The massive hack of Sony’s databases has laid bare actors’ Social Security numbers and salaries; catty interdepartmental emails; and eye-popping movie budgets. It also revealed some pretty cool Spider-Man plans between Marvel Studios and Sony that, had they been successful, would’ve been a hell of a spoiler for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 3.
Potential spoilers for Marvel’s Phase 3.
The Wall Street Journal picked out several email conversations between Sony and Walt Disney executives discussing the possibility of letting Spider-Man play in the MCU. As recently as October 30, Sony Pictures president Doug Belgrad was telling Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, about a potential plan to start up yet another Spider-Man trilogy. Except this time Marvel would produce, while Sony would retain “creative control, marketing, and distribution.”
Another email from Pascal to a business partner shares an even juicier tidbit: Apparently Marvel wanted to include Peter Parker in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. This matches up with rumors from a few months ago that Sony and Marvel were dealing with rights issues to have Spidey join the Avengers. Or, as HitFix put it at the time, plans that “would help Sony refocus their enormously important franchise while also opening up some connections in the onscreen Marvel movie universe that would blow fandom’s minds.”
Like this?
Spider-Man gets caught smack dab in the middle of Civil War, as he first takes Iron Man’s side and reveals his identity, but then defects and joins Captain America’s anti-registration fight.
Unfortunately, it was not to be, as talks between Sony and Marvel broke down before they could reach a deal. If they had, it would have been a bummer to find out this way. According to Comics Alliance, Sony since refocused on its existing projects: Other emails reference the Sinister Six and Venom standalone movies and the all-female Spidey-verse adventure, tentatively titled Glass Ceiling.
Art: Steve McNiven/Marvel Comics
