Comments by current Sony Pictures Chairman and CEO, Tony Vinciquerra, verify that “for the moment the door is closed” on reaching an agreement between Sony and Marvel Studios, regarding the appearance of Spider-Man in future films.

The original 2015 deal allowed both Sony and Marvel Studios to benefit from having Spider-Man in their films. This meant that the well-loved character could finally enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a fact that excited many MCU fans. The deal resulted in five new movies, including two standalone Spider-Man films that featured Tom Holland as the titular character. These movies were creatively led by Marvel Studios, but funded by Sony, who received 95 percent of the profits. The remaining three movies, however, were Marvel’s to create and profit from: Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.

Fan talk of a third Spider-Man movie blossomed – however, this was cut short by a financing disagreement between Sony and Disney, of which Marvel Studios is a subsidiary. The problem arose when, after the June release of the incredibly successful Spider-Man: Far From Home, Disney wanted to change the deal in order to receive 50 percent of Spider-Man movie profits, rather than the previously-agreed-upon 5 percent. Sony immediately rejected this idea, but Disney persisted. While this seemed like a deal breaker, many fans held onto the hope that the two studios would eventually reach a compromise. However, Vinciquerra’s new comment has confirmed that, as of right now, the two parties are unable to make a deal.

Ever since the disagreement came to light, fans have been taking to social media to voice their opinions. While the majority of fans are just upset about the lack of Spidey in future MCU films, some have begun to comment on the financial aspect of things, siding with either Sony or Disney. 

Twitter user @Partizan_Niksic wrote that Disney was already making “more than enough” from the deal:

Profit they don’t deserve. They are already getting 100% of merchandise revenue and 5% of box office. More than enough from character they don’t own.

— PartizanNiksic (@Partizan_Niksic) August 20, 2019

Another fan, tweeting under the username @LuRu08, sided with Disney instead, claiming that they were justified in their offer as they had done “the majority of the work” in making the Spider-Man films:

Justifying Sony’s actions & blaming Disney? Think of it this way. You have a group project, you do the majority of the work (@Disney) & the other person only adds one part to it (@SonyPictures). Is it fair they should get a higher grade (payout) #boycottsony

— Megaman Lue_Rue (@LuRu08) August 20, 2019

Although fans may be divided, the two companies themselves have gone out of their way to display this split as nothing short of amicable. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios, stated that having Spider-Man in the MCU was “a dream… never meant to last forever,” and that his feelings toward Spider-Man were those of “gratitude and joy.” Tom Holland also commented, saying that “the future for Spider-Man will be different, but it will be equally as awesome and amazing.”

It’s clear that no one knows what the future holds for Spider-Man in film, but at least for now, it won’t involve Marvel Studios.