Marc Webb Won't Direct 'The Amazing Spider-Man 4;' Would 'Love to Overlap' With Avengers

Despite the studio's plans to push a Spider-Man film into theaters on a yearly basis, someone should ask Sony what it plans on doing without both the franchise's star and the franchise's founding director. We've known since December that Andrew Garfield — Spider-Man himself — plans on hanging up his webshooters after The Amazing Spider-Man 3. In an interview with The Daily Beast, Marc Webb revealed that he too wouldn't be involved with The Amazing Spider-Man 4.

And you’re signed on to direct the third Amazing Spider-Man as well. Will that be it for you?
I’d like to be involved as a consultant, and I’ve already talked to these guys about it, but in terms of directing it, that will close out my tenure. I’ve had so much fun doing it, but after the third movie, it’ll be the time to find something else.

I really don't understand how Sony plans on making its Spider-Man cinematic universe happen. It's going to be hard enough populating this megafranchise with just one main character, but how do you deal with losing Garfield before you even introduce Venom or get to the Sinister Six movie? That would be like Marvel Studios losing Robert Downey Jr. before ever making an Avengers movie.

The Daily Beast also asked Webb about his thoughts on "more cross-pollination between Spidey and the other characters in the Marvel universe, like The Avengers." Like pretty much anyone else involved with making a non-Marvel Studios movie based on a Marvel property, Webb was for the idea, but couched it by saying, "We'd all love to overlap with other studios, but it's beyond my pay grade." C'mon, people above Marc Webb's pay grade, make this happen.