BREAKING NEWS: Spider-Man Will Stay in the MCU

Great news, True Believers! Sony Pictures and Disney’s Marvel Studios have just, via a joint press release, announced that, for now, they will continue their partnership and let Spider-Man (played by Tom Holland) stay in Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe. Together they will co-produce a sequel to Spider-Man: Far From Home set to be released on July 16, 2021, and, the press release adds, Spider-Man will also appear in a future Marvel Studios-film.

In late August 2019, Sony and Disney’s Marvel Studios announced that the partnership that had led to Spider-Man’s appearances in Captain America: Civil War and both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame would come to an end, in spite of the massive cliffhanger at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home, which was the second Sony-owned Spider-Man solo-film that they had collaborated on.

But now fans can rest and rejoice. Spider-Man, Marvel’s most popular superhero, will, I assume, continue to be an Avenger, and his next solo film will remain a part of the record-breaking connected cinematic universe that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has masterminded.

Amy Pascal and Kevin Feige have both released statements in which they emphasize how delighted they are that the partnership will continue.

“This is terrific. Peter Parker’s story took a dramatic turn in Far From Home and I could not be happier we will all be working together as we see where his journey goes. This has been a winning partnership for the studios, the franchise and the fans and I’m overjoyed it will continue.” – Amy Pascal. (via Deadline)

“I am thrilled that Spidey’s journey in the MCU will continue, and I and all of us at Marvel Studios are very excited that we get to keep working on it. Spider-Man is a powerful icon and hero whose story crosses all ages and audiences around the globe. He also happens to be the only hero with the superpower to cross cinematic universes, so as Sony continues to develop their own Spidey-verse you never know what surprises the future might hold.” – Kevin Feige. (via Deadline)

Marvel fans around the world will undoubtedly be smiling from ear to ear when they read these statements. But one of the statements suggests that Marvel will not stand in the way of Sony’s universe of Marvel characters. Feige mentions that Spider-Man can ‘cross cinematic universes’ and that there may be future surprises. This suggests to me that Tom Holland may appear in films like Venom 2, even though that may not strictly be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Perhaps Feige will lend a helping hand as an uncredited creative producer of the Sony spin-off films that Holland will appear in. We will have to wait and see. But, for now, us Marvel fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Spider-Man is back.

– Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen.