Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 doesn’t hit theaters until next May, but Sony is showing confidence in its The Amazing Spider-Man franchise by setting a release date for not only The Amazing Spider-Man 3, but The Amazing Spider-Man 4 as well.

Those films will arrive on June 10th, 2016 and May 4th, 2018 respectively, keeping with the current plan of a film roughly every 2 years.

It’s a very bold move by Sony to green-light these films this far in advance. With how spectacular the first movie was, there’s no indication that Webb’s second shot at the character is going to be any different, but you never know what will happen. It’s an unorthodox move, but it’s one I like for one main reason: it shows confidence.

That’s where the execs at Warner Bros. are lacking with their DC properties. They’ve seemed unwilling to commit to a Justice League project, and thus the film has sputtered so far. Sony is showing they’re all in for more than a sequel or a trilogy. They want a lasting franchise with the current core who made the first film successful.

Past Sony’s confidence, Spidey fans should be excited for the stories this makes possible.Webb is currently setting up for a Sinister Six showdown, or at least we can assume so by the array of villains he’s bringing in for TASM2, but it would be much too soon to see that story in this upcoming film, especially since we know Electro is the main villain.

The Green Goblin has been hinted at, and will likely be shown in this film, but he deserves to have an entire movie to himself. The Spider-Man universe is one of the richest in terms of villains, and this announcement of at least two more movies means Webb knows he doesn’t have to overload the villains for fear of never making it past a second film. Now there’s room for not only the Sinister Six but potentially Venom and Carnage down the road. Webb can plan long term, and the franchise will be better for it.

What do you think of these dates for future The Amazing Spider-Man films? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.