According to Deadline, Disney and Sony have failed to reach a deal for Marvel Studios to continue producing the Spider-Man films with Tom Holland. Thanks to a lack of agreement, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige will no longer be involved creatively with the Spider-Man franchise. Sony will instead be taking the creative lead, a lead extending to their own Sony Universe of Marvel characters.
In the wake of Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home the studios attempted to come to the bargaining table to re-negotiate financing for the films. This means that Marvel Studios and Feige won’t have a further stake in Sony’s Spider-Man films financially or creatively.
Deadline has reported that this all comes down to money. Thanks to Endgame and Far From Home which represented milestones for Marvel Studios and Sony, Spider-Man has become more profitable than ever. Marvel attempted to renegotiate their contract with Sony, hoping for half a stake in future Spider-Man box office earnings. Sony turned them down, refusing to come to the negotiating table.
Marvel and Disney wanted to raise their stake in Spider-Man’s films to 50%, evenly splitting the box office grosses. This is a considerable raise from Marvel’s previous 5% stake in the films. Sony proposed keeping the deal at the same terms – 5% of the first part of the gross. Sony refused. Spider-Man is rumored to be Feige’s favorite character and while the studio chairman is busy structuring the future slates of the MCU, this is surely a blow. Spider-Man is among one of the most widely recognized characters in popular culture.
Feige has a powerful track record of blockbuster films. The 22 films of the Infinity War Saga have broken multiple Box Office records, regularly breaking 1 billion. Sony’s decision to no longer involve the Marvel and Disney team is a bold gambit. The secret to Marvel’s success is Feige and it is unclear if anyone at Sony has the same passion for the characters. Sony chairman Tim Rothman has balked at the deal but ultimately reasoned they’ll be fine without the participation of Marvel Studios and Disney.
Sony, however, is no slouch when it comes to film. The studio has produced Venom which grossed $856 million at the box office and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse which beat out Incredibles 2 and Ralph Breaks the Internet. Best Animated Feature film is a category that’s traditionally been dominated by Disney. While this news might shake fans of Feige’s, Sony has made a decision that’s poised to make Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise future very interesting. The creative template has been set, and Sony is swinging off on their own.
Source: Deadline