Marvel fans were left heartbroken and a little confused on Tuesday, when news broke that Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios would no longer be co-producing live-action Spider-Man movies. For those who had been hoping for a long-rumored crossover between Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland) and Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), the news stung even more, as there’s a chance that Spidey will no longer be able to interact with the characters that are now folded into the MCU. In response to the news, someone tweeted at Reynolds that a Spider-Man/Deadpool crossover movie should happen, to which the actor responded that it would only be able to be seen in his heart.
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You can. But you can only see it in my heart.
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) August 20, 2019
Cue the chorus of “Aww”s.
Fans have clamored for a Spidey/Deadpool crossover for quite some time, long before the latter character was one of many Fox properties bought by Disney. While some – including Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld – cast doubt on that being how the character would be introduced into the MCU, it still was high on the bucket list of Marvel fans.
Early reports around Sony and Marvel’s split had indicated that it was due to renegotiations surrounding the Spider-Man deal, with Marvel wanting a more significant cut of the Spidey franchise’s profits. Subsequent statements have complicated the narrative even more, with Sony recently revealing that they’re “disappointed” in the result of the fallout.
“Much of today’s news about Spider-Man has mischaracterized recent discussions about Kevin Feige’s involvement in the franchise,” a Sony spokesperson said in a statement. “We are disappointed, but respect Disney’s decision not to have him continue as a lead producer of our next live-action Spider-Man film.”
“We hope this might change in the future, but understand that the many new responsibilities that Disney has given him – including all their newly added Marvel properties – do not allow time for him to work on IP they do not own,” the statement continued. “Kevin is terrific and we are grateful for his help and guidance and appreciate the path he has helped put us on, which we will continue.”
Upcoming Marvel Studios projects include Black Widow on May 1, 2020, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in Fall of 2020, The Eternals on November 6, 2020, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on February 12, 2021, WandaVision in Spring 2021, Loki in Spring 2021, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on May 7, 2021, What If…? In Summer 2021, Hawkeye in Fall 2021, and Thor: Love and Thunder on November 5, 2021.
