According to a new report, Tom Holland may be able to opt out of a possible Sony-produced Spider-Man film.
By now, superhero and film fans know negotiations broke down between Disney and Sony regarding a new deal to keep Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Hearing the news threw many people for a loop, but the person who was probably the most surprised was Spider-Man himself, Tom Holland. While the actor has not commented on the matter, a new report suggests he may not have to stick around.
THR, in an in-depth story on the Sony/Marvel disagreement, reports that Holland currently has a contract option for another Spider-Man film. Director Jon Watts has also completed his two-film deal and is not committed to any future installments.
The trade spoke with Box Office’s Shawn Robbins, who believes the breakdown of the licensing agreement is a lose-lose for both sides. For Sony, he believes there’s uncertainty regarding the public’s reaction to a Tom Holland-less Spider-Man film:
"“The other big question is, ‘How are fans are going to react to a Tom Holland Spider-Man movie that not set in the MCU?’ That is a roll of the dice that no studio should take.”"
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The fact that Watts isn’t officially attached to a third film makes Spider-Man’s potential future at Sony even more unclear. With Spider-Man: Homecoming and Far From Home, the filmmaker proved to have a fruitful relationship with Marvel Studios. It’s hard to say how he would work with Sony alone, especially given the circumstances of the split from Marvel.
If the Spider-Man franchise does indeed head in a new direction under Sony, one has to wonder if Holland will want to remain in the fold. Given the previous two films’ heavy ties to the MCU, it’s likely that a third film featuring his character will be a hard reboot. This is, of course, speculation, but it would be hard to explain away the connections to MCU characters and events.
Spider-Man’s cinematic future is currently up in the air, and a resolution doesn’t appear to be in sight. Fans will no doubt be waiting with bated breath to see if Sony and Disney can find common ground.