(Image Source: Pinterest, Sony Pictures)
Currently in production, "Spider-Man 4: Brand New Day" is helmed by "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" director Destin Daniel Cretton. However, before filming commenced, Sony Pictures extensively searched for a potential director to take the helm. This was due to Jon Watts, who directed the previous three installments, firmly declining to return, leaving Sony — which highly valued Watts — in a difficult position regarding his successor.
(Image Source: Pinterest)
Past rumored directors for "Brand New Day" included names from Justin Lin to Sam Raimi, who helmed Tobey Maguire's original trilogy. However, Sony Pictures CEO Tom Rothman's top choice consistently remained Watts.
Prominent film scooper MyTimeToShineHello recently revealed on X that after Watts' definitive decision not to return, Rothman had, for a period, intended to tap Ruben Fleischer, director of the first "Venom" film, to take over. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, however, vetoed the choice, leading Rothman to drop the idea. Feige then actively lobbied for Cretton to direct. MyTimeToShineHello did not specify why Feige disagreed with Fleischer taking the helm, but it's speculated this might be related to Feige's dissatisfaction with "Venom's" production outcome, making him hesitant to collaborate with the director behind it.