As you may have heard, the deal between Disney and Sony that allowed Spider-Man to be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe recently ended. Everyone expected the companies to re-negotiate the deal without much fuss. That is… not what happened. At all. Though negotiations might still come through, many fans are devastated by the possibility of not seeing Spider-Man back in the MCU. Here’s what’s going on and why I need him back.
(This article contains spoilers for Endgame and Far From Home.)
A Bit of History
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is owned by Disney, but Disney does not own all of the film rights to Marvel Comics characters. Most notably, Disney does not own the rights to Spider-Man. In the 90s, when Marvel Entertainment was trying to recover from bankruptcy, they sold the cinematic rights of their most popular character to Sony. In 2015, once the MCU had been established as a blockbuster phenomenon, the two companies formed a deal. Sony would allow Spider-Man to appear in the MCU. Sony would take home nearly all of the box-office money for solo-Spidey films (Disney got 5% of the opening day revenue), but Disney would reap the benefits of increased toy sales (Disney owns all merchandising rights to the webslinger). This deal expired after Far From Home was released.
Negotiations Fail
Both companies wanted to re-negotiate the deal to keep Spider-Man in the MCU. Disney wanted both companies to equally finance the solo movies while each keeping 50% of the profits. Sony made a counter-offer (the details aren’t public) but Disney refused. It has been reported that negotiations are over for good just as often as it’s been said that negotiations are ongoing in private.
Sony’s refusal to split the profits 50/50 makes financial sense. Spider-Man is their biggest property. They don’t care how much his character means to the MCU, they care about money. Based on how much Homecoming and Far From Home made, taking half of the revenue is less profitable than making a film of their own (see: The Amazing Spider-Man 2). Future Spider-Man films would have to make enormous amounts of money for that deal to make sense for Sony, and, based on box-office history, it just wouldn’t make sense. A critically panned Spider-Man movie still makes a lot of money (once again, see: The Amazing Spider-Man 2).
Disney is certainly not hurting for money. It’s just plain stubbornness that caused them to let the deal fall through. I think they were hoping that fan outcry would pressure Sony to accept anything they were offered, but there was nothing wrong with the original deal. Sony got to make money off of the character that they rightfully own, and Disney got creative direction and could use him in ensemble films. Disney also benefited enormously by selling all of the movie tie-in action figures, Halloween costumes, etc. Now they’ve decided that they want all of the merchandise money and half of the movie profits, and it’s the fans who will suffer for it.
The Loss of Spider-Man
Spider-Man has become an integral part of the Marvel universe. Suddenly losing him would mean a lot of adjustments to Phase 4 and will leave some definite plot holes. From my understanding, losing Spider-Man doesn’t just mean Tom Holland can’t be onscreen in the MCU anymore, it means that other characters can’t even mention him. Peter Parker was a critical factor in motivating Tony Stark to help the other Avengers defeat Thanos in Endgame. Peter was selected to be Tony’s successor, and Far From Home sees him grapple with the weight of that duty. As the older Avengers leave the franchise, Peter is the young blood that will usher in the next era of superheroes. Without him, Marvel will have to scramble to fill that role while also explaining what happened to Spider-Man. Because this wasn’t planned, whatever explanation they come up with will inevitably fall short of what fans want.
Tom Holland is the Best Spider-Man
Tom Holland is the best Spider-Man, and yes, I am including the 1970s Japanese tv show version. His Peter Parker is an actual awkward, nerdy social outcast (perfectly encapsulated by the time he hugged Tony when the billionaire was just trying to close a car door). His struggle between his duty as a superhero and his desire to be a teenager is heart-achingly genuine. He’s young enough to be a believable teenager, though those days are numbered. Marvel’s Spider-Man movies are a breath of fresh air in a universe where every threat is colossal and world-threatening. He’s just a kid trying to do whatever is right, balancing superheroing with class trips and homework.
I want to see Holland continue in the MCU. I want to see his Peter Parker struggle to live up to the legacy he was handed, guide young new superheroes, and find his place in the world. I want to see him forge a new identity now that the whole world knows he is Spider-Man while also balancing college and a new relationship with MJ. I don’t want a hastily-contrived answer as to why he disappeared off the face of the earth (or rather, the MCU). I don’t want to watch another contractually-obligated Holland Spider-Man movie knowing it has no effect on the world he once belonged to. I just want him back.
Spider-Man (and more specifically Tom Holland’s Spider-Man) is an integral part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and has so much more to explore. So figure your shit out, Disney and Sony (but mostly Disney). We want him back.