'Spider-Man' Sequel To Be Directed By Marc Webb

Face it, Marc Webb — you just hit the jackpot!

Webb, director of Sony's superhero hit "The Amazing Spider-Man," has officially been announced as the director of the still-untitled follow-up. Andrew Garfield has also been confirmed for another round as friendly neighborhood wall-crawler Peter Parker, while Emma Stone is in talks to return to the series "and is expected to reprise her role as Gwen Stacy," according to a press release. Production is set to begin in early 2013 based on a screenplay written by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Jeff Pinkner.

"We could not be more confident in the direction we are taking this new Spider-Man storyline and we are tremendously excited to be ramping up production again with Marc at the helm and Andrew continuing on as Peter Parker," Columbia Pictures president Doug Belgrad said in a statement. "We can't wait to share what we have in store for Peter and Spider-Man with audiences worldwide."

Webb's return to the "Spider-Man" franchise wasn't always a foregone conclusion. Belgrad previously referred to "obstacles" and "an obligation to Fox" that might keep the director away from the "Amazing" sequel, and even Webb himself side-stepped the question prior to his first "Spider-Man" film's release.

"People ask about the sequel and I'm like, 'Well, you know, I don't know if I want to do that, but I love the process,'" he said in June. "I love Andrew and Emma. But it's like asking someone who has just given birth, 'Do you want to get pregnant again?'"

It appears that, yes, Webb would like to get pregnant again, in a manner of speaking. His "Spider-Man" sequel is due out in theaters on May 2, 2014.

Check out everything we've got on "The Amazing Spider-Man 2."