Disney Says Spider-Man Returned To The MCU Because Of The Fans

After controversially removing the beloved hero from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and attempting to forge ahead on Spider-Man movies of their own without the involvement of Marvel Studios, Sony returned to the bargaining table and extended their lucrative partnership with Kevin Feige and co. And now, with Tom Holland officially back in the MCU for the foreseeable future, all is finally well in the world of Spidey.

As it turns out, fans have themselves to thank for the web-slinger’s return, as in a recent interview, Disney exec Alan Horn was asked what helped get Spider-Man back in the MCU and admitted that above all else, it was really the fans and the strong outcry from the franchise’s followers for Sony and the Mouse House to strike a new deal that led to Peter Parker’s return.

“The fan base, which is important to all of us, seemed to really respond to what Tom and his folks have done before with our people. They like the fact that the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Kevin Feige were involved [in the two Spider-Man films]. We heard the feedback out there that suggested that joining forces once again was probably really a good idea.”

Of course, we’re sure there were many other factors involved here as well aside from just the fan feedback, but no doubt the intense backlash against the split was a big reason why the two companies decided to make up. And though we imagine that Marvel Studios will stay characteristically quiet on their plans for Spider-Man for the next little while, we’ve heard that they’ve got big things in store for the hero.

That is, if the studios can renew their agreement once this one expires, as it only covers two films. Should they work out a new deal, though, and it’s expected that they will, fans can expect Peter to take over Iron Man’s role in the MCU and be one of the leading faces of the franchise moving forward.

Staying closer to home, though, and the next time we see Holland’s hero in cinemas will be in Spider-Man 3, which is scheduled to drop on July 16th, 2021.