Untitled Spider-Man: Far From Home sequel

The untitled Spider-Man: Far From Home sequel is an upcoming American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man, co-produced by Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. It is intended to be the sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), and the 27th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film will be directed by Jon Watts, written by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, and stars Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man, alongside Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Marisa Tomei, Jamie Foxx, and Benedict Cumberbatch.

A third MCU Spider-Man film was intended as early as 2017, during production on Homecoming. By August 2019, negotiations between Sony and Marvel Studios to alter their deal—in which they produce the Spider-Man films together—ended with Marvel Studios leaving the project. However, a negative fan reaction led to a new deal between the two companies a month later. Watts, McKenna, Sommers, and Holland were set to return at that time. Filming began in October 2020 in New York City, before moving to Atlanta later that month. Shooting will also occur in Los Angeles and Iceland, and will conclude in March 2021.

The film is scheduled to be released in the United States on December 17, 2021, as part of Phase Four of the MCU. A fourth Spider-Man film is also in development.

Cast

 * Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man: A teenager and Avenger who received spider-like abilities after being bitten by a radioactive spider.
 * Zendaya as MJ: Parker's classmate and girlfriend. Her real name is Michelle.

An electrical engineer who transformed into a powerful, electrical creature following an accident. Foxx previously portrayed the character in the non-MCU film The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). Unlike that appearance, he will not be depicted as blue for this film. A neurosurgeon who became a Master of the Mystic Arts following a career-ending car accident. Strange takes on the mentor role for Parker that was filled by Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury in Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019).
 * Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds: Parker's best friend. Batalon lost 120 lb for his role in this film.
 * Marisa Tomei as May Parker: Parker's aunt.
 * Jamie Foxx as Max Dillon / Electro:
 * Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange:

Additionally, Tony Revolori will reprise his role as Parker's classmate and rival Eugene "Flash" Thompson.

Development
During production on Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), two Spider-Man sequels were being planned by Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures. In June 2017, star Tom Holland said the third film would take place during Peter Parker / Spider-Man's senior year of high school. In July 2019, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said the third film would feature "a Peter Parker story that has never been done before on film" due to the ending of the second film, Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), which publicly revealed that Parker is Spider-Man. Homecoming and Far From Home director Jon Watts expressed interest in Kraven the Hunter being the main antagonist of the third film.

By August 2019, development on two new Spider-Man films had begun with Sony hoping Watts and Holland would return for both; Holland was contracted to return for one more film, while Watts had completed his two-film deal and would need to sign on for any more films. By then, Marvel Studios and its parent company Walt Disney Studios had spent several months discussing expanding their deal with Sony. The existing deal had Marvel and Feige produce the Spider-Man films for Sony and receive 5% of their revenue. Sony wanted to expand the deal to include more films than had initially been agreed on while keeping the same terms of the original agreement. Disney expressed concern with Feige's workload producing the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) franchise already and asked for a 25–50% stake in any future films Feige produced for Sony. Unable to come to an agreement, Sony announced that it would be moving forward on the next Spider-Man film without Feige or Marvel's involvement. Their statement acknowledged that this could change in the future, thanked Feige for his work on the first two films, and said they appreciated "the path [Feige] has helped put us on, which we will continue."

Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers were writing the screenplay for the third film by the time of Sony's announcement, after also doing so for Far From Home, but Watts was receiving offers to direct large films for other studios instead of returning to the franchise, including potentially working on a different property for Marvel Studios and Feige. In September, Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman Tony Vinciquerra said that "for the moment the door is closed" on Spider-Man returning to the MCU, and confirmed that the character would be integrated with Sony's own shared universe—the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters—moving forward. Responding to backlash from fans following the announcement, Vinciquerra added that "the Marvel people are terrific people, we have great respect for them, but on the other hand we have some pretty terrific people of our own. [Feige] didn't do all the work ... we're pretty capable of doing what we have to do here." However, after this fan reaction continued at Disney's biennial convention D23, and at the urging of Holland who personally spoke to Disney CEO Bob Iger and Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group chairman Tom Rothman, the companies returned to negotiations.

Sony and Disney announced a new agreement at the end of September which would allow Marvel Studios and Feige to produce another Spider-Man film for Sony, scheduled for July 16, 2021, keeping the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Disney was reported to be co-financing 25% of the film in exchange for 25% of the film's profits, while retaining the merchandising rights to the character. The agreement also allowed Holland's Spider-Man to appear in a future Marvel Studios film. Feige stated, "I am thrilled that Spidey's journey in the MCU will continue, and I and all of us at Marvel Studios are very excited that we get to keep working on it." He added that moving forward the MCU's Spider-Man would be able to "cross cinematic universes" and appear in Sony's own shared universe as well. This interaction was said to be "a 'call and answer' between the two franchises as they acknowledge details between the two in what would loosely be described as a shared detailed universe". Sony described their previous films with Marvel Studios as a "great collaboration", and said "our mutual desire to continue was equal to that of the many fans." At the time of the new agreement, Watts was in final negotiations to direct the film.

