Last week, Spider-Man fans were stunned when it was announced that director Sam Raimi and stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst would not be returning for Spider-Man 4. Whether the studio just wanted a new younger direction for the series, or the principals walked out when they saw a direction they didn't like, who knows, but Sony has wasted no time replacing the director so that the movie can get back on track for its new Summer 2012 release schedule.

Sony Pictures Entertainment announced yesterday that Marc Webb will be taking the helm of Spider-Man 4. His most recent movie to hit the big screen (and his feature film debut) was last year's (500) Days of Summer, which received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture, and received decent reviews by critics and audiences when it was released in July 2009.

Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures, said the following about the announcement:

At its core, Spider-Man is a small, intimate human story about an everyday teenager that takes place in an epic super-human world. The key for us as we sought a new director was to identify filmmakers who could give sharp focus to Peter Parker's life. We wanted someone who could capture the awe of being in Peter's shoes so the audience could experience his sense of discovery while giving real heart to the emotion, anxiety, and recklessness of that age and coupling all of that with the adrenaline of Spider-Man's adventure. We believe Marc Webb is the perfect choice to bring us on that journey.

Hopefully, this will begin the process of putting Spider-Man 4 back on track. Let's hope that Sony made this move for more reasons than the obvious puns between the director's last name and the franchise's lead character...

Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment Press Release

What Do You Think? Does Marc Webb Have What It Takes?

Leave your comments below!