As a devoted Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fan, I was devastated about the loss of Spider-man from the brilliant cinematic universe that Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige created. The concept of combining so many characters together into one interwoven story line had never really been done, at least not to the scale of the MCU. The introduction of Spider-man was an integral part of that universe.
Spider-man is arguably the best marvel character. The introduction of Tom Holland to play this iconic character finally ended the pain of Spidey fans who had to endure the not nearly as satisfying Tobey McGuire and Andrew Garfield performances. This article is not about who was the best Spider-man, but I think we can all agree that tom Holland did not hurt the character’s legacy with his performance. Now Sony is going to ruin it by ripping away a beloved character from the intricate MCU. To make matters worse, Spider-man was meant to be an important part of Marvel’s phase 4. Unresolved story lines! Unfinished character arcs! Plot holes!
A lot of people may argue that Disney got greedy. They wanted a larger percent of the profits. However, they were also willing to increase their contributions to the projects. The original deal was that Disney would contribute 30% and receive 30% of the revenue. However, Disney want to not only receive 50% but also contribute 50%. Is it really greedy if they also contribute more? Besides, a 50-50 split seems fair. The success is arguably only a exult of Disney’s involvement.
Honestly, I am sick and tired of company disagreements getting in the way of quality products or content for users. As I argue this, I understand that movies is a huge part of the billion dollar entertainment industry. I also understand that companies want to do whatever it takes to increase business. However, I am upset that companies in an industry with the objective of amusing people would let business conflicts interrupt our entertainment and access to quality content.
It’s not like Sony has other ways of bringing Spider-man to the screen. Sony has Miles Morales. Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse is probably my favorite Spider-man movie and it did extremely well in the box office and by critics. For reference, it made $375.5 million world wide and only cost $90 million to make. It also got 97% on rotten tomatoes. So people say Disney was greedy but maybe Sony is.How dare they hog all the Spider-man? Why can’t we all share this beloved character?
Also, couldn’t this disagreement occur after one more Spider-man movie? I don’t want to spoil Far From Home, but I can say that there was a cliff-hanger that I need to see resolved. A huge one! If Spider-man is gone, the most that I can expect is a photo of Peter Parker on a SHIELD screen followed by a brief comment about how he’s gone into hiding or whatever. Spider-man deserves more than a one sentence explanation. Disney and Sony can’t do that to me. Well, I guess they can, but I won’t like it.
One of the most popular arguments defending Sony’s ownership of Spider-man is the fact that Marvel can easily introduce a new character (Shang-Chi), be it obscure or insanely popular and make it a success whereas Sony has had less success in doing the same (Venom). I despise this argument. Why should Sony be rewarded for their inability to make excellent superhero movies? I say the negotiation should consist of movie pitches and whichever company has the best idea should keep the character. It’s flawed in almost every business sense, but at least it would result in a good Spider-man movie.
However, one interesting development is the rumors that Apple, Netflix, or Amazon may try to buy Sony. Why? The reason is mostly for the streaming rights. Apple has its new Apple TV streaming service; Netflix is well Netflix; Amazon has its prime. Sony has a lot of content, but this isn’t the point. If Sony is bought, the rights to Spider-man will be given to Marvel. This has reportedly put negotiations on hold. As for me, I am a little bit more hopeful. I’m begging Sony and Disney to reconsider.
Don’t mind me. I’ll just be over here, crossing my fingers and hoping that someone buys Sony. Please.
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