Marvel and Sony have reached an agreement that will have Spidey be part of the MCU
It's happening! It's actually happening! Marvel has officially announced an agreement with Sony to bring a NEW Spider-Man into their cinematic universe, along with a new film in 2017 that will be produced by both Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal.
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.
The new relationship follows a decade of speculation among fans about whether Spider-Man - who has always been an integral and important part of the larger Marvel Universe in the comic books - could become part of the Marvel Universe on the big screen. Spider-Man has more than 50 years of history in Marvel's world, and with this deal, fans will be able to experience Spider-Man taking his rightful place among other Super Heroes in the MCU.
Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company said: "Spider-Man is one of Marvel's great characters, beloved around the world. We're thrilled to work with Sony Pictures to bring the iconic web-slinger into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which opens up fantastic new opportunities for storytelling and franchise building."
"We always want to collaborate with the best and most successful filmmakers to grow our franchises and develop our characters. Marvel, Kevin Feige and Amy, who helped orchestrate this deal, are the perfect team to help produce the next chapter of Spider-Man," said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment. "This is the right decision for the franchise, for our business, for Marvel, and for the fans."
"Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios share a love for the characters in the Spider-Man universe and have a long, successful history of working together. This new level of collaboration is the perfect way to take Peter Parker's story into the future," added Doug Belgrad, president, Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group.
"I am thrilled to team with my friends at Sony Pictures along with Amy Pascal to produce the next Spider-Man movie," said Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. "Amy has been deeply involved in the realization on film of one of the world's most beloved characters. Marvel's involvement will hopefully deliver the creative continuity and authenticity that fans demand from the MCU. I am equally excited for the opportunity to have Spider-Man appear in the MCU, something which both we at Marvel, and fans alike, have been looking forward to for years."
Some notes to pull from the announcement:
There will be a NEW Spider-Man, who will first appear in a Marvel film prior to his own in 2017
The films that occur between now and the date are:
With those films listed, the clear and obvious choice/favorite will be Captain America: Civil War, which is what everyone was hoping would happen, as Spidey played such a pivotal role in the Civil War storyline in the comics.
Also of note, is the July 28, 2017 was the same release date Marvel had set for Thor: Ragnarok. Now with this new announcement, Marvel's Phase three release dates have been shifted around a bit. Thor: Ragnarok will now hit theaters almost four months later, moving to November 3, 2017. Black Panther, now comes out on July 6, 2018, bumping Captain Marvel to November 2, 2018 and Inhumans to July 12, 2019.
