student. The Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy did an excellent job of showcasing the tenuous balance that Peter must maintain leading a double life as a superhero. The final two installments of the trilogy feature him as a college student, desperately trying to stay ahead of his schoolwork but always coming up short when Spider-Man gets in the way. Dr. Curt Connors, one of Peter's professors at Empire State University, specifically gets on his case about constantly missing class and turning in assignments late. He tries to get Peter to see that he is wasting his brilliant brain, but never seems able to get through to the young man, who always has something else on his mind. All of this is classic Spider-Man, as he is constantly pulled between two ideals, never able to leave one behind.

Upcoming MCU Films
Film	Release Date
The Fantastic Four: First Steps	July 25, 2025
Avengers: Doomsday	May 1, 2026
Spider-Man: Brand New Day	July 31, 2026
Avengers: Secret Wars	May 7, 2027
Armor Wars	TBA
Blade	TBA
Black Panther 3	TBA

It seems strange that no other films have explored Peter Parker's life as a college student since Spider-Man 3. Andrew Garfield's Amazing Spider-Man franchise ended with Peter graduating from high school at the end of the second film. Had The Amazing Spider-Man 3ever happened, it likely would have delved deeper into Peter's college career, likely at Empire State University. When the character was rebooted for the MCU, Marvel chose to explore an earlier part of Peter's life, basing its stories more on the earlier comics from the 1960s. Nearly two decades after Spider-Man 3, the MCU is long overdue to portray Peter Parker as a college student, depicting the delicate balance that he must maintain between his student life and his crimefighting.

Spider-Man 4 Is Setting Up Several Potential Storylines

Empire State University Sets Up Some Exciting Possibilities for Spider-Man's Future

If Spider-Man: Brand New Day plans to feature Empire State University as its primary setting, it could turn out to be one of the most exciting upcoming MCU movies. Fans of Spider-Man comics know that Peter Parker's college days offer endless possibilities for the upcoming film. Empire State University is where Peter first meets Gwen Stacy, the first love of his life, who dies tragically at the hands of the Green Goblin. With MJ no longer in Peter's life, the young hero could start a new romance with Gwen in this new Spider-Man trilogy--though it could end in tragedy, as it so often does. Additionally, college is where Peter Parker and Harry Osborn first cross paths in the comics, eventually developing a close friendship. Fans have long been clamoring for the introduction of the Osborns in the MCU. With Peter set to go to college in his next solo film, now seems like a perfect time for the franchise to delve deeper into the Osborns and their dreaded Goblin Legacy.

Upcoming MCU Series

Title

Release Date

Ironheart

June 24, 2025

Eyes of Wakanda

August 6, 2025

Marvel Zombies

October 2025

Wonder Man

December 2025

Vision Quest

2026

Daredevil: Born Again Season 2

March 2026

Several supervillains are closely connected to Peter's life at Empire State University. Most prominently among these is Dr. Miles Warren, Peter's biology teacher. Warren falls in love with his student, Gwen Stacy, prompting him to lash out when she is finally killed by the Green Goblin. He becomes the supervillain known as the Jackal, who clones Peter Parker, Gwen Stacy, and himself to kickstart the infamous "Clone Saga." While this full storyline may be too convoluted for the MCU, Spider-Man's next trilogy could adapt a toned-down version of the Clone Saga, featuring the Jackal's live-action debut.

With Peter Parker off to college, the possibilities for Spider-Man: Brand New Day are endless. By breaking an unfortunate eighteen-year trend in Spider-Man movies, Tom Holland's new trilogy charts a new course for its main character as he meets new friends, makes new enemies, and kickstarts a very exciting "brand new day."