Spider-Man returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Sony and Disney announce a third movie in the Spider-Man: Homecoming franchise produced by Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige. In 2015, Sony and Marvel reached a deal to share Spider-Man and bring him into the MCU, with Tom Holland later cast as Peter Parker. He's since become an integral player in the MCU and closed out Phase 4 with Spider-Man: Far From Home. However, earlier this summer it was reported that Sony and Disney couldn't come to a new agreement to continue sharing Spider-Man, indicating the wall-crawler would need to leave the MCU.
The initial report was followed by other tidbits of information about where the deal broke down, what affect Spider-Man will remain in the MCU - at least, for the time being.
Sony Pictures and Walt Disney Studios officially announced a third movie in the Spider-Man: Homecoming franchise will be co-produced by the two studios, with Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige on board the third installment alongside producer Amy Pascal. The studios set the film to hit theaters on July 16, 2021. As part of the deal, Spider-Man will also appear in another MCU movie, though specifically which one was not revealed. Feige said of the deal:
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.
Feige's comment confirms that Spider-Man will remain in the MCU, but it also teases the opportunity for Sony to use Holland's Spider-Man in their own Marvel villain universe movies. Last year, Sony released Venom, which wasn't a major hit with critics, but won over audiences to the tune of $800 million at the worldwide box office. Currently, Sony has a host of projects in the works separate from the MCU, including Venom 2, Morbius the Living Vampire, Kraven the Hunter, Silk and more. Although it remains to be seen whether Holland will actually appear in any of these movies, the possibility of Spider-Man in Venom 2 is sure to excite fans of both franchises.
As for the other future Spider-Man: Homecoming 3, and they can look forward to at least one additional appearance of the wall-crawler in the MCU after that.
Source: Sony & Disney
