EDITORIAL: Why SPIDER-MAN Can't Survive Without The Marvel Cinematic Universe

EDITORIAL: Why SPIDER-MAN Can't Survive Without The Marvel Cinematic Universe

There's been a lot of talk about the Spider-Man franchise, but regardless of how you look at it, it seems fair to say that only Marvel Studios can save this iconic Marvel superhero from receiving the same fate as characters like Ghost Rider and The Punisher. Here's my in-depth take on why that is...

Editorial Opinion
By JoshWilding - Dec 18, 2014 04:12 PM EST
Filed Under: Spider-Man

It's been an interesting couple of weeks for Spider-Man fans. The "Sony Hack" has revealed a ton of details about what might be in store for the iconic Marvel superhero, but perhaps the biggest revelation is that Marvel Studios do indeed want to get their hands back on arguably their greatest and most recognisable character. Of course, had The Amazing Spider-Man 2 not been a critical and commercial failure, Sony Pictures would have likely forged ahead with their plans for The Amazing Spider-Man 3, The Sinister Six, and Venom. Before anyone argues with The Amazing Spider-Man 2 being labelled a failure, the majority of respected critics and fans disliked it, and combine that with the fact that Sony were hoping for a return of over $1 billion (but only got around $700 million after spending upwards of $250 million), it WAS a FAILURE. Like it or not, that is simply a fact! 

As a result, Marvel Studios obviously decided to take advantage of Sony's desperation and confusion about where to go next with the franchise by offering them a deal. There have been so many emails and conflicting reports, we honestly have no idea whether it's going to happen or what it might involve. A recent report claimed that the emails revealed that Peter Parker would be decked out in the Iron Spider suit in Captain America: Civil War before starring in a rebooted series of movies set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the taking on a role in the two-part Avengers: Infinity War. It all sounds pretty good (apart from the fact that Marvel apparently want to keep Peter Parker a teenager), but do Kevin Feige and company really need Spider-Man? 

No.


Even so, the financial benefits of adding Spider-Man to the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be great, and with the contracts of their Phase One actors nearing an end, making Spider-Man the face of Phase Four would be a smart move. You can't help but feel that Sony have no other choice, but there's still every chance they move ahead with their own reboot or turn The Sinister Six into the movie we all want; Spider-Man VERSUS The Sinister Six. The fact is though, even the guy who runs part of Sony's film department had to copy and paste ideas from Wikipedia to justify keeping Spidey. They're clueless and relying on producers like Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach who believe that Venom is only worth greenlighting because of toy sales. Arad has royally f***ed up three Spider-Man movies in a row now, not too dissimilar to what Lauren Shuler Donner did with X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Even Fox have turned their act around though with three good movies in a row - X-Men: First Class, The Wolverine, and X-Men: Days of Future Past - even if they aren't all that faithful to the comic books.

Sony have no one to steer them in the right direction, and it's hard to imagine them making a good Spider-Man movie at this point; it has after all been a decade since the release of the last really great one (that would be 2004's Spider-Man 2 in case you're not old enough to remember). 

Nothing Sony has planned sounds remotely appealing because they ultimately don't understand the character they hold the rights to. Like the Ghost Rider franchise, they run the risk of running Spider-Man into the ground, and it wouldn't be all that surprising to see the character ending up on the shelf for years like the Fantastic Four at this rate. That's why Marvel Studios need to be involved in restoring Spider-Man to greatness. Sure, bringing in new producers and rebooting again at Sony could work, but there's no evidence to support that statement. They brought Venom to life in 2007 and got the character completely wrong. They promised an "Untold Story" and gave us more of the same, removing anything new through extensive reshoots. They repeated the mistakes of the past by cramming too many villains into The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Marvel Studios meanwhile have made hits out of movies starring Captain America, Thor, and the freaking Guardians of the Galaxy!

Imagine what people who care about and understand Spider-Man could do with him? This isn't just about throwing him into The Avengers to make a quick buck, it's about getting the character right; not the humourless Peter Parker of Sam Raimi's trilogy or the cocky and unlikeable Peter Parker from Marc Webb's movies. Marvel Studios have made a lot of changes to the comic books, but the spirit of the characters and what we love about them has remained intact. The Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus were great, but did they or any of the other villains we've so far seen really do their comic book counterparts justice? Think back also to the shrill Mary Jane Watson or Emma Stone's goofy Gwen Stacy (both little more than damsels in distress rather than the strong female characters we've seen in the Marvel Studios movies like Peggy Carter and Pepper Potts).


