Tom Holland says Spider-Man 4 will "lean into that old-school filmmaking" and use "real locations" after Covid affected No Way Home: "We were really restricted"

Tom Holland in as Spider-Man holding onto a car in Spider-Man: No Way Home — (Image credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel)

Marvel is going back to "old-school filmmaking" for the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day, according to star Tom Holland. The fourth solo film for the MCU's Spidey is set to arrive in 2026, five years after No Way Home. The actor has opened up about returning to the beloved character, and the problems the previous movie faced due to the COVID pandemic.

"I'm obviously over the moon and so excited," Holland said during an interview in Flip Your Wig about Spider-Man 4, which is set to start filming this summer in Glasgow, Scotland.

"Playing Spider-Man is like hanging out with an old pal," he continued, "and I think we were really restricted with what we could do in the last movie because of COVID. We shot the entire film on stages. Now, we’re really gonna lean into that old-school filmmaking and shoot in real locations, which is why we're starting in Glasgow."

A return to practical locations and a more grounded story is a fantastic path forward for Holland's Peter Parker, who, across his appearances in the MCU, has often had to deal with big Avengers dramas, cosmic plots, and Multiverse conflicts. Those might still come to play in the story for one of the most exciting upcoming Marvel movies, but to have the film shooting in real places and Holland saying they're going back to origins are definitely good signs.

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Helmed by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton, Brand New Day is one of the most anticipated superhero movies next year, along with Avengers: Doomsday.

Marvel has already revealed some exciting cast names, including Jon Bernthal as The Punisher, and Stranger Things star Sadie Sink and The Bear's Liza Colón-Zayas in undisclosed roles. Zendaya and Jacob Batalon are also set to reprise their roles as Michelle “MJ” Jones-Watson and Ned Leeds, respectively, although it remains to be seen how they will fit in the story considering the ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home.

So far, Holland has hinted at a "fresh start" for his character, while recent MCU delays have led to some intriguing fan theories. We will have to wait to officially know what the movie is about and which new Marvel characters are going to debut in it.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is set to premiere on July 31, 2026, as part of Marvel Phase 6. For more, here's how to watch all of the Marvel movies in order, and also our guide for how to watch the Spider-Man movies in order.