Spider-Man

Spider-Man no longer part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

AP

21 AUGUST 2019 12:09 ISTUPDATED: 21 AUGUST 2019 12:10 IST

A #SaveSpiderMan social media campaign is already active on Twitter as fans react to the fall-out between Sony and Marvel

With great success comes great re-negotiation. In the wake of the announcement that Spider-Man- Far From Home is now the highest-grossing film ever in Sony Pictures’ history, reports surfaced that Marvel Studios may be stepping away from the cross-studio partnership.

The Hollywood trade Deadline reported Tuesday that there was a disagreement over the profit-sharing structure.

According to a person close to the deal who was unauthorized to speak publicly, negotiations are not yet final. But the suggestion that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige may not produce future live-action Spider-Man movies and that the character itself might not appear in any more Marvel Cinematic Universe films quickly turned into a trending topic.

Sony has held the rights to the Marvel character since 1985, but in 2015, announced a partnership with Disney and Marvel that would allow Spider-Man to be used in MCU films like Avengers:Endgame. It also allowed for Feige to serve as a producer on stand-alone Spider-Man movies like Far From Home.

The crossovers have been well-received by audiences and critics. And the teenage web-slinger has been made into a central component in the MCU with a close relationship to Tony Stark that drove the story lines in both Endgame and Far From Home. But as Marvel enters its “Phase 4,” Spider-Man also has no official MCU appearances planned.

Two standalone Spider-Man movies are, however, reportedly in the works from Sony which would bring back director Jon Watts and star Tom Holland. Sony has also created its own web of Spider-Man spinoffs, including the Oscar-winning animated feature Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and Venom.

Representatives from the two studios did not respond to requests for comment.