Where there's smoke, there's usually fire ... and, folks, that's it hot hot right now. As Kevin Feige sought to define the next overarching story after Avengers: Endgame and the end of the Infinity saga, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Sony Pictures had to make similar big decisions regarding the franchise's flagship character. Tom Holland's Spidey hasn't been seen on the big screen since 2021's crossover-happy Spider-Man: No Way Home triquel, leaving fans wondering exactly how his next adventure will shape up. Last we heard, Spider-Man 4 was set to battle Christopher Nolan's next blockbuster in July 2026. But after saving the world in "Endgame" and taking on the multiverse in "No Way Home," perhaps the better question is which supervillain will he face next?

We may finally have an answer to that. In the scooper Jeff Snyder's latest newslettercontroversial (yet often reliable) source reports that one of Spidey's greatest foes may be influencing the fourth film. Just in case it needs to be said, there will be potential spoilers from here on.

In what /Film may back up what we've heard from our sources, Snyder claims that Marvel is eyeing Sacha Baron Cohen to play the role of long-rumored Marvel villain Mephisto. Deadline previously reported that the "Borat" star has secretly joined production on the Disney+ series "Iron Heart" and is "likely to play Mephisto." Given the MCU's habit of securing A-listers in significant roles for bigger deals, it always stood to reason that the actor would appear in future projects well beyond Ironheart below. If Snyder is to be believed, that would lead to his appearance in Spider-Man 4 fulfilling the dream of any hardcore fan who fell down the Mephisto rabbit hole over the years.

Are all those long-standing rumors and near-misses of Mephisto will it finally come true? If so, it looks like Marvel is playing the long game, saving the fan-favorite supervillain for a juicy role in "Spider-Man 4." Of course, that possibility leaves us with several major implications for analysis. First, though, a warning. Snyder points out that a source is casting doubt on the casting of Sacha Baron Cohen in the next Spider-Man film, claiming that he has also been cast in a "top secret" 2025 film for Universal that will require a lot of his time to promote. But that doesn't stop Snyder from reporting the following:

"I think Marvel boss Kevin Feige has big plans for Mephisto, who could very well be the main villain in this new Spider-Man movie, who needs a new hook."

Spider-Man vs. The Devil is a pretty good hook. But there is no confirmation of my end."

Second, it seems that putting Mephisto in the foreground will inevitably have the effect of bringing down the rest of the cast. Holland's co-host (and real-life partner) Zendaya may pay the biggest price, as Snyder indicates she's been given a "severely reduced role" — partly for story reasons, but mostly due to her commitment to filming for Season 3 of Euphoria is currently streaming on HBO and Denis Villeneuve's Dune trilogy. But for the cameo fiends among us, the bulletin also teases that Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock/Daredevil will make an appearance (it's unclear if Jon Bernthal will join him as Frank Castle/The Punisher). Most intriguingly of all, though, Snyder says he's heard the symbiotes will appear in the story... though, oddly enough, he neglects to mention will this come in the form of Eddie Brock/Tom Hardy's Venom.

We'll have plenty of time to chew on these remarks, as Spider-Man 4 is set to hit theaters on July 24, 2026.