Yes, you read this correctly. Spider-Man may potentially leave the MCU. There are multiple versions of the story going on, but most of them agree on the fact that Disney and Sony have had a disagreement when it comes to the new contract for Spider-Man. They were going to strike a new deal, and continue Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in the MCU for at least two more movies, but it recent events have changed that.
Today, we’re going to talk about everything that’s going on with Spider-Man, including: What’s going on with Sony and Disney, what this means for Spider-Man, and what Spider-Man 3 will look like. Let’s start!
What Happened?
Let’s start in the beginning. In 2015, Disney and Sony decided to share the rights to Spider-Man. This was after the Amazing Spider-Man franchise didn’t seem to be going well. After the first two movies, Sony decided that they would do a deal with Disney and Kevin Feige to introduce Spider-Man into the MCU. What would happen is that Spider-Man would be allowed to enter the MCU, and meet characters like Tony Stark, Captain America, and so forth. In return Sony would make money off of the film itself, and Marvel/Disney would make money off of the toys and other products. This deal also included Spider-Man to be in multiple movies, more than just his own like Civil War, Infinity War, and Endgame.
So that was the original deal. It allowed Tom Holland’s Spider-Man to be in five MCU movies over the next few years, and after that, the two companies would sign a new deal, that would allow Spider-Man to be in at least two more movies in the MCU, including a Spider-Man 3. So, what went wrong?
According to sources at Deadline, the two companies met up to discuss a new deal, but Disney told Sony that they wanted to split the rewards of the movie profits in half. Sony said no, and apparently countered offer with a lower percentage share for Disney, but Disney refused that offer. After this confrontation, it looks like Sony is going to pull out from any deal.
Now, a lot of people are wondering, what inspired Disney to ask for more money in the future Spider-Man films, besides the fact its the biggest movie company in the world.
Well, most people think the big inspiration was from Spider-Man: Far From Home. This movie wasn’t just the biggest Spider-Man movie, but it was also Sony’s most profitable film of all time. It grossed over a billion dollars for the company, but because of the contract in 2015, Disney didn’t see a dime of that money. It’s kind of reasonable to see why Disney would want some of that profit. In the end, it’s Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios that are creating this movie. They probably wanted a little more reward from doing all the hard work, but Sony doesn’t seem to really care.
Now, negotiations are still in progress. Nothing is set in stone, but right now the hope for Spider-Man is pretty bleak. Hopefully, the two companies will find a way to make a new deal. OR, even better, the Disney will just buy the rights for Spider-Man for a TON of money. Whatever happens, I’m down for, as long as Spider-Man still gets to stay in the MCU.
What Happens to Spider-Man if He Leaves?
This is important because what it means is if Sony pulls Peter Parker out of the MCU, this means that he will no longer have any ties to the MCU. He can’t mention anyone, including Tony Stark, or any tech from the MCU. This also includes Edith, the Iron Spider Armor, and would also kill Happy and Aunt May’s relationship. ;(
Now, just like everything, there a benefits and downsides to this arrangement. The downside is we wouldn’t see Spider-Man in the next Avengers film or see him interact with the Hulk, Thor, Fantastic Four, Wolverine, or Deadpool. This would be devastating to Peter Parker’s character. Peter Parker was meant to exist with other superheroes. He was written in a world that was filled with people just like him. Having Spider-Man in the MCU makes him seem more friendly and special. This is one reason why I believe Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is the best. Not only is Tom Holland, the best person to play Peter Parker, but having him interact with the other characters in the MCU makes it that much better.
On the bright side, if this deal doesn’t go through, this means we will most likely see a crossover between Tom Hardy’s Venom and Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. These two are both owned by Sony and if this deal goes through we could definitely see these two clash. Maybe Venom 2 could hint towards Peter Parker, or maybe the next Spider-Man film can have a cameo of venom. We don’t know, but this could be really cool to see unfold.
Sony has a lot of plans for Spider-Man, and if they wanted to keep him in a universe that feels wide, they could do something like a live action Spider-Man multiverse. This could help Spider-Man feel like he’s in a wider universe than just himself, without the MCU. There are different directions Sony can take with Spider-Man.
What Does Spider-Man 3 Look Like?
Sony can definitely just go off of the post credit scene of Spider-Man: Far From Home, and build off of that. A lot of people have been talking about the Sinister Six as the villains for the next movie. Honestly, I think that would be a bit too soon. I think it would be better if Sony did that for a Spider-Man 4 movie. Still though, they have set some ground work for the Sinister Six, with Scorpion at the end of Homecoming, Mysterio, and Venom. Although, I think the Tom Hardy’s Venom isn’t as evil as more of an anti-hero.
But the Sinister Six would be awesome to see on the live screen, but I think its a bit risky right now, because we don’t want another Toby McGuire Spider-Man 3 incident do we? One of the many problems in that movie is that there are too many villains in that movie. Now, the Sinister Six are different from that because they are all working together, as a single plot, but knowing Sony, in the past they haven’t cared as much in creating good Marvel movies. They care more about the money.
That’s one thing that makes Marvel Studios so great. Kevin Feige, the writers, directors, and actors all at Marvel Studios, are all HUGE fans of comic books. This is one of the major reasons why the MCU is such a big success. I’ve talked about this before, and its why the DCEU isn’t that good right now, but back on the topic at hand. Sony doesn’t care as much about the fans as much as Marvel Studios does. This concerns me a little bit, when it comes to Spider-Man. Although, the Venom movie was created by Sony, and it was pretty good. It wasn’t INCREDIBLE, but it was a good movie. With Tom Holland as Spider-Man, I think Sony has a chance at creating a wonderful movie. I’m just not sure if it will be as good as Homecoming and Far From Home.
Well, there you go guys. Hopefully, Sony and Disney will work something out, because Spider-Man is one of my favorite superheroes and I would hate to see him leave the MCU. Let me know in the comments below if you would rather have Spider-Man be in a venom crossover or to stay in the MCU. I personally just want Disney to buy Spider-Man, all his villains, and Venom. Then all our dreams would come true…
Anyway, I’ll see you guys next time!
Jmanthoughts 