The web slinger is primed to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now what? Let’s speculate.
Long rumored and even longer wished for, it was announced late Monday evening that Marvel Entertainment and Sony Pictures Entertainment have finally struck a deal to allow Spider-Man (and his amazing friends in the Sony “Spider-Verse”) to cross into the existing Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). and vice versa.
According to the press release at Marvel.com:
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.
So Spider-Man is still owned by Sony, but with Kevin Feige producing an upcoming film, Marvel is finally in the driver’s seat, make no mistake. And this is very good news. In a sense, Spider-Man is coming home to where he belongs–the company he made an international entertainment force.
So what now?
I’d kiss all the previously planned Spider-Movies goodbye, at least in their present conception. Goodbye “Sinister Six,” “Female Lead Spider-Man Spin Off,” and “Venom:Carnage.” From now on, Spider-Man stories will be fully integrated into the MCU, having impact and being impacted by the events of MCU Phase Three.
That means we’ll see Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War on May 6, 2016. The big question to me: will he be entirely CGI? Feige has already mentioned that the movie won’t be focusing on secret identities, so there is a distinct possibility we may not see an actor in the suit.
I believe we will then see Amazing Spider Man 3 on July 28, 2017, but there’s no indication either way if Andrew Garfield will be reprising his role. If they drop him, I think it is a huge loss: he made for a great Peter Parker, one who could grow with the character as well, which is something we have never seen on screen with Spidey.
Following the 2017 film, we have Avengers: Infinity War 1 in 2018 and Avengers: Infinity War 2 in 2019. Mark my words: Spider-Man is going to space, and coming back with the black suit.
A Spider-Man/Venom movie will likely be coming in 2020. And it will be done the right way.
Sounds freaking awesome, right? But there’s more.
If you’re 20th Century Fox, you may feel like the last holdout with Marvel properties, clinging to them out in the cold. If I were Marvel/Disney, it’s time to approach them, too, about bringing the Fantastic Four and X-Men into the MCU. It’s time to end this ridiculous scenario where there are two Quicksilvers running around.
I want Hulk to fight Wolverine.
Now that the precedent has been set, it’s crazy for these two companies to proceed along separate lines. If everyone plays nice-nice, they make more cash-cash. And we get the movies we want.
-JT
Joseph Tavano is the owner and editor in chief of RetroZap. Born just months before Luke found out who his father was, he has been fortunate to have had Star Wars in his life as long as he can remember. Growing up just outside of Boston, Massachusetts, he can remember substituting sticks for lightsabers and BMX bikes for speeders. He loves comics, retro games, vintage sci-fi paperbacks, and maps. Though an accomplished drummer, he doesn’t crave adventure (as much) any more, and prefers his old haunts north of Boston, Massachusetts, where he resides with his family. Buy him a glass of whiskey and he’ll return it in kind.