Spider-Man is one of the most beloved franchises in the Marvel Universe, which is why the internet went into meltdown this week upon learning that the character may get no further films.
According to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, this is due to “an inability by Disney and Sony Pictures to reach new terms that would have given the former a co-financing stake going forward.” It’s disappointing news, to say the least, but perhaps no one was more upset than Jeremy Renner.
Renner, who plays Hawkeye/Clint Barton in the Marvel Universe, was none too pleased about the news that Spider-Man may have thrown his last web.
The actor took to Instagram to express his dismay, posting a photo of himself in Avengers: Endgame and begging for Sony to strike a deal with Disney so the franchise can continue.
“Hey @sonypictures we want Spider-Man back to @therealstanlee and @marvel please, thank you #congrats #spidermanrocks #🏹 #please,” he wrote.
While Tom Holland has remained silent on the matter—along with almost every other MCU actor—Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds offered his support after a fan tweeted at him and Holland, “Can we get a Spiderman & Deadpool movie now?”
You can. But you can only see it in my heart.
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) August 20, 2019
“You can. But you can only see it in my heart,” replied Reynolds.
The disagreement between Sony and Disney seems to be largely financial. Sony has owned the Spider-Man character, originally created by Stan Lee, since the 1990s.
Disney, which owns the MCU, wanted to split the financing on the next Spider-Man film equally, a plan which Sony refused. Because of this, Marvel can’t produce any more Spider-Man movies, and the character can’t appear in any other Marvel movies either.
However, Sony Pictures later took to Twitter to clarify the situation, claiming that Disney was behind the decision not to have Feige involved anymore.
“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,” a spokesperson for Sony tweeted.
“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.”
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. (1/3)
— Sony Pictures (@SonyPictures) August 21, 2019
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. (3/3)
— Sony Pictures (@SonyPictures) August 21, 2019
Fans hope that the two studios will be able to come to an agreement that’s satisfactory for both and that ultimately gets Spider-Man back on our screens sooner rather than later.