Spider-Man 4: No Way Home director breaks silence about MCU exit
Marvel StudiosAs Jon Watts makes the rounds promoting his newest film, the Spider-Man: No Way Home director finally reveals why he stepped away from the MCU.
Jon Watts is getting ready to make headlines again with the upcoming Wolfs, a new comedy/thriller starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney. Watts has had a gem of a career, which took off when he was rocketed from relative obscurity with his MCU Spider-Man trilogy.
The cap to that trilogy, 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, became one of the biggest MCU movies ever and makes Spidey the only Marvel star to have two films cross the magical $1 billion box office threshold.
For Watts, that seemed to be enough to call it a day. After such success, Watts told The Hollywood Reporter that he wanted to walk away knowing he could never recapture that lightning in a bottle.
“That was such a specific moment in time, and the reaction to that movie was just so unbelievable,” Watts says. “It’s never going to be like this, ever again.”
Sony Pictures/DisneyThe success with Spider-Man led to Watts being the first choice to direct Marvel’s highly-anticipated Fantastic Four reboot, but he left that project in 2022. WandaVision director Matt Shakman took over the project a few months later.
Watts was also one of the front runners to direct the upcoming Avengers duology of Doomsday and Secret Wars, but he reportedly passed, opening the doors for the Russos to return.
Fans aren’t sure what’s next for Spider-Man after Watts’ departure. Rumors indicate the upcoming Spider-Man 4 may be set on Battleworld, setting the stage for another multiverse outing similar to No Way Home.
Watts, meanwhile, is busy promoting Wolfs, in which Pitt and Clooney star as competing fixers hired for the same job. He’s also the co-creator of Disney+’s next Star Wars series, Skeleton Crew.
If you’re looking for more on Apple TV+’s upcoming Wolfs, read all about fans’ concerns over the film’s budget. Or, check out our guide to TV shows streaming in August and find out what new movies you should be watching.