Without Marvel Studios, Sony Pictures will move ahead with more mediocre movies which will continue until moviegoers are more interested in movies about Doctor Strange and The Inhumans than arguably Stan Lee's greatest creation. Spider-Man will then sit on the shelf for a number of years and the rights will probably revert regardless, but by that point, Spidey will probably just be relegated to TV because Marvel don't see the financial viability of giving him a movie (similar to what has happened to Daredevil). The only way to save this franchise is for Marvel Studios to take creative control and to integrate him into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There, the right stories can be told, and we can see him flourish alongside Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Would it be nice to see the Fantastic Four and X-Men join him? Sure, but they're holding their own right now. Spider-Man isn't, and his salvation can be brought about by only one man: Kevin Feige. What do you think?
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SauronsBANE
SauronsBANE - 12/18/2014, 5:00 PM
Do my eyes deceive me? A Josh Wilding editorial?
SauronsBANE
SauronsBANE - 12/18/2014, 5:03 PM
"Before anyone argues with The Amazing Spider-Man 2 being labelled a failure, the majority of respected critics and fans disliked it, and combine that with the fact that Sony were hoping for a return of over $1 billion (but only got around $700 million after spending upwards of $250 million), it WAS a FAILURE. Like it or not, that is simply a fact!"

I honestly have no idea how people still dispute this. Regardless your personal stance on the movie, it's practically a given. Stop living in your little bubbles of delusion, people!
Sandstorm
Sandstorm - 12/18/2014, 5:06 PM
"I honestly have no idea how people still dispute this. Regardless your personal stance on the movie, it's practically a given. Stop living in your little bubbles of delusion, people!"

I won't dispute that but still being that movies are mainly filmmaker driven Sony can easily get a good director to continue with their Spider-Man franchise. Still I would like to see Spidey with the Avengers. That's just me
Mrcool210
Mrcool210 - 12/18/2014, 5:07 PM
"Spidey will probably just be relegated to TV because Marvel don't see the financial viability of giving him a movie (similar to what has happened to Daredevil)." No, Marvel will not just put him on tv if they got the rights in that way. Sure they did it to daredevil, but daredevil really never has been that big of a hero, spider-man is the highest earning hero period. Even if his movies don't do too well everything else should still do great. Marvel would still see potential in him, and with the MS name in front of it the people will see it.
kalelhawj
kalelhawj - 12/18/2014, 5:07 PM
He Doesn't need saving. Sony makes 700 mil + every time at the BO. Only Marvel wants this bad boy back badly...
MJPETTY7
MJPETTY7 - 12/18/2014, 5:09 PM
Everyone I have talked to who has not been online has loved the movie. As did I.
SauronsBANE
SauronsBANE - 12/18/2014, 5:09 PM
@Sandstorm Of course (though because of the disappointing TASM 1 and 2, any future sequel would be built on a ridiculously rocky foundation. No matter how good a potential future movie is, it'd still be hampered by that), but that's still kind of a separate argument.

All I'm saying (and Josh said in his editorial) is that TASM 2 was a critical and commercial failure, and that's really not even up for debate.
MJPETTY7
MJPETTY7 - 12/18/2014, 5:10 PM
Also I agree with AlphaMasterFlex
sikwon
sikwon - 12/18/2014, 5:11 PM
It's going to happen. At this point if Sony makes a Spidey movie people wI'll be so pissed the backlash will be insane.
BaneSmash
BaneSmash - 12/18/2014, 5:12 PM
Give me a break.......
MyNameIsKhan
MyNameIsKhan - 12/18/2014, 5:12 PM
@MJPETTY7 same here. Sure it has misgivings, but it is not as bad as trolls/haters make it out to be.
Mercwitham0uth
Mercwitham0uth - 12/18/2014, 5:13 PM
Yup Spidey desperately needs Marvel Studios.
marvel72
marvel72 - 12/18/2014, 5:13 PM
Well said,@Jollem will be pleased with this editorial.
JoeMomma29
JoeMomma29 - 12/18/2014, 5:13 PM
LOL! If it was a failure Sony would have cashed in their chips and handed the rights over to Marvel. Granted I do agree in the long run Spiderman will become stale over time.

Though Sony knows they have a Golden Ticket in a sense or Marvel over the barrel because they can keep making crappy movies every so many years and keep those rights away from Marvel for the next 10 years if they wanted.

Hopefully Sony will come to their senses and come a joint collaboration with Marvel Studios which will be total win for both parties. But I have a sneaky feeling that people on both sides are being pig headed.

That being said I would rather see the F4 revert back because that opens up more possibilities in the MCU........Imagine seeing Big G and Silver Surfers in a GOTG movie?????? Or Dr. Doom fighting alongside Red Skull or another baddie??

