Over six years since the news broke that Spider-Man would join the MCU in Captain America: Civil War, it's still hard to believe it actually happened. For the longest time, it appeared Peter Parker, the X-Men, and Fantastic Four would remain off-limits to Marvel Studios, and while the latter two teams returned home after Disney acquired Fox, things are more complicated with Spidey.
His MCU role relies on a deal between Disney/Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures, and that fell apart in the midst of Spider-Man: Far From Home's post-production process. As a result, it looked like Spidey's time in the same world as The Avengers was at an end, but a new deal was eventually worked out that helped make Spider-Man: No Way Home a reality along with at least one more MCU cameo.
Talking to Cinema Blend, Tom Holland explained his role in patching things up between the studios.
"Bob [Iger] and I had a lovely chat we spoke about my passions for the character. I think I spoke about the importance of Spider-Man in the MCU and what I can offer and what I can bring to the table," the actor recalled. "I think that really resonated with him, and he really heard how much I love this character and how much I believe in him and I think through that conversation, he then opened up a bigger conversation between himself and [Sony Pictures Chairman] Tom Rothman and [Sony Pictures CEO] Tony Vinciquerra and they were able to make a deal."
Holland was clearly instrumental in keeping Spider-Man in the MCU, and it sounds like that deal will remain in place for at least another three movies based on recent comments from Amy Pascal. What the future holds in store beyond that is hard to say, especially as Sony likely remains keen to include the wall-crawler in their own, villain-led movies (not to mention the likes of Silk and Spider-Woman).
Spider-Man: No Way Home arrives in U.S. on December 17 and in the UK on December 15.