Tom Holland Says Spider-Man Is In 'Safe Hands' With Sony
According to the world's very own friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, fans don't have to worry about the superhero's future.
After news broke at the end of August that Sony and Disney (which owns Marvel Studios) were unable to reach a deal to share Spider-Man and keep the hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the character's fate came into question. Now, star Tom Holland has some comforting words for his loyal fanbase.
Holland will continue to play Peter Parker, as he's still contracted for (at least) two more Spider-Man films at Sony. Though this must be a pretty confusing time for him, he was still assured enough to let everyone know he trusts in Sony to see Spider-Man's journey through.
After an interview with GQ that was conducted well before the Sony-Disney divorce, Holland reached out to the interviewer, Zach Baron, to address the news once it did break.
"I'm not shy about expressing how incredible the last five years have been with Marvel. I've truly had the time of my life, and in so many respects, they have made my dreams come true as an actor. Sony has also been really good to me, and the global success of Spider-Man: Far From Home is a real testament to their support, skill and commitment," said Holland. "The legacy and future of Spidey rests in Sony's safe hands. I really am nothing but grateful, and I've made friends for life along the way."
If you're still a bit in the dark about how the deal fell through or what it even was in the first place, here's some background: In 2015, Sony, which owns the majority of the Spider-Man comics and properties, basically let Marvel borrow the character and introduce him into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in his third iteration (after being played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, Holland took up the mantle). Under the terms of the deal, Marvel was granted some important financial rights as well and producing credits. It obviously worked out great for both studios, but as the deal neared its expiration, Sony and Disney were faced with the task of renegotiating how to split profits and share ownership of the property in the future.
Both studios have Spidey successes on their hands — Sony struck gold with the Oscar winner Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, while the final official MCU appearance for Spider-Man, Far From Home, earned over a billion dollars at the box office — but when Disney reportedly asked for a 50 percent co-financing stake in the film series, Sony wouldn't agree, and the two parted ways.
It's still uncertain how exactly the Spider-Man franchise will move forward thanks to this creative and financial shake-up, but if Holland feels confident that sticking with Sony is a good thing, then fans, who have generated a fair amount of outcry over this decision, should trust his sound judgment and look forward to his next outing as Peter Parker.