Spider-Man Officially Coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Sony Pictures Entertainment and Marvel Studios have finally reached an agreement regarding the character of Spider-Man.
A recent deal reveals that a new version of Spider-Man will officially be coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, while Marvel will produce upcoming installments of Sony’s current Amazing Spider-Man franchise.
Spider-Man coming to the MCU is obviously huge news, but on top of that, reports say Spider-Man will make his first appearance in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. Although this has not been confirmed yet, Spider-Man plays a big part in that story line in the comics, and therefore is expected to play a role in the film.
After Spider-Man is re-launched in some capacity in the MCU at Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal will team up to produce a new Amazing Spider-Man film, which will be released on July 28, 2017.
Feige and Pascal will “collaborate on a new creative direction for the web slinger,” according to Sony and Marvel. They will also explore the option of putting other MCU characters in upcoming Spider-Man films.
Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO of Walt Disney, said, “Spider-Man is one of Marvel’s great characters, beloved around the world. We’re thrilled to work with Sony Pictures to bring the iconic web-slinger into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which opens up fantastic new opportunities for storytelling and franchise building.”
Doug Belgrad, president of Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group, commented, “Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios share a love for the characters in the Spider-Man universe and have a long, successful history of working together. This new level of collaboration is the perfect way to take Peter Parker’s story into the future.”
On the topic, Michael Lynton, CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, said, “We always want to collaborate with the best and most successful filmmakers to grow our franchises and develop our characters. Marvel, Kevin Feige and Amy, who helped orchestrate this deal, are the perfect team to help produce the next chapter of Spider-Man.”
In a statement from Kevin Feige, he added, “I am thrilled to team with my friends at Sony Pictures along with Amy Pascal to produce the next Spider-Man movie. Amy has been deeply involved in the realization on film of one of the world’s most beloved characters. Marvel’s involvement will hopefully deliver the creative continuity and authenticity that fans demand from the MCU. I am equally excited for the opportunity to have Spider-Man appear in the MCU, something which both we at Marvel, and fans alike, have been looking forward to for years.”
After The Amazing Spider-Man 2 proved to be a disappointment for Sony at the box office, it was clear that the studio needed to make a decision about where to take the character next, and it seems that they have made the call.
Both The Amazing Spider-Man star Andrew Garfield and director Marc Webb will not be returning to their roles. The studios will look to hire a new actor to play Spider-Man.
To make room for Spider-Man, Marvel has announced that they will be pushing back the release dates of four of their upcoming films. Thor: Ragnarok will now hit theaters on November 3, 2017, Black Panther on July 6, 2018, Captain Marvel on November 2, 2018 and Inhumans on July 12, 2019.
Source: Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment
