Spider-Man producer Avi Arad has spoken out against Marvel and Sony’s contract that brought the Marvel Comics character into the MCU. In the wake of the MCU’s debut, fans have been demanding the inclusion of Spider-Man, one of Marvel’s most popular and recognizable characters, in the films. Previous to his appearance in the MCU, Spider-Man has already been the subject of five live-action films produced by Sony, starring two distinct actors. In addition, Sony has continued to grow separate Spider-Man-adjacent content, such as the Spider-Verse films and Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. These projects consist of Venom movies, Morbius, and more, even though Marvel Studios, Disney, and Sony came to an agreement to share the character. Tom Holland assumed the role of Spidey and swung into the MCU in 2016.
The Direct has released an excerpt from Sean O’Connell’s forthcoming book (With Great Power: How Spider-Man Conquered Hollywood during the Golden Age of Comic Book Blockbusters.) The book is about the character’s tumultuous journey to the silver screen. The excerpt includes Avi Arad, a longtime producer on the Spider-Man films, who expressed his displeasure with Sony’s deal with Marvel Studios. He says that it was driven only by a desire to increase profits. Read on to find out what the producer thought:
“They did it for money. Terrible… Like giving your kids away for adoption, just because you’re not sure what to do with them.”
Many other Spider-Man producers, including Stan Lee, have previously expressed their gratitude to Sony, Marvel Studios, and Disney for their partnership, which has allowed Spider-Man to develop in new ways by interacting with a much bigger world of heroes and villains. Spider-Man’s entry into the MCU was a breath of fresh air for many fans after seeing two different Spider-Man origin stories in a decade. Holland’s most recent MCU venture, Spider-Man: No Way Home, earned plaudits in theatres throughout the country due to the inclusion of Maguire and Garfield’s characters as well as numerous villains from the Sony period in what many have deemed a love letter to Spider-Man.
Sony’s partnership with Disney and Marvel has breathed new life into Spider-long Man’s cinematic history by allowing the studios to try new things with the much-rebooted character. The conclusion of Spider-Man: No Way Home saw the character become increasingly like his comic book counterpart, both in terms of his newfound freedom and his status as practically a nobody, despite criticism of the MCU Spider-heavy Man’s ties with Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.). Despite Arad’s concerns, the web-slinger appears in excellent hands. The route MCU seems to be headed with the character, and the critical and fan response to Spider-journey Man since he joined the franchise is promising for the Spider-Man.
