Leaked emails reveal Marvel Execs questioned Sony’s decision to reboot Spider-Man with Amazing Spider-Man

I’m sure most of you will be aware of the massive information dump on Wikileaks featuring a whole host of private emails and documents that were leaked when Sony movie studios were hacked late last year. Well, I’ve been combing through the emails and I came across this email discussing Amazing Spider-Man 2 and the franchise in general.

The email is circulated between Alan Fine, Tom Cohen and Kevin Feige who are all important figures over at Marvel’s studios. The trio are discussing Sony’s decision to move on from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy and reboot the Spider-Man film franchise, starting from scratch as it were.

“Avi is totally nuts. More confirmation to me that he never knew what he was doing

The first email is from Marvel head Kevin Feige to the other two and he discusses what his opinion on the rebooting one of his film franchises would be, and to cut a long story short he flat-out thinks that it’s a terrible, terrible idea

"They are definatley setting up an alternate universe to the first trilogy.  No doubt about it – I saw the spider bite in Sam Raimi’s movie and it was totally different than the Spider bite in ASM.  They have rebooted.In a million years I would not advocate rebooting the Iron Man MCU.  To me it’s James Bond and we can keep telling new stories for decades even with different actors."

Alan Fine then replies with a much more detailed critique of the decision. Have a read and then see what you think. I have to say in advance that I think he’s absolutely spot on here!

"Yes, and I think that is very dangerous.  They are, in effect, obsoleting the first trilogy.  They can call it whatever they like, e.g. telling a new saga from the same core elements…..the end result is that they’re making a mess of the first trilogy….exiling it from the cinematic universe.  I think that is very risky thing to do with a movie audience following.  Okay for comic books but I wouldn’t even do it with cartoon animation.  Had I known, I would never have approved that strategy.  Avi is totally nuts.  More confirmation to me that he never knew what he was doing."

In a million years I would not advocate rebooting the Iron Man MCU

I think he’s right because the Spider-Man trilogy directed by Sam Raimi was almost at the forefront of the comic book movie industry and kick-started the whole thing. Not only that, but two of the three movies are actually up there as some of the best comic book films ever made. Then there’s the fact that the audience had invested into Maguire’s Spider-Man and that world for three films which is a long time to follow something only for the reset button to be hit.  You’ll also notice some criticism for Spidey producer Avi Arad which is amusing.

Fine goes on to write

"Question for you both:  One day soon we will be rebooting the Iron Man franchise with new actors.  In that reboot would you change the events of the first trilogy?  E.g. Obadiah becomes a true father figure to Tony, Pepper gets jealous and she becomes the one that gets him thrown out of the company and tries to kill him for walking away from defense contracts?  Pepper Potts falls in love with a caucasian Rhodey instead of Tony?  It’s almost like setting up an alternate universe to the first trilogy.  You guys are not seeing this?"

Do you agree with the Marvel guys’ take on this. That Sony should never have gone for a full reboot introducing an entirely different Spider-Man in an entirely different Spider-Man universe? Or are you glad that we got both Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy and Marc Webb’s Amazing Spider-Man duo?

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