Sony Calls Out Disney Over Spider-Man
It’s been a dark week for MCU fans.
A few days back, it was announced that Spider-Man might no longer be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Allegedly, Disney asked for the 50% of the opening gross for Spider-Man films, in addition to full profit from merchandising. Previously, Disney only made 5% of each film’s opening gross. As such, Sony decided that that was too much money to be given up to Disney, and they turned the offer down.
There is a report in The Hollywood Reporter that puts the Disney target percentage closer to 30% as opposed to fifty, but none of the numbers have been made public.
Right now, it’s a bit up in the air as to whether negotiations are finished, or if the rights are still being discussed. However, Sony had this to say on their twitter:
“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. 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. 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.”
Many have said that Tom Holland’s contract dictates that he has to be in at least one more Spider-Man film. However, yesterday, Tom Holland unfriended Sony on social media, implying that this might not be the case.
Several of Tom Holland’s friends and loved ones have spoken against what Sony Pictures is doing. Jeremy Renner and Tom Holland’s father are campaigning for Spider-Man’s return via social media. Zendaya and Holland both appear to have unfollowed Sony over on Instagram.
Currently there’s no word on whether negotiations have been closed or not. At the D23 event this past weekend, Jon Favreau, director of Iron Man and Iron Man 2, said that he “still has hope, as a fan”, and he thinks that some sort of agreement can be reached between Sony and Marvel. His distinction “as a fan” would seem to indicate that he is as much in the dark as the rest of us as to where things stand.
In the wake of the break-up news, Stan Lee’s daughter Joan told TMZ that it might be better in the long run, saying, “Marvel and Disney seeking total control of my father’s creations must be checked and balanced by others who, while still seeking to profit, have genuine respect for Stan Lee and his legacy.” She added, “Whether it’s Sony or someone else’s, the continued evolution of Stan’s characters and his legacy deserves multiple points of view.” Lee also says that when her father died, “no one from Marvel or Disney reached out to me. From day one, they have commoditized my father’s work and never shown him or his legacy any respect or decency… In the end, no one could have treated my father worse than Marvel and Disney’s executives.”
