The Spider-Man franchise is possibly the most popular comic-book adaptation to date, drawing record-breaking viewers to the box office during the opening weekends of all three films.

However, with Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst virtually counting themselves out for future movies, it looked like Spidey's series of films was going to end as a trilogy.

Not if director Sam Raimi has anything to say about it. According to Empire Online, he has expressed an interest in keeping Spider-Man web-slinging on the big screen for at least one more movie.

Raimi, who directed all three films, also added that David Koepp had previously been hired to come up with a viable script for the project, but is no longer attached to the production. Keopps writing credits include the first "Spider-Man" film, 2005s War of the Worlds and also the first two "Jurassic Park" movies. Raimi is now looking for a writer who has what it takes to keep the franchise fresh and exciting, and wants to be involved from start to finish : even if it's not in the director's chair.

"I want to help contribute to the production, Raimi said. I don't know if I'll just be a producer on it, but if I can work with the writer in such a way so that directing would be right for me, I don't know. We've had our first meeting on 'Spider-Man 4,' and we're looking for the writer."

Maguire has previously said that http://www.airlockalpha.com/news423360.html target=_blank>his plans were to end his run as the web-spinning hero with "Spider-Man 3" since he feels that the movie reached what he felt was a natural ending for the character. His co-star Dunst, who played Peter Parkers love interest Mary Jane Parker, has previously been reported saying that http://www.airlockalpha.com/news423529.html target=_blank>the franchise would never survive without her or Maguire's involvement.

Although the fourth film could easily work around the Mary Jane character thanks to the introduction of Peter Parker's other love interest Gwen Stacey (Bryce Dallas Howard) in Spider-Man 3, Maguire has become the face of the franchise since the first Spider-Man made its debut in 2002. Re-casting is not completely out of the question, but to some younger fans, whoever steps up to the role will need to work hard to gain the audiences acceptance.

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