Updated December 14-
As the Sony hack continues, more information is being leaked out. Here are some of the bigger stories that have come out of the last few days.
Latino-Review reported on Friday that if/when Marvel and Sony agree on a deal, Marvel is basically reboot the franchise. Again. Marvel Studios is not happy with the way Sony has handled the franchise to this point and want a clean start. This means that they would not bring Andrew Garfield in to play Peter Parker. It's also worth noting that Sony may have already fired Garfield as their Spider-Man after he publicly criticized the way the studio handled The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and skipped a dinner with executives.
Sony also had reportedly been looking at the Russo brothers, directors and writers of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War, as people they wanted to take over their Spider-Man films. The Russo brothers expressed interest in making a Spider-Man trilogy that was part of the Marvel universe. This would happen after they had wrapped up Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 and 2, which they have also reportedly agreed to direct.
Today, reports came out via Screen Gonzo that Kevin Feige will be attending the "Spidey Summit" that Sony will have in January. If this is true, this is the best sign to date that a deal will get done between the two studios. Kevin Feige has made it clear to Sony that as part of any deal they agree upon, he would want Avi Arad out of Sony and have no input on the direction that Spider-Man takes.
Original Post December 10-
Back in October, reports surfaced thanks to HitFix that Sony and Marvel Studios were discussing, once again, how Spider-Man could coexist in the Marvel cinematic universe. While details on the discussions were not released, the conversations were on going for about a month.
With the recent hacking of Sony, pieces of those conversations have become available to the public. The Wall Street Journal Speakeasy got their hands on the conversations and have revealed that the talks stalled after Marvel requested creative control.
Latino-Review went on to do some research of their own. They have heard that Sony turned down a deal that would distribute production costs 60/40, with Sony paying the 40. The deal would land Marvel Studios creative control over Spider-Man such as what the movies plots would be as well as what crossovers would happen.
It appears that the head Sony studio, Sony Japan, is not pleased with the decision made. Latino-Review and Wall Street Journal are reporting that there will be a "Spidey Summit" in January where executives from Sony Japan and Sony Pictures will meet and discuss the future. It appears as though the folks at Sony Japan will do everything in their power to get Marvel Studios to agree on some sort of deal that would give Marvel creative control but allow Sony to still create Spider-Man movies.
If this change does happen, fans will rejoice! Marvel would be getting their most well known and most recognizable character back and into their universe. By Marvel having creative control but having Sony produce the movie, Marvel would only responsible for costs and story ideas.
Starting in 2017, Marvel Studios will produce three movies a year. If Spider-Man is part of the cinematic universe by that point, it would allow for more of Marvel's characters to make more appearances. Sony could produce one Spider-Man film while Marvel roles out Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Thor: Ragnarok, and Black Panther. A Spider-Man movie would allow characters such as Ant-Man to make another appearance during Phase 3. Spider-Man would also likely play a huge role in the future Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 and 2.
In the more immediate future, if a deal is struck in January, there could be just enough time left to get a super quick cameo in Avengers: Age of Ultron or get some sort of crossover in Captain America: Civil War.
The deal would benefit both parties in big ways. It would allow Marvel Studios to have even more toys to play with while Sony would finally have a property that would make the kind of money they desire. A potential Amazing Spider-Man 3 where Spider-Man goes up against the Sinister Six with the help of Spider Woman would not come close to whatever Marvel has planned. Just imagine, The Amazing Spider-Man 3 where Peter Parker teams up with Ant-Man, Falcon, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch to take down the Sinister Six.
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