Spider-Man fans heartbroken as the superhero is cut from Marvel
Sony Pictures, who own the rights to comic book character Spider-Man, have made a statement about the split with Disney which will see the webslinger no longer involved in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The company said they were "disappointed" last night by Disney's demand for a greater stake in the Spider-Man films and its proposal to reduce the involvement of Marvel president Kevin Feige in the franchise.
“Much of today’s news about Spider-Man has mischaracterised recent discussions about Kevin Feige’s involvement in the franchise,” said the statement.
Much of today’s news about Spider-Man has mischaracterized recent discussions about Kevin Feige’s involvement in the franchise. We are disappointed, but respect Disney’s decision not to have him continue as a lead producer of our next live action Spider-Man film. (1/3)
— Sony Pictures (@SonyPictures) August 21, 2019
“We are disappointed, but respect Disney’s decision not to have him continue as a lead producer of our next live action Spider-Man film.
“We hope this might change in the future, but understand that the many new responsibilities that Disney has given him – including all their newly added Marvel properties – do not allow time for him to work on IP they do not own," they added.
“Kevin is terrific and we are grateful for his help and guidance and appreciate the path he has helped put us on, which we will continue.”
Negotiations had been underway for numerous months between Sony and Disney over Spider-Man's future, after Disney's purchase of Marvel in 2009 for $4 billion heightened box-office dominance.
Disney had been demanding that future movies be financed evenly between the two studios, with Feige as the consultant producer.
Feige has been aligned with the Avengers series since Iron Man was released in 2008, and has been mostly credited with satisfying the franchise’s hardcore fans alongside Disney’s desire for awards and critical recognition.
Avengers: Endgame overtook Avatar last month as the highest grossing film of all time, and Black Panther became the first superhero film to win a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars last year.
Spider-Man: Far From Home, deposed Skyfall as Sony’s biggest film ever at the global box office only this week, with two more films starring Tom Holland supposedly in the works.
Major character plot holes will no doubt be the result of Sony's split with Disney, after Far From Home set up the next major Avengers storyline. Tom Holland fans are in mourning over the news, with the actor playing arguably the most popular Spidey to date.
Feature image: Instagram/@santi7_hm
