Tom Holland Thanks Fans During D23 Panel Following Marvel-Sony Spider-Man Split

Tom Holland attended this weekend's D23 Expo, appearing during the Disney Pictures panel to promote his new Pixar movie Onward. He also took a moment to address the crowd in regards to the new about Sony and Marvel's agreement to share Spider-Man coming to an apparent end. "Listen, it's been a crazy week, but I want you to know, I am grateful from the bottom of my heart, and I love you 3000," Holland told the fans in the packed convention hall.

News broke on Tuesday that a standoff between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures has ended Marvel and producer Kevin Feige's involvement with the Spider-Man film series. Whether that split is final isn't clear as further reports suggested the studios may return to the negotiating table. As things stand, Feige will not be involved with future installments of the series. Feige was the creative lead on Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home, that latter of which is now Sony's highest-grossing film ever.

Holland played Peter Parker in Homecoming and Far From Home, as well as in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. Reports say two more films with Holland and director Jon Watts, who helmed Homecoming and Far From Home, were in the works. The future of those films remains unclear.

The standoff was reportedly over a reworking of the deal that allows Spider-Man to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Disney wanted a 50-50 co-financing stake in the upcoming Spider-Man movies, as opposed to the 5% of the first-dollar gross is receives under the current deal. Disney is even said to have made overtures at bringing Sony's extended Spider-Man movies franchise into the Marvel Cinematic Universe proper. Sony is said to have turned the offer down outright without so much as a counteroffer.

Some reports suggest that Disney was happy to take Feige off of Spider-Man so that he can focus on rebuilding the X-Men and the Fantastic Four franchises after Disney's purchase of 20th Century Fox. Other reports say that Feige, while busy, loves Spider-Man and would have been happy to remain aboard the franchise.

What do you think of this sudden turn for the Spider-Man movies franchise? Let us know in the comments.

Upcoming Marvel Studios projects include Black Widow on May 1, 2020, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in fall 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.