What's Next For Spider-Man?

It looks like our Spider-Man is swinging out of his friendly Marvel neighborhood and the Avengers for the foreseeable future, and we are devasted. Sony and Marvel Studios, who agreed to create the last two Spider-Man movies together, have reached a deadlock in their negotiations for the character and it’s pretty clear they’re headed for a breakup. But what does that mean for us?

The Disney/Sony deal was one of the best things that ever happened to the Spider-Man franchise. After years of Spidey falling flat at box offices, Disney signed on to produce the new series, sharing the profits 50/50 with Sony, and brought Peter Parker into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where he quickly became one of the most beloved members of the Avengers squad. In fact, he’s now so tangled in the Marvel web that it’s unclear exactly what Peter’s world will look like without the rest of his superhero team. Spider-Man’s disappearance might be even more jarring than Thanos’s snap, and this time his return is out of our heroes’ hands.

Tom Holland’s portrayal of Spider-Man, along with his introduction into the Avengers, breathed new life into the franchise. In August, Spider-Man: Far From Home, raked in $1.1 billion at the box office, becoming Sony’s highest-grossing movie ever and ensuring future movies. They just might not be quite what we’re used to. Two more Spider-Man solo movies are already reportedly planned, so, on the bright side, we’ll definitely be seeing more Peter Parker, but unfortunately this studio break-up means many of the other integral characters won’t be back the next time around. Nick Fury won’t be giving commands, Happy Hogan won’t be shacking up with Aunt May, and Peter won’t be stepping into Iron Man’s shoes. There looks to be a lot of loose ends that will need tying up. Sigh...

Sony still has big plans for Spider-Man, though. They own the rights to many of the Spider-Man characters, like Venom, a villain who was pulled straight out of the Spider-verse. Spider-Man was absent from Venom’s first solo movie, but it is looking likely that he might make an appearance in the 2020 sequel now that he’s been ousted from the MCU.

The impact to the Marvel world won’t go unnoticed either. Spider-Man brought a much-needed infusion of humor and heart into the Avengers line up. They’ll need to find someone new to take the lead from Tony Stark, and there’s been no sign of who that will be yet.

There is a glimmer of hope, though. Sony released a statement saying, "We are disappointed but respect Disney’s decision not to have [Kevin Feige] continue as a lead producer of our next live-action Spider-Man film. We hope this might change in the future.”

So things could change in the future, right? RIGHT?? Until we know more, we’ll be holding out hope for a reunion. If anyone knows a good relationship counsellor, please send them Disney and Sony’s way.