When it comes to whether Marvel and Sony may be following up with another film to last year’s megahit, Spider-Man: No Way Home, actor Jacob Batalon says he isn’t holding out hope for continuing in the franchise.
When asked by Collider if he would return for a fourth Spider-Man film if a director other than Jon Watts was at the helm, Batalon said:
“Honestly, I don’t really put too much thought into that. I feel like we’re all really moving in ways where we’re not really hoping for it to happen. Not that it’s bad, I just feel like we’re not really anticipating another movie. I just feel like we’re all doing our own thing. But again, whatever happens, happens.”
Batalon, who played Ned Leeds in director Watts’ trilogy of web-slinger films, said he thinks the Spider-Man franchise will probably continue at some point — due to the cliffhanger ending in No Way Home — but maybe not necessarily with the same cast that we’ve come to know in Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, he did proclaim the experience to be a “beautiful ride” regardless.
Batalon did not completely eradicate every shred of hope for a possible return, no doubt keeping the flame alive for Ned fans everywhere. While the actor clarified that he is not aware of any future plans Marvel and Sony might have for the franchise, he admitted if the circumstances were right, we may not have seen the last of Mr. Leeds.
“[I]f it’s the right place, at the right time, with the right group of people that we’ve been with, I would say, why not? But other than that, whatever happens, happens. Really, those decisions are up to the big bosses, the people who sign the checks. We’re open to the idea, but we’re not hoping for it.”
We could definitely see how starring in such a beloved movie trilogy would be a precarious position for any actor. On the one hand, there was that cliffhanger ending that is just begging for the world to be further explored, especially with Tom Holland’s Peter Parker finally being cemented as the street-level hero we know from the comics. But on the other hand, the film was a fantastic trilogy so why fix what’s not broken by trying to top it with another film featuring the exact same cast?
In the meantime, you can catch Batalon on the SyFy show Reginald the Vampire, which premieres on Oct. 5
