Christopher Nolan's Next Movie Will Have 'Ripple' Effects On Two MCU Projects

Spider-Man actor Tom Holland joined the cast of Christopher Nolan’s next movie after Oppenheimer. Consequently, the latest addition to Nolan’s next project will impact two highly-anticipated MCU films: Spider-Man 4 and Avengers: Doomsday.

Spider-Man 4 will follow the box office hit No Way Home, released nearly three years ago. Regardless of when Spider-Man 4 releases in theaters, it will mark the longest gap between Holland’s solo MCU films, as the previous ones were released two years apart. Marvel Studios. Script issues were partly responsible for the delay, with Marvel Studios and Sony reportedly at odds over the story direction. Fortunately, Holland read and approves of the latest Spider-Man 4 script, even if he acknowledges it still needs work. Similarly, Avengers: Doomsday was retooled when Marvel Studios dropped plans for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty after firing Jonathan Majors from the role of the titular villain when he was found guilty of two misdemeanor counts of assault and harassment.

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The Hollywood Reporter notes that with his new role in Nolan’s next movie, Holland will have to “juggle” his schedule for the project with Spider-Man 4 and Avengers: Doomsday, which are both slated to begin production in 2025. While his role in Spider-Man 4 is no surprise, Holland is rumored to be a key player in Avengers: Doomsday because of Robert Downey Jr.’s casting as Doctor Doom. The Spider-Man 4 delays also impacted Dune 3, as Zendaya will now have the wait until early 2026 to begin filming Denis Villeneuve’s third chapter instead of next year.

While plot details on Nolan’s next movie are under wraps, i09 reports that the project is rumored to be a vampire film set in the ’20s. This lines up with THR’s report that the project is not set in the present day. Aside from that, all that fans know about Nolan’s mystery project is that it also stars Matt Damon and was written by the director himself. While Oppenheimer was picked up by Universal in an open auction, Nolan’s next movie reportedly went directly to the studio. Universal undoubtedly wanted to work with Nolan again after Oppenheimer was a box office hit and won several Academy Awards, including Best Supporting for Downey Jr., Best Actor for Cillian Murphy, Best Best Director for Nolan, and Best Picture.

Holland’s Spider-Man is expected to have a substantial role in Avengers: Doomsday because Peter Parker had close ties to Downey Jr.’s Iron Man. The MCU Spider-Man was introduced to the franchise when Tony Stark/Iron Man recruited the young hero on a mission to thwart Steve Rogers and his cohorts in Captain America: Civil War. Tony Stark was then a mentor to Holland’s Peter Parker until the former sacrificed himself by using the Infinity Stones to defeat Thanos and his army. Holland’s Peter Parker was among the most impacted by Tony Stark’s death in Avengers: Endgame, and his grief was a plot point in the next MCU film, Spider-Man: Far From Home.

So, even if Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom is merely a Tony Stark lookalike instead of an evil variant, Holland’s Spider-Man will likely notice the resemblance between the next Avengers villain and his departed mentor. This could be an emotional beat that the Avengers: Doomsday writers and directors can tap into, as the relationship between Tony Stark and Peter Parker provided some memorable moments that resonated with audiences.

Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to be released in theaters on May 1, 2026, and Nolan’s next movie is slated for July 17, 2026.

Avengers: Doomsday is the fifth Avengers film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will bring together heroes, new and old, to face off against Victor von Doom – played by the returning Robert DOwney Jr. Avengers 5 will also mark the beginning of phase 6 of the MCU.