Tom Holland's Spider-Man 4 May Feature One Of Marvel's Biggest Villains

Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios

Where there's smoke, there's usually fire ... and, folks, it is scorching hot right now. While Kevin Feige has attempted to define the next overarching storyline in the aftermath of "Avengers: Endgame" and the conclusion of the Infinity Saga, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Sony Pictures have had to make similarly big decisions regarding the franchise's flagship character. Tom Holland's Spidey hasn't been seen on the big screen since the crossover-happy threequel "Spider-Man: No Way Home" back in 2021, leaving fans to wonder exactly how his next adventure would take shape. Last we heard, "Spider-Man 4" was set to do battle with Christopher Nolan's next blockbuster in July of 2026. But after saving the world in "Endgame" and taking on the multiverse in "No Way Home," perhaps the better question is which supervillain will he come up against next?

We might finally have an answer to that. In scooper Jeff Sneider's latest newsletter, the controversial (yet oftentimes reliable) source reports that one of Spidey's biggest foes may factor into the fourth movie. Just in case it needs to be said, there will be potential spoilers from here on out.

In a scoop that /Film can back up with what we've heard from our own sources, Sneider claims that Marvel is eyeing Sacha Baron Cohen to play the role of long-rumored Marvel villain Mephisto. Deadline has previously reported that the "Borat" star secretly joined the production of the Disney+ series "Ironheart" and is "likely playing Mephisto." Given the MCU's habit of securing A-listers in significant roles to larger deals, it always stood to reason that the actor would appear in future projects well beyond "Ironheart" down the line. If Sneider is to be believed, that will lead to his appearance in "Spider-Man 4" in a dream come true for every hardcore fan who's fallen down the Mephisto rabbit hole over the years.

Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios

Are all those longstanding Mephisto rumors and near-misses finally about to come true? If so, it would appear that Marvel has been playing the long game, saving the fan-favorite supervillain for a juicy role in "Spider-Man 4." Of course, that possibility leaves us with several major implications to parse through. First, however, a caveat. Sneider indicates that one source casts doubt on Sacha Baron Cohen's casting in the next "Spider-Man" movie, claiming that he's also been cast in a "top-secret" 2025 movie for Universal that will demand much of his time in order to promote. But that's not stopping Sneider from reporting the following:

"I think Marvel boss Kevin Feige has big plans for Mephisto, who could very well end up being the primary villain in this new 'Spider-Man' movie, which needs a fresh hook.

'Spider-Man vs. the Devil' is a pretty good hook. But no confirmation on my end."

Secondly, it would seem that putting Mephisto at the forefront will inevitably have a trickle-down effect on the rest of the cast. Holland's co-lead (and real-life partner) Zendaya may pay the biggest price, as Sneider indicates that she's been given a "severely reduced role" — partly for story reasons, but mostly due to her commitments to filming for season 3 of HBO's suddenly in-flux "Euphoria" series and Denis Villeneuve's "Dune" threequel. But, for the cameo fiends among us, the newsletter also includes tidbits that Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock/Daredevil will be making an appearance (it's unclear whether Jon Bernthal will join him as Frank Castle/the Punisher). Yet most intriguingly of all, Sneider states that he's heard symbiotes will appear in the story ... though, oddly enough, he neglects to mention whether this will come in the form of Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock/Venom.

We'll have plenty of time to chew on these tidbits, as "Spider-Man 4" is slated to hit theaters July 24, 2026.