Having Sony and Marvel reunite over the future of Spider-Man movies was, to most, a blessed event. With Tom Holland’s Peter Parker guaranteed for more Marvel Cinematic Universe adventures, as well as his own franchise getting a threequel to continue his solo outings, it felt like the job was done and all was right with the world. And yet, I can’t help but be bummed out about it all.
I mean sure, bringing Spider-Man back into the MCU is something that’ll be exciting to see continue, as it’s worked rather well so far. But with Sony temporarily regaining complete control over Spider-Man, my imagination ran wild with the possibilities. Now, with those dreams dashed for the time being, I’m going to share with you just why Spider-Man returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a bittersweet, double-edged sword.
Sony’s Spider-Man Could Have Gotten Weirder Than Ever
In the run up to the eventual reconciliation between Sony’s Spider-Verse and Marvel’s Cinematic Universe, there were so many possibilities that were bandied about in regards to where the future Spider-Man films would go. Potential crossovers with Venom and Morbius, as well as the recently announced Madame Web spinoff, had the potential to head into the really weird, interconnected world that their properties have shared in the comics.
But with a reunited Marvel/Sony partnership, those crossovers might be more sedate affairs involving an evil symbiote, a vampire and a clairvoyant crime fighter. Which, to be honest, is still better than nothing. Though seeing a Spider-Man movie with Tom Holland in the role, and outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s carefully tended garden, is something that was an exciting silver lining.
A Sequel To Into The Spider-Verse Could Be Impacted
As producer/former Sony chair Amy Pascal teased to the world that there was definitely work being done on a Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse sequel, there still hasn’t been a total confirmation or announcement of the potential production start/release date. While it doesn’t feel like a project that would be affected by the Sony/Disney live-action deal, there’s a possibility that whatever this new agreement stipulates could play a role in that film’s production.
Namely, Disney and Marvel won’t want a competing film that could not only see Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse’s cast of characters facing off against the MCU proper, but might also make a ton of money by its mere existence. Much like the live-action films, Disney may also want a say in what Spider-Verse’s sequel and characters can or cannot do under this new agreement, which may stall any ongoing development.
Building The Sony Spider-Verse Would Be Amazing Competition For The MCU
This is a good time to reiterate that by no means is the Sony/Marvel reunion a bad idea. It’s fantastic that Peter Parker can still continue to be an awesome ally to The Avengers, and seeing him potentially riff with characters like Doctor Strange and Black Panther’s Shuri is something that would be neat to watch unfold on the big screen. And yet, if Spider-Man was forced to compete with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, that might have resulted in bigger and better films.
Spider-Man could have been forced to use the Sinister Six card, finally making Peter Parker’s worst nightmares come true, which in turn could have led Marvel to play the Illuminati card, drawing in the Fantastic Four and X-Men into the MCU once and for all. Now that everyone is in line once again, and everyone’s on the same page, all parties can afford to wait until they feel like using those concepts.
Spinoffs Like Spider-Gwen Feel Further Off In An MCU Partnership
In another case of the animated world moving faster than the live-action universe, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse’s public acceptance led Sony to announce work being done on a sequel to that film, as well as an “untitled Spider-centric project.” As there are any number of characters, from Spider-Gwen to Spider-Man 2099, who could be used for that film’s inspiration, these sorts of plans could be pushed to the side depending on the roadmap/conditions that Disney and Sony have agreed upon.
What if Marvel Studios wants Spider-Gwen to be a live-action spinoff rather than an animated ass kicker? Could Sony see itself on the receiving end of a deal similar to the one that saw Hulu’s Ghost Rider series get its plug pulled, presumably for some planned Marvel Cinematic Universe action? Those are questions worth asking in light of an agreement that could have seen both studios shrewdly negotiating, with everything and anything on the table.
We’re Probably Going To Go Through This Spider-Man Drama Again In The Future
Everything mentioned above leads to the ultimate bummer that looks to rear its head yet again at some point in the near future. We’ve already seen Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures stall, balk and eventually pull what could have been an act of corporate theater in order to trigger a renegotiation for Spider-Man’s fate. So what’s to say it won’t happen again?
What if, ultimately, Sony and Marvel potentially get into a bigger, more prolonged war that sees the two parties not seeing spider-eye to spider-eye? It’s a scary thought, but with the success of Spider-Man: Far From Home only promising a bigger return for its 2021 slated sequel, another split would mean higher stakes, and possibly greater tactics to keep this Spider-Family together.
Tom Holland was apparently a key figure in being able to make things work out between Sony and Disney, but he can only do so much. There’s a chance that whatever potential fight awaits down the road, it could be too much for Holland alone to fight.
Spider-Man: Far From Home is currently on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD, as well as Digital HD. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates on the Web-Slinger's big screen future, and don't forget to look through our comprehensive guide on what else is coming down the MCU pipeline. You can also keep track of what movies are still to come this year in our 2019 release schedule.
This poll is no longer available.
