Spider-Man Star Tom Holland Was Key in Pushing Marvel and Sony to New Deal

Hope for the future of Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe seemed all but lost back in August, when news broke that Sony and Disney had reached an impasse on their negotiations of the beloved comic character. Disney and Marvel Studios wanted a bigger piece of the Spider-Man pie, Sony wanted to continue relying on its top money-making property, so both sides walked away with nothing. Tom Holland‘s Spider-Man was essentially done with the MCU for good. However, things took a surprising turn soon after that, as a new deal was reached on September 27th, allowing Spider-Man to star in another Marvel standalone film as well as another unnamed MCU movie. This brought a sigh of relief to Marvel fans around the world, and it looks as though we have Holland to thank for the deal coming together.

The 23-year-old actor isn’t a producer on any of the Spider-Man films but he had a major hand in bringing Sony and Disney back together to continue negotiations and get his character back in the MCU. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Holland made numerous appeals to both Sony and Disney executives, working hard to get them in a room together once again.

After the conclusion of Disney D23 Expo in August, Holland reached out to Sony film chairman Tom Rothman and asked him to continue negotiations. Per THR, Holland had power in that discussion because, in addition to Spider-Man, he is set to lead Sony’s Uncharted film franchise. More surprisingly, Holland also contacted Disney CEO Bob Iger, one of the most powerful people in the entire industry, and pleaded his case.

Whatever Holland said must have worked, because Sony and Disney had a new deal in place in less than a month. Disney will reportedly put up 25% of the cost of the next Spider-Man film and receive 25% of the profits. The new film will be overseen by Marvel’s Kevin Feige and Sony’s Amy Pascal.

“I am thrilled that Spidey’s journey in the MCU will continue, and I and all of us at Marvel Studios are very excited that we get to keep working on it,” Feige said in a statement. “Spider-Man is a powerful icon and hero whose story crosses all ages and audiences around the globe. He also happens to be the only hero with the superpower to cross cinematic universes, so as Sony continues to develop their own Spidey-verse you never know what surprises the future might hold.”

“Peter Parker’s story took a dramatic turn in Far From Home and I could not be happier we will all be working together as we see where his journey goes,” Pascal added. “This has been a winning partnership for the studios, the franchise and the fans and I’m overjoyed it will continue.”

Holland’s third film as Spider-Man will arrive in theaters on July 16, 2021.