The Internet is collectively losing its mind right now thanks to Sony's announcement that they've struck a deal with Marvel over the destiny of our favorite webhead.
But what's really going on here? What, when, and how is this movie coming about? And what's coming after?
Surprisingly, Marvel has already clued us in on a lot of the details. Here are some of the biggest:
1. It's coming in 2017.
July 28, 2017 to be specific. This is important info because we still don't know how this announcement will affect Sony's plans for a Sinister Six movie, theirVenom movie, and of course, The Amazing Spider-Man 3.
We have no idea yet when Venom would be hitting theaters, but this pretty much rules out ASM3, which was scheduled for a 2018 release. Sinister Six is also up in the air due to its planned 2016 release.
My guess? Sony's going back to the drawing board. Here's why...
2. Sony is still in control of Spider-Man (mostly).
According to Marvel, the deal is that they get to have Spider-Man for one movie first (most sources say it will be Civil War), and then Sony will continue the franchise with their standalone movie in 2017 (see above). They'll control the financing and distribution of all future Spider-Man films from then on.
But this also means that Sony and Marvel are essentially collaborating on the same character within the same universe.
This is unprecedented, especially for a $4 billion franchise.
3. It's being produced by Amy Pascal (Sony) and Kevin Feige (Marvel).
Yup, they're co-producers. Again, this is unprecedented because you essentially have two separate teams coming together for a series of interconnected projects.
Sure, Marvel and Sony have worked together before, but never on this scale (or under this heavy a microscope).
4. It will feature a new "creative direction."
I used quotes because that's exactly how Marvel's PR team puts it. This could mean anything from rethinking the narrative of the Spider-Man universe to a full-on reboot.
It could mean all sorts of things, really. They could be going with a new tone, format, or even 10-year plan for the franchise. And these decisions could mean a brand new actor to play Spider-Man. Which means...
5. Andrew Garfield might still be in it.
A lot of people are trying to declare that he's 100% out, but I think that's unfounded.
A new "direction" doesn't mean you have to gut your existing franchise, especially when it's made Sony plenty of money so far.
Besides, if Marvel can make a great movie out the Norse God of Thunder, they can work with what Sony's been churning out since 2012.
6. Marvel and Sony totally want to keep working together with other characters.
Again, this is according to Marvel, but the message right now is that this is a long-term deal. And Marvel is saying they want to include other MCU characters with Sony's Spider-Man, and even vice-versa (hopefully).
7. Disney has been working on this for quite some time.
This is evidenced by Disney CEO Bob Iger's quick response to the leaking of the news. He 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."
[UPDATE] 8. Or have they?
Shortly after I published this article, it was announced that Marvel has reshuffled the release dates for four of their films.
That pretty much means this deal hasn't really been set in stone for very long (at least not long enough to make a difference).
The movies they've changed include:
- Thor: Ragnarok (November 3, 2017)
- Black Panther (July 6, 2018)
- Captain Marvel (November 2, 2018)
- Inhumans (July 12, 2019
And that's about all we know (for sure) so far...
So tell me, Spidey fans,
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