Leaked Sony Emails Reveal We Almost Had Spider-Man Join The Marvel Cinematic Universe

One of the biggest complaints from some comics fans is that certain mainstay Marvel Comics heroes are not able to be part of Marvel Studios’ interconnected movies due to their film rights belonging to other studios. Well, leaked emails from Sony Pictures tell a story where that restriction almost became a thing of the past.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Sony, who hold the film rights to Spider-Man, where negotiating with Marvel Studios to collaborate on new Spider-Man films that potentially could have been a part of Marvel’s shared cinematic universe.

The e-mails reveal extensive discussions between executives at Sony and Marvel owner Walt Disney, all the way up to their respective chief executives Kaz Hirai and Robert Iger.

In an Oct. 30 e-mail, Sony Pictures president Doug Belgrad tells [Sony’s motion picture chief Amy] Pascal about a potential scenario that would see Marvel produce a new trilogy of Spider-Man movies while Sony retains “creative control, marketing and distribution.”

In a separate e-mail, Ms. Pascal tells a business partner that Marvel wanted to include Spider-Man in its planned third “Captain America” movie.

That sound you hear is the exploding of thousands of comic book fans’ heads over the thought that this could have actually happened. While fandom reaction to last year’s Amazing Spider-Man 2 was very much mixed, I dare say that a majority of it is very much united in wanting to see the webslinger back with Marvel Studios where he can interact with his comic book brethren.

Unfortunately, talks broke down between the two studios and it now appears as if Sony is going to continue on producing Spider-Man films on their own. The Journal is reporting that as of late last month the studio had plans to convene a “Spider Summit” to work out what the studio is going to do with the franchise going forward. In addition to an Amazing Spider-Man 3 and several spin-off films featuring some of Spider-Man’s villains and anti-heroes, the studio is also looking at a proposal from The Lego Movie directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord for an animated comedy film.