Discussing the new deal in October, Iger attributed it to the efforts of Holland as well as the fan response to the end of the original deal, saying, "I felt for [Holland], and it was clear the fans wanted this to happen." He added that while negotiating the deal both Sony and Disney had forgotten "there are other people who actually matter." Rothman added that he felt the deal was a "win-win-win. A win for Sony, a win for Disney, a win for the fans." Speaking back to the August reports of the negotiating breaking down, Rothman said that revelations in the media of discussions such as the negotiations do not necessarily line up with the actual discussions taking place, and he felt that the final deal would have eventuated without the reports and fan discourse, saying, "We would have gotten there, and the news got ahead of some things." Also in October, Zendaya was confirmed to be reprising her role of MJ from the previous films in the sequel. By the end of the year, filming was expected to begin in mid-2020.

Pre-production
In April 2020, Sony rescheduled the film to November 5, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In June, Marisa Tomei confirmed she would return as May Parker along with Watts as director. She was hopeful that May's work as a community organizer would be featured in the film. The next month, Holland said production was planned to take place from late 2020 to February 2021, and Sony shifted the film's release to December 17, 2021. Tony Revolori was also confirmed to be reprising his role as Flash Thompson.

In early October, Jacob Batalon and Benedict Cumberbatch were set to reprise their MCU roles of Ned Leeds and Dr. Stephen Strange, while Jamie Foxx was set to reprise his role as Electro from Sony's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). Filming was set to begin later in the month. With Foxx's casting, Richard Newby of The Hollywood Reporter discussed theories that the film was creating a live-action "Spider-Verse", saying he was not convinced as he felt the casting was a misdirect. He questioned whether a live-action version was necessary due to Sony's successful animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and felt a live-action Spider-Verse could "lessen the impact" of Into the Spider-Verse. Newby also discussed Cumberbatch's casting, believing it indicated that the film would draw inspiration from the "One More Day" and "One Moment in Time" comic book storylines in which magic is used to restore Parker's secret identity. Newby concluded that Dr. Strange and Electro could "lay the groundwork for an eventual Spider-Verse event, but something tells me we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves and the... film will be something more contained, though no less spectacular."

Filming
Second unit filming occurred from October 14 to 16, 2020, in Queens, New York,  under the working title Serenity Now,  to capture visual effects plates and establishing shots. Filming occurred in the Astoria, Sunnyside, and Long Island City neighborhoods. The production moved to Atlanta by October 25, with Holland, Batalon, and Zendaya joining for principal photography, after Holland finished shooting Sony's Uncharted (2021) two days earlier. Shooting occurred at Trilith Studios on a soundstage with strict safety measures in place to prevent exposure to COVID-19. Seamus McGarvey serves as cinematographer after doing so on Marvel's The Avengers (2012). It was delayed from an initial July 2020 start date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To reduce interactions between cast and crew members on set during the pandemic and prevent further shut downs, the production will reportedly rely on "innovative new technology" that will scan actors into a visual effects system that can apply make-up and costumes to actors during post-production.

Cumberbatch began shooting his scenes for the film in Atlanta by late November, before beginning work on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), which began filming that month in London. Filming will occur at Atlanta-area schools Frederick Douglass High School from January 22 to 24, 2021 and Henry W. Grady High School from March 19 to 21, 2021. The Atlanta Public Schools system had stopped allowing buildings in the district for use as filming locations because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but gave this film an exception since both were previously used as filming locations in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Filming is expected to also occur in Los Angeles and Iceland, and will last until March 2021.

Music
Michael Giacchino indicated he was set to compose the film by October 2020, after doing so for Homecoming and Far From Home, and confirmed his involvement the next month.

Marketing
In May 2020, Sony entered into a promotional partnership with Hyundai Motor Group to showcase their new models and technologies in the film.

Release
The film is scheduled to be released in the United States on December 17, 2021. It was previously set for release on July 16, 2021, but was pushed back to November 5, 2021, before it was further shifted to the December 2021 date, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be part of Phase Four of the MCU.

Future
By August 2019, a fourth film in the franchise was in development alongside the third film.