As you have probably seen in recent news, Sony and Disney are currently negotiating a deal regarding Spider-man. Spider-man has always been a Marvel character; he was created by Stan Lee who co-created the rest of the Marvel universe alongside Jack Kirby. Stan Lee sold Marvel to Sony in 1985. 

Although Sony owned Marvel for a long time, it wasn’t until recently that Sony made a deal allowing Spider-man movies to be made alongside the other Marvel cinematic characters in Marvel studios. So what’s going on with Sony and Disney? Well… Disney owns Marvel Entertainment while Sony owns Spider-man. Recently Spider-man was introduced to the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), and both companies failed to reach a financial agreement. The proposed deal was to split the cost of the movies 50/50 between the two companies but Sony did not agree to that offer, resulting in Spider-man no longer being a part of the MCU. 

Although it is not completely impossible that Spider-man and Disney will be reunited once again; for the time being, it seems highly unlikely. It’s unfortunate that things had to go the way that they did because many people enjoy these movies and look forward to seeing how they might play out in the future. “Spiderman is literally my favorite Marvel character, so of course it makes me sad. I don’t think the movies will feel the same if they continue without him.” said Andrea Franson, a recent graduate of Borah High School. 

There has been a lot of backlash towards both companies because of this. However, Andrea Franson thinks its a positive choice for the company. “I think it’s a good thing that Sony is holding out, because they are fighting monopolies.” she said. This doesn’t just affect the fans though, it also affects Disney because they will no longer be receiving profit for future Spider-man movies or merchandise. 

There are some changes to come as expected. Aside from Spider-man no longer being a part of any MCU related movies, no other MCU characters will be featured in any Spider-man movies either. Tom Holland, who has played the iconic role of Spider-man in five movies, is not guaranteed to continue as the character. Although it’s a tough adjustment for many Marvel fans, it can also be an interesting one, as we get to see how an iconic character’s story gets told in a new and different way.