The Spider-Man: Far From Home even set him up as the next Tony Stark.
Now, though, the Marvel/Sony deal seems to have come to an end. It's turned into something of a PR nightmare for Sony, as angry fans blame them for the situation. The studio lost the fanbase's goodwill in 2014, as a result of Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse. But is it fair to blame Sony for the end of their deal with Marvel Studios?
First of all, it's important to that the Marvel/Sony deal was absolutely unprecedented. Nothing like it had ever happened before in the history of cinema; two rival studios had found a way to work together, to mutual benefit. Unfortunately, that means an agreement like this was always going to be unstable in the long-term. Corporate priorities inevitably change - for Marvel, their parent company Disney, and even for Sony - and as a result, it was always going to be difficult to keep the deal going.
Even Marvel Studios can only invest their time in so many projects at once. For Disney, the current priorities are the Disney+ streaming service and recouping the costs of the Fox acquisition. Marvel is involved in both of these, with Kevin Feige producing a range of Disney+ exclusive TV shows, while planning how to bring Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse 2.
Sony Pictures chief Tom Rothman has a reputation for fiscal prudence, and he wasn't impressed at this idea at all. Sony reportedly came up with some counter-offers, with an extended box office run. So Rothman arguably has a strong case.
The apparent end of the Marvel/Sony deal is undoubtedly a blow for the MCU, and as such it's left fans reeling in shock and fury. As tempting as it may be to indulge in the "blame game," the reality seems to be that both companies made completely logical decisions based on their own interests and corporate priorities. And it's worth ing this isn't necessarily over yet; Sony's official statement hints that the studio is still willing to return to the table, and some insiders believe this public breakup may be a negotiating strategy to force Disney back to the table. If so, the ball has been placed firmly back in Marvel's court.
