Why Spider-Man Is Going To Remain In The MCU For Good
|By- Parshva Shah|
2019 was almost a disastrous year for all the Marvel fans because Sony and Disney (the parent company of Marvel Studios) couldn’t work out a new deal for the wallcrawler to stay in the MCU beyond his five-movie contract.
Sony holds the rights to Spider-Man and characters related to him (such as Venom, Morbius etc.) and looking at the amount of love and success Tom Holland’s Spider-Man received, it was obvious that Sony would want complete control.
In a rather dramatic turn of events, Tom Holland saved the day by drunk calling Disney CEO Bob Iger, asking him to work out a new deal with Sony because of both his and the fans’ desire of letting Spider-Man remain where he truly belongs, the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since Sony and Disney have renegotiated terms and have further extended the deal to two movies – one a Far From Home sequel slated for a 5th November 2021 release, and the other a crossover film where he would appear alongside other characters from the MCU – they have been playing really nicely with each other.
All signs point towards one direction – Peter Parker will remain in the MCU and probably be the torch-bearer during the upcoming phases. In this article, we take a look at the reasons why.
FINANCIAL ADVANTAGE
Let’s not shy away from the fact that Sony joining hands with Marvel Studios has worked wonders for both the studios. It wasn’t until Spider-Man landed in the MCU that a standalone Spidey flick grossed over a billion dollars at the global box office (Spider-Man: Far From Home grossed $1.132 billion worldwide).
The big heads over at Sony understand that Spider-Man movies are going to be a recipient of unprecedented success with Kevin Feige manning the projects, and it comes as no surprise to hear these words from Chairman of Sony Pictures, Tom Rothman, during the Hollywood Reporter Executive Roundtable: “This was a classic win-win-win. A win for Sony, a win for Disney, a win for the fans.” (when asked if the partnership between Sony and Marvel Studios will continue after the trilogy)
TOM HOLLAND’S HEART IS AT MARVEL STUDIOS
For someone who is not a Hollywood veteran, it speaks voluminously about Tom Holland’s determination to fight for Spider-Man to stay in the MCU when he called Disney CEO Bob Iger from a pub.
Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, previous actors to have reprised Peter Parker on the big screen, have parted ways in the past when things seemed to go downhill. But not Tom Holland. Holland convinced Bob Iger to end the disputes with Sony because he loves to play the character, more so in the shared universe with other characters that are equally loved.
He would’ve retained the role of Spider-Man anyway had there never been a new deal, but he did what his heart wanted, and that goes far to show that Tom Holland’s heart is at the Marvel Studios.
MORBIUS: THE LIVING VAMPIRE
The picture above is the first direct reference of Spider-Man’s existence in the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters (SPUMC). The word ‘murderer’ sprayed over Spider-Man’s mural references a scene from Spider-Man: Far From Home, where Mysterio was shown to be killed by Spider-Man.
Michael Keaton’s appearance in the trailer only adds further fuel to the fire. It is all but confirmed that Keaton is playing Adrian Toomes (Vulture) in the trailer and is seen in the same white prisoner uniform that he was seen wearing in the post-credit scene of Spider-Man: Homecoming.
It was confirmed that the events of MCU will have consequences on the happenings in SPUMC, but not the other way round. However, with Adrian Toomes’ character already appearing in the Morbius’ trailer, and speculation that all things lead to the formation of Sinister Six, it might well be the case that the events of Morbius and Venom 2 will affect the MCU and not just the Spider-Man movies.
MIGUEL O’HARA MIGHT BE ARRIVING TO THE MCU
Reports have surfaced that Sony and Marvel Studios are eyeing a Disney+ show for Miguel O’Hara A.K.A. Spider-Man 2099. According to reputed scooper Mikey Sutton, his sources have informed that there a talks of a Disney+ show for Spider-Man 2099 that would be set within the MCU, and would be overlooked by Kevin Feige is the project is greenlit. And Sutton even stated that this particular source has been accurate with such reports in the past.
Now, if Spider-Man wasn’t meant to stay within the MCU, releasing a Spider-Man 2099 show on Disney+ doesn’t make much sense.
AMAZON AND APPLE ARE AMONG THE COMPANIES LOOKING TO PURCHASE SONY
Although it has been long since these reports emerged, Apple or Amazon’s acquisition of Sony still remains a big possibility. If these deals do materialize in the future, the rights of not just Spider-Man, but the rights of all the related characters from the Spiderverse will return to Marvel Studios for free.
If I were to personally predict the future of Spider-Man in the MCU, I would say that he is set to remain for a very, very long time. I even think he will get a second trilogy in the MCU, and lead the Avengers alongside Captain Marvel in a future Avengers project (reported to be Avengers Secret Wars: Battleworld).
For now, though, fans need to be excited about what’s going to unfold in the as-yet untitled Spider-Man: Far From Home sequel that would hit the screens next year, as Peter Parker would be on the run, trying to save himself from the false accusations of murdering Mysterio along with the task of saving his own identity.
Great 👏👏👏