Either way I personally do not give two $hits one way or the other. Marvel already has a lot on their plate in terms of projects. And in the grand scheme of things Marvel Studios does not need Spidey at all, they have proven that with GOTG and soon to be Black Panther etc......

BaneSmash
BaneSmash - 12/18/2014, 5:14 PM
Marvel could have released the same movie and everyone would love it........ So no spidey is fine.
DEVWoulf
DEVWoulf - 12/18/2014, 5:14 PM
I really hope this Interview disaster (hacking, cancellation) gives Sony the green light to go through with the deal, if it hasn't already. I really don't want to see anymore films Spider-Man from Sony as I know now they are just making them for the money.
Manta4000
Manta4000 - 12/18/2014, 5:15 PM
Spider-man's future in cinema is uncertain but we'll see what Sony says at next January's "Spidey Summit".
JoeMomma29
JoeMomma29 - 12/18/2014, 5:15 PM
Oh yeah Disney has the funds to buy the rights back but they are not making that move because they have bigger fish to fry at this point. Hell they have StarWars to push forward and I am sure they are looking at other franchises to take over without having to buy rights that will eventually revert in time.
JoeMomma29
JoeMomma29 - 12/18/2014, 5:18 PM
And by the way people can throw rocks at me for saying this, I am actually ashamed that the editors on this site published articles on stolen information. Yes stolen information, I wonder how they would feel if someone broke into their emails, financial statements, or personal logs and posted them online as play to hold them hostage?

Yeah and those tactics did work look how Sony has given in to some Internet Terrorists with the help of the news outlets reporting on stolen information.

BaneSmash
BaneSmash - 12/18/2014, 5:19 PM
They are in no hur ry to fork out massive amounts ofcash when they still make it without spidey! Let's not even say merchandising $$$$$$$
DEVWoulf
DEVWoulf - 12/18/2014, 5:19 PM
@sikwon

Unless the film gets really good reviews, but then again during a crowded Summer many good films get lost in the mix anyway (Edge of Tomorrow). I bet even if the next Sony Spider-Man film gets great reviews, it's still gonna make less money than ASM2 due to the impact this last film had. Sony will just have to accept they need to make it on a smaller budget and expect a lesser profit. Spidey going back to Marvel is the only way you're gonna see 1 Billion or so at the box-office.
Ryguy88
Ryguy88 - 12/18/2014, 5:20 PM
This is obviously false.
CherryBomb
CherryBomb - 12/18/2014, 5:20 PM
Nah, TASM2 still made a ton of money.
The franchise can still be redeemed.

Sony just needs a plan and a coherent structure for how they want to continue but they don't NEED Marvel studios.
Semperfi742
Semperfi742 - 12/18/2014, 5:22 PM
@joemomma29
I completely agree. Calling TASM an outright failure makes no sense. It made more worldwide than MOS but because it didn't make a billion it was a flop? Crazy talk. I don't think Spider-Man needs marvel and I don't think marvel needs Spider-Man. What I do think is that I would squeal like a little girl if they ever got spidey into the MCU but not because either needs the other, only because I love the idea.
Sandstorm
Sandstorm - 12/18/2014, 5:22 PM
@Chloefornication

As much as we would like to see it that is correct
JoeMomma29
JoeMomma29 - 12/18/2014, 5:23 PM
@CherryBomb

I agree, and I feel as though this hacking situation actually may have hurt the chances of Spiderman going back to Marvel. Crap you have a company out millions upon millions of dollars and they are going to look at avenues to recoup that money over time. And yes folks Spiderman is that golden ticket for them or should I say the Golden Goose who can (and I say can not will) lay those golden eggs!
DEVWoulf
DEVWoulf - 12/18/2014, 5:24 PM
@Chloefornication

The way the Spider-Man films are going now, yes, he needs the MCU and Feige. The people running his stuff are clueless and turning him into a joke. In-fact, Sony themselves are beginning to turn into a joke. If Spider-Man went back to Marvel, it would create such a buzz! We're talking about maybe a Billion dollars at the box-office, big hit.
BaneSmash
BaneSmash - 12/18/2014, 5:25 PM
I watched a cleever video on you tube talking about how mcu would introduce Spidey thay said Tony Stark would give spidey his costume! Wtf........
SauronsBANE
SauronsBANE - 12/18/2014, 5:26 PM
We have a whole bunch of users making a whole bunch of Jollem-esque statements. You...don't want to sound like Jollem.
BaneSmash
BaneSmash - 12/18/2014, 5:27 PM
[frick]ing Tony is the Stan Lee of the mcu.....
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