Spider-Man director has shared his advice for whoever directs Spidey 4 and fans aren't happy

Spider-Man: No Way Home
(Image credit: Sony)

Spider-Man director Jon Watts has passed on some wisdom to the next Spidey helmer – but fans aren't best pleased. 

"I have a very practical bit of Spider-Man advice, and I think every Spider-Man director goes through it," Watts shared with Collider. "It doesn't look good when someone is just swinging on a rope. You think you're gonna go in there, you're like, 'we're gonna do it all practical. We're gonna get a stuntman. We're gonna be swinging around.' It's boring. It looks dumb. It looks like a monkey swinging on a vine when you put someone on just a rope. Don't waste your time. That's my advice to the next Spider-Man director."

Marvel fans, though, have pointed out that practical effects can look great. "Unironically my favorite web swing scene in any Spider-Man movie is this The Amazing Spider-Man 1 scene and it's all practical," says one fan, along with a clip of the movie. 

"'It doesn't look good when someone is just swinging on a rope.' Meanwhile, Marc Webb over a decade ago… One of the reasons why The Amazing Spider-Man is still such a banger. Practical sets/stunts have a huge impact. The blending of real performers and CGI is the way to go," is another person's verdict. 

"I have never heard a director being so completely wrong," says another person

"Web-swinging was the one thing that lacked in the Home trilogy. Would’ve loved to see some more," says this fan

Not everyone agrees, though. "How do I break it to some Spider-Man fans that all the good web swinging scenes are CGI bc you can’t actually do that with a real person," says one fan

"I keep seeing people bashing Jon Watts for this take, but I think it’s being misinterpreted. Just like previous films, John has used practical effects for his Spider-Man swinging sequences. But just like other Spider-Man movies, he needed to use CGI for the bigger stuff," adds another person

Spider-Man 4 hasn't been officially confirmed by Marvel yet, so this debate might be a little premature anyway. 

Next up for Marvel is Deadpool 3, which hits theaters this July 26 in the US and July 25 in the UK. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows for everything else the MCU has in store. 

Molly Edwards
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm a Senior Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.