Sam Raimi Ready to Let ‘Spider-Man 4’ Go as Fans Keep Hoping

For years, fans of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy have held onto a simple hope: that one day, the director would return to complete his vision with a long-rumored Spider-Man 4. After all, Raimi reunited with Marvel Studios for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker made an emotional comeback in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The pieces, at least on the surface, seemed to be falling into place.

Now, Raimi is making it clear that chapter is closed.

While promoting his upcoming film Send Help, the director told ScreenRant that he no longer feels it would be right to revisit his version of Spider-Man. According to Raimi, the characters he once shepherded across three blockbuster films have moved on — and so has he.

“I feel that those characters have gone elsewhere,” Raimi said. “It wouldn’t be right for me to go back and try and resurrect my version of this story.”

A Trilogy That Helped Shape Modern Superhero Films

Released between 2002 and 2007, Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy starring Tobey Maguire left a lasting mark on the superhero genre. Long before shared cinematic universes became standard, Raimi’s films helped prove that comic book stories could balance spectacle with sincerity, humor, and emotional weight.

The trilogy’s abrupt end — caused by creative disagreements and Sony’s decision to reboot the franchise — left fans feeling that Raimi never got the proper ending he deserved. Over the years, Raimi himself fueled speculation by repeatedly saying he would be open to returning, should the opportunity arise.

But his latest comments suggest a shift in perspective.

“A Comic Book Run — Great, But Temporary”

Rather than viewing his departure as unfinished business, Raimi now sees his Spider-Man work as a completed run, similar to a writer or artist’s time on a long-running comic series.

“For a brief time, I was handed the torch to carry on after 40 years of Spider-Man comics,” Raimi explained. “And then after my three movies, I handed the torch off to someone else.”

That torch, of course, has passed through several hands since — first Andrew Garfield’s more modern reboot, and now Tom Holland’s widely successful iteration within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“And I think they’ve got to keep running with the storyline and the audience that is now following the torchbearer,” Raimi added.

Love for the Character, Not Regret

Raimi emphasized that his decision is not rooted in bitterness or creative burnout. He remains fond of the character, the cast, and the producers he worked with during the trilogy. Instead, it’s a matter of respecting the natural evolution of the franchise.

In that sense, Raimi’s comments echo a broader creative philosophy increasingly shared by veteran filmmakers: knowing when to step away can be just as important as knowing when to return.

Fans Still Aren’t Ready to Let Go

Despite Raimi’s clarity, fan enthusiasm for Spider-Man 4 is unlikely to disappear anytime soon. Online campaigns, petitions, and speculative casting discussions have become a regular feature of superhero fandom — especially after No Way Home proved that legacy characters could still resonate with modern audiences.

That film reassured viewers that Maguire’s Peter Parker found some measure of peace, hinting that his story didn’t end in tragedy. For some fans, that alone keeps the door cracked open.

While Tom Holland remains Marvel’s primary Spider-Man, the multiverse has made it clear that no version of the character is ever truly gone. Studios have shown a growing willingness to revisit past iterations when nostalgia and storytelling align.

The End of One Era — For Now

For Raimi, however, the idea of returning behind the camera for Spider-Man 4 appears firmly in the past. His comments suggest acceptance rather than disappointment — a recognition that his contribution helped shape the genre and that it’s time for others to carry the character forward.

Whether Marvel and Sony eventually revisit Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man again remains an open question. But if they do, it likely won’t be under Raimi’s direction.

For now, Spider-Man 4 remains what it has been for years: a beloved “what if” — alive in fan imagination, but laid to rest by the filmmaker who once brought it to life.