Tom Holland talked to Sony and Disney to save Spider-Man—report

Tom Holland reportedly appealed to Disney CEO Bob Iger and Sony film chair Tom Rothman to put a Spider-Man deal back on for the fans. Image: Kevin Winter/Getty Images/AFP

It seemed like a done deal last August that the Spider-Man franchise was to stay put with Sony after negotiations fell through between Sony Pictures Entertainment and Disney’s Marvel Studios.

But on Sept. 27, Spider-Man swung back into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), with a third film set for July 2021. The two studios were able to agree on a profit-sharing structure after the public fallout in August.

READ: Third ‘Spider-Man’ movie happening after Disney, Sony agree deal

Credit for the reunion is in part due to the franchise’s own star Tom Holland, as per The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday, Oct. 2. Holland, 23, appealed to Disney CEO Bob Iger and Sony film chair Tom Rothman to discuss a deal, citing fans’ support for the superhero. 

Sony currently owns the rights to the web-slinger and entered into a partnership with Marvel Studios to develop the Spider-Man franchise. While Sony produced the movies, Marvel Studios under its chief Kevin Feige had creative direction on the films and reportedly earned 5% of the gross.

The first solo Spider-Man film in the MCU, “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” was a box office hit, as well as the other Marvel films that Spider-Man was part of. Disney reportedly wanted a co-financing deal where it would give 50% of the budget and earn 50% of net gross. In January, it pitched a 25-25 deal, but Sony did not counter for nearly six months, according to sources.

Prior to the June release of the second standalone Spidey film, “Spider-Man: Far From Home”, Disney Studios co-chair Alan Horn called off the deal. “Far From Home” wound up earning over $1 billion.

It seemed both sides were also standing their ground based on recent box office successes—Sony with “Venom” and Disney with “Avengers: Endgame.”

Talks of the broken Spider-Man deal led fans to use the hashtag #SaveSpiderMan in hopes of keeping him in the MCU. But by Aug. 20, Spider-Man was cut off from Marvel films after the Sony and Disney split.

Holland appeared in the Disney fan convention D23 Expo on the weekend of Aug. 23-25, earning a warm reception from fans to whom he said, “I love you 3000.”

After the expo, Holland reportedly spoke to Sony’s Rothman and Disney’s Iger to put a deal back on, showing them the appeals of the massive fanbase.

Finally, in September, Disney got its 25-25 deal, and fans will get to see the iconic superhero in another movie, and hopefully many more.  Niña V. Guno /ra