Major news arrived out of the movie world on Tuesday as reports surfaced that Spider-Man is leaving MCU. The character was brought back into the spotlight thanks to Marvel’s Avengers and several solo superhero films. However, the Sony and Marvel deal has reportedly fallen apart, meaning no more Spidey in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Why is Spider-Man leaving the MCU?
According to a report from Deadline on Tuesday (August 20), it all came down to money. Reportedly, Disney wanted to have a “50/50 co-financing arrangement” with Sony for future Spider-Man films. However, Sony rejected the offer and it was originally believed they didn’t offer any compromises either, as they want to keep ownership of their biggest film franchise going.
Deadline provided an update stating that inside sources said Sony offered compromises but that Disney declined what they offered.
The dispute basically caused Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige to walk away from producing future Spider-Man movies. Feige was responsible for producing the two most recent films starring Peter Parker aka Spider-Man. Avengers: Endgame went on to become the highest-grossing film ever under Disney, while Spider-Man: Far From Home didn’t do so badly either. In fact, it just recently became the highest-grossing film of all-time for Sony Pictures.
Spider-Man’s MCU history includes solo films, Avengers
After two Sony-produced outings starring Andrew Garfield in the lead role, Spider-Man made a big return to Marvel films. In May 2016, he popped up as part of Captain America: Civil War, joining Tony Stark’s side in the battle of the Avengers.
Actor Tom Holland took on the role and immediately became a fan favorite. After some initial friction, he also started to become a favorite of Stark (aka Iron Man), who warmed up to the web-slinger over the course of his time with the Avengers.
Rank Spider-Man’s appearances in the MCU, here’s mine:
1. Spider-Man: Far From Home
2. Avengers: Infinity War
3. Avengers: Endgame
4. Captain America: Civil War
5. Spider-Man: Homecoming pic.twitter.com/rP1I6QToj2— Angel Amaral (@BluRayAngel) August 18, 2019
Holland made his return in a solo film with Spider-Man: Homecoming, battling against the Vulture, played by Michael Keaton. Spidey returned again for Avengers: Infinity War with plenty of movie-stealing scenes. That included being a casualty of “the snap,” leaving viewers teary-eyed with Peter seeming to say his final words. He triumphantly came back to life for the grand finale of the sequel, Avengers: Endgame.
Just months ago, the newest solo Spidey film, Spider-Man: Far From Home took over theaters. Samuel L. Jackson was in the film as Nick Fury, with Jake Gyllenhaal appearing as Mysterio. Far From Home went on to become another blockbuster hit, crossing the $1 billion mark globally.
⚠️ SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠️ It’s time to step up. Watch the new #SpiderManFarFromHome trailer now and get your tickets today: https://t.co/1RcjED26Z8 pic.twitter.com/gW017eNYbR
— Spider-Man (@SpiderMan) May 6, 2019
Now, it appears that Sony is going to take on the property on their own again without Marvel’s involvement. That’s unfortunate news for fans of the franchise, as it seemed to have gained solid ground again after some missteps under Sony’s solitary care.
That said, there are two future Spider-Man solo films in the works, and it’s expected Tom Holland will still have the lead role, per ComicBook’s report. Unfortunately, it’s hard to imagine him without the rest of the MCU, making it feel like maybe Spidey has been banished to an alternate reality.