No this isn't a joke or a prank, the news that Spider-Man fans never thought they'd get has finally arrived. After a month of frustration and disappointment over the standoff between Sony and Marvel that would see Tom Holland's Peter Parker written out of the MCU, peace has finally be restored. Marvel Studios and Sony have a agreed to a deal that will see them collaborate on the upcoming third film that now has an official release date of July 16, 2021. Not only will the third film now be a part of the MCU, but Spider-Man has also been confirmed to appear in another Phase 4 MCU movie that has yet to be revealed.
The story itself courtesy of Deadline almost reads as fan fiction, as the chance of both sides ever coming to a deal was looking very slim, but they seemingly did just last night. Both Sony and Disney had been public about moving on in their own separate direction, with the MCU working to focus on many of their other characters, and Sony hoping to incorporate Holland's Spider-Man into their own Venom cinematic universe. This still might be the case with the deal seemingly only being temporary and much shorter than the first Spider-Man deal, and Sony eventually still wanting the character to themselves for their own planned shared universe.
This deal does allow Marvel Studios to give their version of Spider-Man a proper conclusion, rather than having the character suddenly disappear after being so key to their last phase of films. Far From Home of course ended with a major cliffhanger with Mysterio having revealed Peter's identity to the world, so getting to see that explored in the MCU and what implications it causes is much more interesting than seeing it play out in a basically all new Sony universe. This also allows the references to Tony Stark, appearances from Happy Hogan and other Marvel heroes, as well as the events of Endgame to be referenced and used in the third movie.
Its also been revealed that Jon Watts, director of both Homecoming and Far From Home will be returning for the third film. There had been rumors Disney and Sony were in a bidding war for Watts' services, with Sony wanting him to finish the trilogy for their own planned third film, while Disney wanted him to direct another one of their MCU properties. Its still unknown which future movie Spider-Man will be appearing in, but some rumors have suggested it may be in the planned Fantastic Four reboot, a group Spidey crossed paths with often in the comics, or a yet to be announced Avengers team-up. Its possible the MCU could also now be more tied into the Venom-verse than we initially thought, with each universes movies referencing the others and allowing Holland's Peter to co-exist in both.
So what do you think of the news of Sony and Disney coming to a deal? Or you happy with what we're getting or do you wish it was longer? Let us know below!
