LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Spider-Man, the popular web-slinging superhero currently played by actor Tom Holland, will headline a new movie in 2021 and appear in a future Marvel Studios film under a deal announced Friday by Sony Corp and Walt Disney Co.
The agreement between the Hollywood studios was welcome news to fans who had feared that a corporate dispute would keep Spider-Man out of the blockbuster Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
“I am thrilled that Spidey’s journey in the MCU will continue”, Feige said in a statement.
In August, Disney-owned Marvel Studios and Sony’s Sony Pictures were at an impasse
over Spider-Man’s future. Sony owns the rights to the Marvel character under a long-standing arrangement, while Disney controls others such as Iron Man, the Hulk, Captain Marvel and Black Panther.The news about the breakup had disappointed fans, who took to Twitter to start a campaign with hashtags “#SaveSpiderMan” and “#SaveSpidey”.
Under the new deal, Marvel Studios and its president, Kevin Feige, will produce a third film starring Holland that will be released on July 16, 2021, a statement from the companies said. Amy Pascal also will be a producer.
The most recent film in the series, June release “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” ranks as Sony Pictures’ highest-grossing film, fetching $1.11 billion at global box offices.
Spider-Man also will appear in a future Marvel Studios film, the companies said.
(Reporting by Ayanti Bera in Bengaluru and Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles; Editing by Patrick Graham, Arun Koyyur and David Gregorio)