A lot happened last year that former Sony co-chairwoman Amy Pascal probably wish didn’t. Words were said, things were leaked, drama ensued, and I had already long before given up on keeping up all of Sony’s Spider-related business because of so many moving pieces (i.e., the previously remaining release dates of the Andrew Garfield Spidey quadrilogy, Drew Goddard’s earlier plans for The Sinister Six and Venom, plans a female-centric Spidey film, etc.)
It’s been cray-cray (you read that right), and likely a little more so with the morbitidy among fans regarding dimmed hopes that your friendly neighborhood wall-crawling, web-flinging superhero would ever see his way into the Marvel Universe what with all its grand plans between now and 2020. Well, that’s about to change, with word from Variety that following Pascal’s position switch over at Sony, a new deal with Marvel Studios is in place to finally bring Spider-Man back to Marvel with a probable appearance in next year’s release of Captain America: Civil War before completely rebooting Spider-Man in 2017 with a new actor.
Indeed, its been speculated before many a time with regard to whether or not Andrew Garfield who took the lead in the 2012 and 2014 films rebooting the character after Sony’s initial trilogy with then-lead actor Tobey MaGuire, would return after last year’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and in lieu of these reports, some people may already have their feelings about reboots of certain properties, and the fatigue behind them is understandable. But, this is Marvel we’re dealing with here. They’re covering a LOT of ground with their current slate, and with a new Spider-Man reboot now in the works, this could be good, and I’m sure the fans will happily crowd around as usual.
The Variety report has also announced that the new Marvel/Sony initiative for Spider-Man has induced reshuffling of at least two dates already planted for Chadwick Boseman’s upcoming Marvel debut, Black Panther, and Chris Hemsworth’s return in Thor: Ragnarok, with new 2017 dates respectively set for July 6 and November 3.
Mark your calendars. Details are below.
(Culver City, California, and Burbank, California February 09, 2015) – Sony Pictures Entertainment and Marvel Studios announced today that Sony is bringing Marvel into the amazing world of Spider-Man.
Under the deal, the new Spider-Man will first appear in a Marvel film from Marvel’s Cinematic Universe (MCU). Sony Pictures will thereafter release the next installment of its $4 billion Spider-Man franchise, on July 28, 2017, in a film that will be co-produced by Kevin Feige and his expert team at Marvel and Amy Pascal, who oversaw the franchise launch for the studio 13 years ago. Together, they will collaborate on a new creative direction for the web slinger. Sony Pictures will continue to finance, distribute, own and have final creative control of the Spider-Man films.
Marvel and Sony Pictures are also exploring opportunities to integrate characters from the MCU into future Spider-Man films.
The new relationship follows a decade of speculation among fans about whether Spider-Man – who has always been an integral and important part of the larger Marvel Universe in the comic books – could become part of the Marvel Universe on the big screen. Spider-Man has more than 50 years of history in Marvel’s world, and with this deal, fans will be able to experience Spider-Man taking his rightful place among other Super Heroes in the MCU.
Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company 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.”
“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,” said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment. “This is the right decision for the franchise, for our business, for Marvel, and for the fans.”
“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,” added Doug Belgrad, president, Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group.
“I am thrilled to team with my friends at Sony Pictures along with Amy Pascal to produce the next Spider-Man movie,” said Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. “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.”
Spider-Man, embraced all over the world, is the most successful franchise in the history of Sony Pictures, with the five films having taken in more than $4 billion worldwide.