This is pretty epic true believers. The rumors have been floating around, and it seemed like a pipe dream for fans, but it’s official: Marvel and Sony have come to terms so Spider-Man can join the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe that falls under the Disney banner and share a big screen adventures along side Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and all the superheroes who are (and will be) a part of The Avengers’ adventures down the line.
Spider-Man, whose movie rights have been exclusively held by Sony (and pumping out movies since 1999), will team up with Marvel to allow the iconic web slinger to appear first in a yet unspecified Marvel Cinematic Universe film. The character will be back on the big screen in a solo film set for July 28th, 2017, to be co-produced by Sony and Amy Pascal alongside Kevin Feige’s Marvel team at Disney. Sony will retain the majority stake in the film, but I think everyone can agree having Spidey back in the Marvel mix is a win win for all.
When the rumors hit high gear of the talks between the two studios via the Sony hack late last year, the long awaited cross-over seemed almost a tangible reality, and speculation that Spider-Man could appear in Captain America: Civil War heated up. Things seemed to cooled off by the start of the 2105, and with no solid deal in place, it looked like Civil War would have go on without Spider-Man as pre-production was ramping up quickly for its May 6th, 2016 release date. However, Spider-Man plays a vital role in the Civil War comic book arc the film will be based on, so it would be a perfect introduction point for the wall crawler into the MCU.
Now we will have to wait and hear officially in which Marvel movie Spider-Man will appear in, and the plans for which actor will be under the mask. The press release below makes a point of a “new creative direction” for the web slinger, which likely means a complete reboot without Andrew Garfield in the title role (and that’s a shame).
Superheroes being forced to reveal their secret identities is one of the driving forces behind Civil War, and without Garfield under the mask, it will understandably affect moviegoers perception of the big screen version character in the pivotal role. However, its also completely possible Marvel has no intention of introducing Spidey in the third Captain America film.
“This is the right decision for the franchise, for our business, for Marvel, and for the fans,” said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
With the next Spider-Man film under a Marvel/Sony banner set for July 28, 2017, the previously announced slate of Marvel Phase Three films will take a shuffle, first of which is Thor: Ragnarok, which was also set for July 28th. Thor will move to November 3, 2017. Black Panther will now hit theaters on July 6th, 2018, Captain Marvel on November 2, 2018, and Inhumans on July 12th, 2019.
Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 and Part 2, set for May 4, 2018 and May 3rd, 2019, will not change.
We should assume the entire Sony plan for their Spider-Man franchise will likely (and thankfully) be scrapped, i.e. the ill-conceived Sinister Six film which switched places with the planned third Spider-Man film starring Andrew Garfield for November 11th, 2016.
Much more to come soon…
From Marvel:
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.”
SOURCE: MARVEL.com
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