In a recent announcement that has comic book fans rejoicing, Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios has revealed that Spider-Man will now be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Marvel detailed that the character of Spider-Man will appear in a MCU film and then by July 28, 2017, the next installment of the Spider-Man franchise will be released. Under the direction of Kevin Feige's team and Amy Pascal, "Sony Pictures will continue to finance, distribute, own and have final creative control of the Spider-Man films."
The announcement also added that at the present time, both Marvel and Sony are exploring opportunities to integrate Spider-Man into the MCU. Marvel and Sony noted Spider-Man's 50-year history with Marvel and believes the move to negotiate its inclusion in the MCU will allow fans "to experience Spider-Man taking his rightful place among other Super Heroes in the MCU."
"Spider-Man is one of Marvel's great characters, beloved around the world. We're thrilled to work with Sony Pictures to bring the iconic web-slinger into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which opens up fantastic new opportunities for storytelling and franchise building," said Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company.
"Captain America: Civil War"
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, per a knowledgeable source, the web-slinger is set to make his first appearance in Joe and Anthony Russo's "Captain America: Civil War" due out next year.
The debut of the hero in "Civil War" makes the most sense because of the importance of Spidey in the Civil War plot. According to Cinema Blend, Spider-Man sided with Tony Stark AKA Iron Man on the issue of the Superhero Registration Act. "The idea of the SRA, and the pending Civil War, is still developing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so the inclusion of Spider-Man in that narrative could have a tremendous impact on the world, as a whole," analyzed the site.
According to The Verge, as it stands, Marvel and Sony have not revealed any information on the casting of Spider-Man. However, it's most likely that following Sony's statement that refers to the franchise as "the new Spider-Man," one can surmise that it'll be a completely new series.
Thi would mean that Andrew Garfield, who played the titular role in "The Amazing Spider-Man" 1 and 2, may be booted from the franchise.
The focus of "Civil War" is on the fight between Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Captain America (Chris Evans) who take opposite stances regarding the Superhero Registration Act.
With the film due out May 06, 2016, a trailer has yet to be released.
