He’s back, everybody. It may be only temporarily, but for the moment Spider-Man is back in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Sony Pictures left fans with a scare last month after the studio failed to renegotiate their contract with Walt Disney for the webhead’s future with the MCU. Originally, their contract gave Disney a five percent cut of Spider-Man’s earnings while Sony retained exclusive financing, distribution, and creative rights over the MCU’S Spider-Man movies. Talks of renegotiating fell apart, however, when Disney proposed a new deal that included a 50/50 co-financing agreement. Sony wasn’t satisfied with that proposal and wanted to stick with the terms of the original agreement. After neither Sony or Disney could reach a compromise, negotiations fell apart and Spider-Man was excluded from the MCU.
That all changed Friday when Sony and Disney reached a new deal to temporarily keep Spider-Man within the MCU. According to Variety, the new agreement includes a 75/25 co-financing agreement between the two studios. The new agreement allows Tom Holland to appear in a third Spider-Man movie, as well as another Marvel movie outside of his own series.
Fans that were in an uproar over last month’s developments should be able to breathe with a sigh of relief now that this new deal has gone through. With this new agreement secured between Sony and Walt Disney, Spidey will now be able to conclude his arc throughout his trilogy, as well as potentially appear in the fifth Avengers movie whenever that’s slated to come out. However, just because Spidey’s now back in the MCU doesn’t mean it will stay that way forever. It’s important to remember that while Sony and Disney have reached a temporary deal, that deal is temporary. It’s up to Sony and Disney to negotiate future Spidey appearances within the MCU after he’s appeared in his third movie and another Marvel movie, as well as what that partnership may mean going forward.
The third film in Tom Holland’s Spider-Man trilogy is scheduled for release on July 16, 2021.
– David Dunn
SOURCE: Variety, IndieWire
DAVID DUNN 