Jon Watts Returning To Direct The 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' Sequel
Spider-Man: Homecoming is a certified hit all around. Not only is it sitting high with a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, but the movie has already pulled in over $472 million worldwide after being in theaters for just under two weeks. The success of the movie can definitely be attributed to the reboot of the webslinger being part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but one of the main reasons the movie turned out so well is because of director Jon Watts, and both Sony and Marvel have decided to keep him around.The Hollywood Reporter has word on Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios hiring a Spider-Man Homecoming sequel director, and they're sticking with Jon Watts. The filmmaker who made a splash with the indie flick Cop Car before landing the blockbuster gig is in talks to direct the sequel that is slated for release in the summer of 2019, but currently has no title (though we know it won't carry the "Homecoming" moniker over).Tom Holland will reprise his role as Peter Parker, our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, and Zendaya will be back as Peter's classmate Michelle, as indicated by Kevin Feige when he talked about her place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as well as the future of the webhead. Surely Marisa Tomei will return as Aunt May, and that dynamic will be an interesting one considering what happened at the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming (you can read more about that over here, but beware of a big spoiler). Plus, Peter Parker would be lost without his good friend Ned Leeds by his side, so I'd expect Jacob Batalon to be back as well.
Beyond that, we don't know what a Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel will entail. The one thing we do know right now is that the sequel will begin just minutes after the end of Avengers 4, and it will help set the stage for the Marvel movies that will follow after. Since details on Avengers 4 are tightly under wraps, we'll just have to wait patiently to see how that movie will impact the next Spider-Man.
No matter what happens on the superhero side of things, for me the best thing about bringing Jon Watts back is that we know he'll keep Spider-Man grounded in the high school side of the story as well. All of the coming of age parts of Spider-Man: Homecoming felt right in line with classic teenage movies, and Watts will surely carry that over into the next chapter. The question is, who will end up writing the script? Will Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley return to write the first draft? We'll let you know as soon as we find out.
The untitled sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming arrives on July 5, 2019.