One of the things I’ve been most adamant about after Sony’s $500M+ success with Venom is that they look like idiots for loaning Spider-Man to Marvel Studios. Even more, they look stupid for ditching Andrew Garfield’s The Amazing Spider-Man franchise after just one disappointing yet still hugely successful sequel. If they had left the cinematic universe they were building in place and released a hit film like Venom into the middle of that, they’d be soaring right now. And with all of the spinoffs in the works, such as Morbius and Kraven the Hunter, having Spider-Man could only help to give those films a boost.
Others apparently agree. Analysts are now saying that Venom has done so well that Sony is unlikely to let Spider-Man stay over at Marvel permanently. Ever since Tom Holland was cast in the role he has been a fixture of the MCU and is considered a centerpiece of the post-Avengers 4 future. As such, Marvel needs Sony more than Sony needs Marvel. The situations were reversed a few years ago when the deal between both parties was struck.
Analyst Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations says, “If it had failed, there is a chance Sony would have definitely returned to the bargaining table with Disney. Now, that’s up in the air. [Sony] took a calculated risk with ‘Venom,’ and it’s now going to be a series. It seems Disney needs Sony’s ‘Spider-Man’ more than Sony needs Disney … If they consistently make films audiences want to see, Disney will have to buy Sony to get ‘Spider-Man’ back. This is just the beginning of Sony’s reemergence as a studio of box-office distinction. They’re not giving it up without a fight.”
At this point, Marvel still has use of the character through Avengers 4, next year’s Spider-Man: Far from Home, and at least one more solo Spidey film. After that it’s unclear if the character simply reverts back to Sony or if there’s more to the deal. No matter what, Sony finds itself in the power position and they may eventually choose to bring Spider-Man back under their control for good. [BusinessInsider]
