Sony did the unthinkable and bought the rights to Spider-Man alone for $7 million instead of having all the marvel characters on their corner for $25 million. It was a mind-boggling decision, but what are the reasons behind that decisive choice?
While filing bankruptcy, Marvel entertainment had no choice but to sell the rights of their characters to Sony for just $25 million. However, Sony only selected the rights to Spider-Man, stating that nobody cares about the other Marvel characters.
What Would Have Happened if Sony Entertainment Bought All the Marvel Characters in 1998?
From the early 2000s, it was clear that the Spider-Man acquisition by Sony was a great decision. The decision led to three installments of a movie starring Toby Maguire proving that the character was indeed a big hit.
However, several questions still linger in the minds of the fans. While it is easy to say that Sony made the wrong decision in not acquiring every Marvel character, we have to remember that Ironman came out only a decade after Spiderman’s success. Followed by The Avengers in 2012. The Avengers showed how big these Marvel characters could be.
Stepping a few years back, the Marc Webb Amazing Spider-Man films, starring Andrew Garfield, also did well on the big screen. It’s just as possible, if not more so, that Sony could have paid the $25 million, only to watch the movies become middling successes at best before slowly fading into obscurity. Without Marvel Studios, the superhero genre would have never taken off in Hollywood. (Source: Hollywood Reporter)
Disney’s Acquisition of the Marvel Characters
Marvel has licensed the rights to Spider-Man to Sony for nearly two decades. The company eventually forged an agreement with the entertainment giant before the $4 billion deal with Disney started in 2009.
Sony achieved critical and financial acclaim with its first round of Spider-Man movies directed by Sam Raimi and starring Tobey Maguire. Its second effort, starring Andrew Garfield and directed by Marc Webb, was far less successful, sending the studio back to the drawing board.
We have had a great collaboration over the last four years, and our mutual desire to continue was equal to that of the many fans. We are delighted to be moving forward together.
Robert Lawson, Chief Communications Officer, Sony Pictures Entertainment.
(Source: Variety)
The Future Of Spider-Man
The Spider-Man franchise has a bright future indeed on the big screen. Its latest installment, No Way Home, directed by Jon Watts, marks the end of a trilogy starring Tom Holland as Peter Parker and Zendaya as MJ, his plucky romantic counterpart.
But the $200 million sequels also represent the culmination of nearly 20 years of Spider-Man movies, with eight in total, because it draws in characters unseen since Spider-Man 3 in 2007 and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in 2014. The movie, which received sensational reviews, could surpass $150 million in ticket sales. According to Comscore, no film has managed more than $90 million in opening-weekend sales since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in 2019. (Source: NY Times)