It was a crazy few weeks when we thought Spider-Man was departing the MCU for Sony Pictures’ Spider-Verse. Millions of words were written on the matter, tears were shed, voices were raised and emotions were high. And then, just as we were approaching acceptance that Spider-Man wasn’t coming back to the MCU, Disney and Sony announced that they had worked out a deal after all.
We’ve since learned that Tom Holland played a key role in bringing the two studios together after most believed hope was lost. This apparently had reached the point where Marvel Studios were already deep into plans for how to proceed without Spider-Man, and were figuring out the best way to officially announce the bad news.
Then Holland stepped in – and in true heroic fashion – saved the day. Here’s the story as he told it to CinemaBlend:
“I was at the pub quiz, I was pretty drunk because I was really upset that I wasn’t going to be in the MCU anymore. No, I got a phone call from a 310 number; I knew that Bob Iger was going to be calling me but I thought it was going to happen a couple days prior. So I thought I had kind of given up on the phone call, and then I got this call and it was him. Bob 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. 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.”
During the interview co-stars Zendaya and Jacob Batalon backed him up, confirming that he set the two Hollywood titans on the path to a new agreement. Now Disney and Sony have never been cozier: the credits scene of Venom: Let There Be Carnage confirmed that Sony’s Venomverse is crossing over with the MCU, as teased by Michael Keaton’s Vulture showing up in Morbius.
This cross-pollination will be front and center in next week’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, which sees the villains of Sony’s Raimiverse and the Amazing movies making the multiversal leap into the MCU.
Tom Holland leaps back into action as Spider-Man when No Way Home swings into theaters on December 17.