Spider-Man 4: Jacob Batalon “isn’t hoping” for the sequel

Fans may be hoping for Spider-Man 4 in the future, but one star of the Marvel franchise, Jacob Batalon, isn’t on the same page.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is currently the sixth biggest box office hit in the world, as it took the world by storm during its initial run last year.

The film was a cultural juggernaut, as it featured all three film iterations of the web-slinging hero in the same movie for the first time. This success, plus the cliffhanger of an ending, would very much suggest the idea of an upcoming Spider-Man 4 film.

However, one star of the franchise, Jacob Batalon, who plays comedic best friend Ned, isn’t as hopeful for a fourth film as fans may be.

Batalon believes that he “may not necessarily be a part of” future Spider-Man films

In an interview with Collider, Jacob Batalon discussed his time in the Spider-Man films, along with how he feels about any appearances in the MCU films going forward.

Batalon mentioned how working on the third film, No way Home, was essentially a “full circle” moment for his character and his time in the franchise: “It was such a beautiful experience to be a part of, I think for all of us.

“We started at a very young age, being teenagers, essentially, when we started the first movie. And to really watch the arc of the movies come together and all of our characters come full circle, I would say that it was crazy.”

Ned was an integral part of the franchise, providing support and humor to Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. But while it seems apparent that Holland will continue to play the web-slinging hero in future films, Batalon isn’t so sure that his character will be involved.

He continued: “And then, to have it end the way it did, on such a cliffhanger, obviously, everyone wasn’t expecting that. I would say that it’s such a poignant ending to our movies.

“It really puts an exclamation on the continuance of Spider-Man, but maybe not with us, and I think that’s a great thing. We may not necessarily be a part of it, in the end, but it was a beautiful ride anyway.”

Will Ned appear in Spider-Man 4?

Maybe, but maybe not.

While it might seem ludicrous that Ned won’t be in future films, it is a possibility. Currently, there is no confirmed Spider-Man 4, and where we left the last film, Ned, along with everyone else in Peter Parker’s life, had forgotten about him, so he would likely be a lot less involved in any Spider-Man shenanigans than he has been in the previous movies.

Batalon also hasn’t heard anything from Marvel studios yet about his future in the MCU. He said: “I feel like actors are the last people to know. I think that people assume that actors are always hiding secrets. I promise you, we don’t know anything.

“But again, if 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.”

When asked how where the franchise would go, be it a new story or director, 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.”

Spider-Man: No Way Home is currently available to stream on Disney+