Spider-Man: Not Too Far From Home

As bound to happen as it was, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is officially back in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The two studios and co-producers of the Spider-Man franchise, Sony and Disney, finally came to an agreement in 2015 that settled the dispute over their partnership.

The two studios were originally not partners until 2015. The original agreement came to a shock to most, as it announced Sony and Disney‘s partnership in creating another Spider-Man franchise, this time with up-and-coming actor Tom Holland as Spider-Man. The duo had decided to create two movies, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), which were immediate hits among the box office and fans. The deal had also guaranteed Tom Holland’s portrayal of Spider-Man in Captain America:  Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019).

Sony, who owns Spider-Man‘s movie rights, and Disney were failing to reach a common ground in their 2015 agreement. Thus, resulting in the well-loved character’s removal from the MCU by Sony this past August. Similarly to the Venom and Dead-pool franchises, Spider-Man was going to continue its journey separate from the MCU. For a short while, there were chances of the three franchises having a crossover, where all three main characters would be able to share a movie together, similarly to the Avengers. Now, all hopes for the three personalities to share a crossover are diminished to zero, leaving some fans disappointed.

This past September 27th, after over a month of Spider-Man‘s departure from the MCU, Sony and Marvel Studios announced the character’s return. The two studios, Sony and Disney, came up with a new deal that leaves Spider-Man in the MCU. This entails that Spider-Man gets a third movie, with Disney gaining 25% of the profits and paying for 25% of the production. Sony‘s Amy Pascal and Marvel Studios‘ Kevin Feige will co-produce the third installment. The deal also assures that the superhero will have an appearance in another MCU film.

Although fans rejoice around the world due to the character’s return, many can’t help but wonder what hangs in the balance for the friendly, neighborhood superhero’s future. Even though Sony and Disney have struck another deal, it doesn’t guarantee his stay within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are chances that the two studios could once again dispute over their contract, resulting in Spider-Man‘s removal from the MCU once again.

The third Spider-Man film will release on July 16, 2019.