Some seriously good, or bad depending upon your perspective, news today from Deadline Hollywood Daily which indicates that Tobey Maguire and director Sam Raimi will be returning to the “Spider-Man” franchise for a fourth and potentially fifth film.

Sources say Sony has only just locked in both veterans, though there’s no deal yet for Kirsten Dunst even though the character of Mary Jane Watson is in the film.

Expect a more light-hearted approach like the first two Spideys rather than a grim “The Dark Knight” tone – “Spider-Man is its own thing… the difference between Spider-Man and Batman is that Batman is duelling with a dark side of himself, and that’s not what Peter Parker’s struggle is” says an inside source.

There’s also re-iteration of an old Cinematical story that the studio is trying to figure out if it can feasibly shoot a fourth and fifth “Spider-Man” at the same time because doing so is cost effective.

No villain announced yet either but a source says “once you find out who the villain is, you’ll know who’s playing it.” Shooting doesn’t start until next Fall because of the recently postponed May 2011 release.