Okay, so it looks like
any hopes we may have had that this
Spider-Man situation would be sorted out have now been dashed.
Sony Pictures (via
THR) has now confirmed that Kevin Feige will no longer serve as a producer on the franchise, and hit back after receiving most of the blame for the dissolution of the partnership with Disney/Marvel. The studio says it is "disappointed," but vows to carry on the
Spider-Man franchise without Marvel Studios’ involvement.
“Much of today’s news about Spider-Man has mischaracterized recent discussions about Kevin Feige’s involvement in the franchise,” said a Sony spokesperson.
“We are disappointed, but respect Disney’s decision not to have him continue as a lead producer of our next live action Spider-Man film.”
The statement goes on to state that Feige may simply be too busy now after recently reacquiring the rights to Fox's stable of Marvel characters.
“We hope this might change in the future, but understand that the many new responsibilities that Disney has given him – including all their newly added Marvel properties – do not allow time for him to work on IP they do not own. Kevin is terrific and we are grateful for his help and guidance and appreciate the path he has helped put us on, which we will continue.”
Of course, there's no mention of the initial report that the deal fell through because the studio heads were unable to agree on a financial arrangement to continue the collaboration, but Sony is definitely suggesting that Disney were the ones to pull the brakes on the partnership.
Hopefully we'll also hear from a Mouse House rep - or better yet, Feige himself - at some point.
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.