The situation with Spider-Man may be getting more heated behind the scenes, as both Disney and Marvel are said to be courtingSpider-Man: Far from Homedirector Jon Watts for future projects. Watts helmed the past two solo outings for the character, which proved to be tremendously successful. Marvel likes to keep talent around and Sony needs every advantage they can get without having the added benefit of being part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As such, Watts may have a whole lot of bargaining power.
According to a new report,Jon Wattsis being courted by Marvel, but it’s not clear what project they want him for. Sony, meanwhile, wants Watts back for Spider-Man 3, which still has Tom Holland attached to star as Peter Parker. However, as we previously reported,Watts is not yet signed onto direct that movie, as he was only contracted for the first two movies. That’s key in both cases, as Watts went from being an indie director with movies likeCop Carunder his belt to proven blockbuster aficionado.
Spider-Man: Homecoming followed in the wake of Tom Holland’s debut inCaptain America: Civil War, which certainly helped matters. But Jon Watts provided us with a unique take on the character, which led to great reviews and an $880 million global take.Spider-Man: Far From Home, again benefiting fromInfinity WarandAvengers: Endgame, proved to be an even bigger success, aking in $1.11 billion, making it Sony’s biggest release ever. With that in mind, it’s easy to see why both sides of this mess would want him. It’s also easy to see where Watts could win out in a big way here, as he could end up benefiting greatly from a corporate pissing contest of sorts.
Then again, things could always change. As it stands,Sony and Disney have not come to termson a new deal for the future of the Spider-Man franchise. The two studios had worked together harmoniously from 2015 to 2019. ButDisneyis said to want more than Sony is willing to give, and Sony feels they can manage without the guidance of Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, at least in part thanks to the success ofVenomandSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Whatever the case, Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, who pennedSpider-Man: Far From Home, are said to already be working on the next solo installment. The tricky thing is that they can no longer include any references to the MCU, and Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is firmly rooted in that universe. It’s an unenviable task, to be sure. So, will Jon Watts opt to take on that challenge? Or will he move on from Spidey and take on another property within Marvel’s vast, ever-expanding universe? Time will tell and we’ll be sure to keep you posted as the situation sorts itself out. Or if it gets uglier. This news comes to us viaDeadline.
