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 28 July 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.
“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,” The Walt Disney Company, Chairman and CEO Bob Iger in a statement.
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 superheroes in the MCU.
“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,” added Sony Pictures Entertainment, chairman and CEO, Michael Lynton.
“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 Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group president Doug Belgrad.
Not only this, four future installments in the MCU have received new release dates through 2019, including Thor’s next solo adventure as well as the first outings for Black Panther, Captain Marvel and the Inhumans!
Marvel’s Thor: Ragnarok will hit theaters 3 November 2017. The following year, Marvel’s Black Panther will make its way to theaters on 6 July 2018 and Marvel’s Captain Marvel on 2 November 2018. Finally, Marvel’s Inhumans will now debut in theaters 12 July 2019.
While Black Panther is the new entry in Marvel’s list of movies, Thor has been recognised and appreciated widely, and grossed more than $449 million globally at the Box office.
The previously announced dates for Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 and Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 on 4 May 2018 and 3 May 2019, respectively remain unchanged.