Marvel’s involvement in ‘Spider-Man’ movies may be in doubt
LOS ANGELES >> With great success comes great re-negotiation. In the wake of the announcement that “Spider-Man: Far From Home” is now the highest-grossing film ever in Sony Pictures’ history, reports surfaced that Marvel Studios may be stepping away from the cross-studio partnership.
The Hollywood trade Deadline reported today that there was a disagreement over the profit-sharing structure.
According to a person close to the deal who was unauthorized to speak publicly, negotiations are not yet final. But the suggestion that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige may not produce future live-action “Spider-Man” movies and that the character itself might not appear in any more Marvel Cinematic Universe films quickly turned into a trending topic.
Sony has held the rights to the Marvel character since 1985, but in 2015, announced a partnership with Disney and Marvel that would allow Spider-Man to be used in MCU films like “Avengers: Endgame.” It also allowed for Feige to serve as a producer on stand-alone “Spider-Man” movies like “Far From Home.”
The crossovers have been well-received by audiences and critics. And the teenage web-slinger has been made into a central component in the MCU with a close relationship to Tony Stark that drove the story lines in both “Endgame” and “Far From Home.” But as Marvel enters its “Phase 4,” Spider-Man also has no official MCU appearances planned.
Two standalone “Spider-Man” movies are, however, reportedly in the works from Sony which would bring back director Jon Watts and star Tom Holland. Sony has also created its own web of Spider-Man spinoffs, including the Oscar-winning animated feature “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” and “Venom.”
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
Representatives from the two studios did not respond to requests for comment.