Good news, comic book fans! Mommy and Daddy are done fighting and they’re getting back together! Cancel your counseling appointment because the Disney and Sony split is over!
Sony and Marvel/Disney have come to terms to co-finance and co-create a third Spider-Man movie together, following the ultra-successful Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home. In addition, the deal confirms that Spidey will make his way into one more Marvel Cinematic Universe film. So the journey will continue after Spider-Man: Far From Home and Avengers: Endgame. See, miracles DO happen.
If you’re looking for the specifics of the deal, here they are: Marvel/Disney will co-finance 25% of the third Spider-Man movie for a 25% equity stake. That’s up from 5% before so they’ve definitely made quite the upgrade. And Sony has to be happy too because their relationship with Marvel has worked like gangbusters for them. In fact, Far From Home was the most successful Spider-Man movie ever. Everyone wins here, especially the fans who felt downright uncomfortable about Peter Parker straying from Iron Man, Thor, Captain Marvel and the rest of the MCU family.
This third Spidey flick will hit theaters in July 2021. We have no idea what it’ll be called but, based on the previous two movies, it’s safe to assume the word “home” will make it in there somewhere. Jon Watts, who was behind the camera for both Homecoming and Far From Home, will return to direct.
The deal is kinda, sorta, mostly a surprise although many (including yours truly) assumed that Sony and Disney would come to some sort of agreement. The box office grosses for these films are just far bigger than the studios’ differences. I figured they’d put their issues aside for the common good: making shit tons of money.
While this deal is exciting for fans, it’s also a bit worrisome because Spider-Man is only promised to appear in ONE more Marvel film so his tenure in the MCU is still tentative…for now. But perhaps Disney and Sony will prolong their relationship again. Money has a way of making people see things differently.