Niko Tavernise/Columbia PicturesSpider-Man is swinging from one studio to another—and back again!
Sony Pictures Entertainment and Marvel Studios announced a major partnership Monday: Spider-Man is finally joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe! The web-slinging superhero character was licensed to Sony Pictures Entertainment years before the comic book company got into the filmmaking business. The new Spider-Man will first appear in a Marvel movie—likely Captain America: Civil War, as the character played a key role in the comics. Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr. and Chadwick Boseman will play Captain America, Iron Man and Black Panther, respectively, when it hits theaters on May 6, 2016.
On July 28, 2017, Sony Pictures Entertainment will release the next installment of its $4 billion Spider-Man franchise. The movie will be co-produced by Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal, who stepped down last week as head of SPE. Pascal launched the franchise in 1999, with Toby Maguire playing the titular role.
Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment "are also exploring opportunities to integrate characters from the MCU into future Spider-Man films," per the studios' joint press release.
"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," said Bob Iger, chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company. In a statement, Feige, president of Marvel Studios, agreed with Iger, saying, "I am thrilled to team with my friends at Sony Pictures along with Amy Pascal to produce the next Spider-Man movie. 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."
Michael Lynton, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, echoed his new business partners' sentiments, saying, "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. This is the right decision for the franchise, for our business, for Marvel, and for the fans." In a statement, Doug Belgrad, president of Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group, said, "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."
Andrew Garfield is not expected to reprise his role as Spider-Man.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2, released in 2014, underperformed at the box office. The third installment had been bumped from 2016 until 2018.
The new Spider-Man deal has shifted the release dates of four other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thor: Ragnarok, starring Chris Hemsworth, was moved from July 28, 2017 to Nov. 3, 2017; Black Panther, starring Boseman, was moved from Nov. 3, 2017 to July 6, 2018; Captain Marvel was moved from July 6, 2018 to Nov. 2, 2018; and Inhumans was moved from Nov. 2, 2018 to July 12, 2019.