Is Spider-Man Leaving the MCU All One Big Lie?

With all of the drama surrounding the divorce between Sony and Disney which has pulled Spider-Man out of the MCU, some tin foil hats are getting a little tight, with people calling this whole thing one big lie. So, by request of ComicBook Nation's great many, we're here to take a look at whether or not this whole Spider-Man leaving the Marvel Cinematic Universe behind thing is a true or a big ole hoax.

Let's start with the source -- there's a guy on Facebook named Mikey Sutton who claims to have "Breaking News" that Sony and Disney are still talking and planning on reaching a deal to keep Spider-Man in the MCU. If you look into Sutton, comment sections will tell you he broke the news about Disney buying Fox with another response debunking such a claim, and a series of similar remarks. According to his public social media profiles, he is associated with an entertainment news outlet, and spends a good amount of time near celebrities -- for photo ops at conventions. It's not entirely unlikely that one way or another Sutton has talked to people who know a thing or two -- but the likelihood of this whole debacle being a lie is extremely slim, and hopefully that's not the message he is trying to send.

Not to crush dreams, but the fans grabbing onto this rumor are holding onto hope instead of facts -- this isn't a stunt to build interest. Spider-Man is already one of the most popular characters in the world and all eyes were already on that wallcrawler after Avengers: Endgame. For now, Spidey's MCU door really is closed. Literally and.. Legally.

Still, there's solid reason to believe Tom Holland will be back on screen as Peter Parker in the same world as the Avengers.

Most recent reports claim that Disney wanted to fund 25% of future Spider-Man movies and receive 25% of the box office return for those movies. Other reports will tell you Disney wants 30% and -- either way -- Sony said no. As the previous deal stood from 2015, Disney was getting 5% of the first dollar gross for Spider-Man movies. This means on Spider-Man: Far From Home, Disney creatively controlled the film which made more than $1.1 billion dollars. Of that, Disney took in less than $2 million. "Disney pretty much owns most of everything else in the entertainment world already, why do they need the money," you say? Sure, but that's still a wild ratio.

Sony then went on to say that Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige is "too busy" to work on Spider-Man 3 and that's simply not true. Feige has displayed great patience and ability to balance a slate with an abundant number of titles in the past, so he most certainly has the time for one of Marvel's most popular characters. When the Marvel Studios boss fires back saying things like he knew this relationship was "finite," as he did at the D23 Expo, he might just be playing negotiation hardball through the press in the same way.

This also means when you look at what Tom Holland said during the D23 Expo or elsewhere, you need not panic if you want to see him keep the role of Spider-Man.

Another factor to consider is whether or not Sony is trying to push Tom Hardy's Venom into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Reports ahead of Spider-Man: Far From Home indicated that the studio wanted to see the character crossover with the world's largest cinematic franchise. Apparently, after the success of Spider-Man: Far From Home, Sony thinks that they don't need the MCU to make a hit movie anymore.

Numbers might say otherwise. The recent Amazing Spider-Man franchise spent more money and made less, with only one of the two Andrew Garfield movies topping three-quarter billion dollars. Meanwhile, Homecoming took in $880 million and Far From Home popped more than $1.1 billion. Spider-Man might be one of the most marketable characters in the world but having a trailer which directly follows and ties in to the biggest movie in the world, Avengers: Endgame, certainly helps build excitement and boost ticket sales.

Both studios seem to have something to lose and something to gain in both scenarios. Would Spider-Man: Far From Home have made $1.1 billion if it wasn't a follow-up to Avengers: Endgame? No! Absoutely not. But, would it have made more than 70% of that for Sony to take home as if they Disney was taking 30%? Maybe… And, that's our problem.

For now, the door really is closed on Spider-Man in the MCU, so regardless of what anyone wants to tell you on social media about this whole thing being a lie -- it isn't. Mom and Dad are fighting over Peter Parker and there's nothing we can do but watch. Something tells me, somewhere down the line, we'll get some good news and Spidey's MCU story … isn't over.

What do you want to see from Spider-Man going forward? Share your thoughts in the comment section or send them my way on Instagram and Twitter and stay tuned to Comicbook.com/Marvel for the latest updates.

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