Marvel director backtracks on claims about three-way Spider-Man MCU crossover: ‘I was joking’

Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson has backtracked on recent claims about a multi-film Spider-Man crossover in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The filmmaker had previously said that all Spider-Man films were considered MCU canon, including Sam Raimi’s Noughties trilogy which starred Tobey Maguire as the webslinger, and the two Amazing Spider-Man films starring Andrew Garfield.

Derrickson’s comments led to speculation that the films could intersect without breaking MCU continuity by introducing the idea of a multiverse.

Explored in the 2018 animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse and alluded to in the title of the forthcoming Doctor Strange sequel (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), the multiverse would allow characters from alternate dimensions to interact with those from the core MCU timeline.

Derrickson left production of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness earlier this year amid creative differences with Marvel Studios. Spider-Man (2002) director Raimi has since taken over.

However, Derrickson posted on Twitter that his comments about the Spider-Man canon were not intended to be taken seriously.

“I was joking in an exchange with @ManMadeMoon,” he said. “Everyone needs to calm down.”

He then added “I meant Batman,” humorously referring to the DC Comics-owned superhero.

While Derrickson’s comments seem to dispel the idea of a three-way Spidey crossover, there’s nonetheless been plenty of evidence to suggest that a crossover could yet be on the cards.

JK Simmons reprised his role as irascible newspaper editor J Jonah Jameson from the Raimi Spider-Man trilogy at the very end of 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home.

He is also reported to have joined the cast of the forthcoming third MCU Spider-Man film, alongside Jamie Foxx, who played Max Dillon, aka Electro, in 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2.