Another “Barbenheimer” could happen soon, and this time it will be all about Tom Holland. Barbie and Oppenheimer It broke all kinds of box office records in 2023, with both films trending on social media due to their overlapping release dates and contrasting themes. Greta Gerwig Barbie and Christopher Nolan Oppenheimer they were both released on July 21, 2023producing a rather unusual double scenario. With Tom Holland cast in Christopher Nolan’s next film, it looks like a similar situation will happen in 2026.
Tom Holland has been the face of Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starring in three solo films as the iconic character, as well as multiple appearances in other Marvel films since 2016. Marvel’s Spider-Man 4 was confirmed, breaking a trend for the character, as Spider-Man had previously only appeared (or planned to appear) in trilogies. However, Tom Holland’s upcoming films propose an interesting connection that could lead to another 2023 Barbenheimer-like event, such as Spider-Man 4 and Christopher Nolan’s next film will be released just a few days apart.
Tom Holland’s Nolan Movie and Spider-Man 4 Will Release Side-by-Side
The films will be released just a few days apart
Christopher Nolan’s next film and Spider-Man 4 both will star Tom Holland and will also be released back-to-back. Nolan’s next film has a confirmed release date of July 17, 2026, according to an official announcement from Universal Pictures, confirming a trend for Nolan’s films to be released in July. The film’s title is currently unknown, as is the story and premise. However, Matt Damon was cast alongside Tom Holland. With two big names linked to the project, Nolan’s next film looks to follow the director’s traditions of a star-studded cast and July releaseas seen previously in Oppenheimer.
|
Upcoming Tom Holland Movies |
Release date |
|---|---|
|
Avengers: Judgment Day |
May 1, 2026 |
|
Untitled Christopher Nolan film |
July 17, 2026 |
|
Untitled Spider-Man sequel |
July 24, 2026 |
Interestingly, the MCU Spider-Man 4 has a similar release date, as Marvel announced that the next Spider-Man the film will be released on July 24, 2026. While this doesn’t correspond with Barbenheimer’s release on the same day, there are only seven days left between Christopher Nolan’s film and the new Spider-Manwhich will cause an overlap in theaters. Furthermore, Nolan has a long history of producing blockbuster films and Spider-Man has a huge IP tied to a broader franchise, which means the July 2026 box office results will be quite impressive with these two films being shown at the same time.
July 2026 will be the biggest month of Tom Holland’s career so far
2026 will also include Avengers: Judgment Day
Even though Tom Holland has been in a wide variety of films, July 2026 looks to be the biggest month of his career so far. The actor quickly rose to fame with his success in the MCU, however, some of Tom Holland’s non-Marvel projects are missing. Cherry and The crowded room were not appreciated by critics and, although Unknown was commercially successful, many fans felt it didn’t do the game franchise justice. However, the casting of Tom Holland in Christopher Nolan’s film could end this bad phase and provide one of the actor’s biggest roles outside of the MCU.
Starring in a Marvel film and being one of the leads in Christopher Nolan’s next film will mean that Tom Holland will be busy over the next few years in preparation for both films’ July 2026 release date. Nolan’s film is scheduled to begin filming in early 2025, and Spider-Man 4 will begin production in mid-2025which means that projects like Unknown 2 will likely be on hold due to Tom Holland’s schedule. Not to mention Avengers: Judgment Daywhich will be released on May 1, 2026 and will likely include Spider-Man in some form.
Will Nolan’s Untitled Movie or Spider-Man 4 Move?
IMAX screens could be a major factor
With both films set for release in mid-July 2026, causing a possible Barbenheimer-like situation, we have to wonder; will it be Nolan’s untitled film or Spider-Man 4 move? Considering the director’s long-standing habit of releasing films in July, It seems unlikely that Christopher Nolan will change the release date of his next filmespecially with the success of Oppenheimerreleased in July 2023. However, the competition between Tom Holland Spider-Man the sequel and new Christopher Nolan film is something both studios may want to avoid.
On the other hand, there was a similar conflict in 2023 regarding a Marvel and Christopher Nolan film. Despite being released two months later Oppenheimer surpassed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 at the box office, delivering an unlikely victory against a franchise as big as Marvel. With apparent “superhero fatigue” still circulating among film fans, there’s an opportunity for Nolan’s next film to surpass a Marvel film once again. However, this may not be enough to move Spider-Man 4 release date due to the character’s previous success, so Tom Holland will likely take over screens for both films in July 2026.