Fans are upset over the possibility of Tom Holland's Spider-Man not being included in future Marvel films due to dispute between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures, but a Sony rep says negotiations are still ongoing.
- Aug 21, 2019
AceShowbiz - A dispute between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures has threatened the future of Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The dispute, which has been going on for months, is allegedly about a co-financing agreement between the two companies.
Sony still holds the rights to Spider-Man and connected comic characters. Several years ago, the studio struck an agreement with Marvel to allow the web-slinger superhero appear in the MCU. Now, Disney reportedly asked to share co-financing on future Spider-Man films 50-50, while Sony wanted the financing arrangement to stay roughly the same as it has been on "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and "Spider-Man: Far From Home".
Deadline reported on Tuesday, August 20 that due to the standoff, Kevin Feige would no longer produce Spider-Man movies. That also means Spidey will no longer appear in the MCU, and future Spider-Man movies should not make any references to events or characters in the MCU.
Fans were understandably in shock after learning of the news. "Tony Stark died for Peter Parker to live. Just for us to lose Spider-Man anyways," one upset fans reacted on Twitter, while some others have gone as far as starting a petition threatening to boycott Sony's films and even the PlayStation 4 over the ordeal.
However, a rep for Sony says that it's still not a done deal. The rep told io9 that "it's their belief this dispute is simply over a producer credit and negotiations are ongoing. They further clarified Feige has contributed to other Spider-centric movies that he did not receive a producer credit on." EW's sources similarly claim that "negotiations are still ongoing, so the character's fate isn't sealed yet."
Meanwhile, Ryan Reynolds has responded to a fan who wishes to see a Spider-Man/Deadpool crossover movie, though the dispute may nix the possibility since the Merc with the Mouth is now Disney's property following the acquisition of the 20th Century Fox. "Can we get a Spiderman & Deadpool movie now, " the fan asked. The Deadpool depicter replied, "You can," but quickly added, "But you can only see it in my heart."
