Sony and Disney have reached an agreement that will send ripples throughout the entire film industry.
Streaming networks are slowly taking over the entertainment industry, not only as the homes for new original content, but also as the hubs for fans’ favorite blockbuster franchises. Some of the biggest examples in this regard are DC projects like the DC Extended Universe movies calling HBO Max their home, while the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies and TV series mostly reside on Disney+.
One tricky aspect in terms of the MCU is the fact that due to a couple key characters’ movie rights, only 20 of the franchise’s 23 movies from the Infinity Saga are available to stream on Disney+. The exceptions to this are The Incredible Hulk, whose distributing rights reside with Universal, and the first two Spider-Man movies thanks to Sony Pictures owning the web-slinger.
Due to the web-slingers’s success in movies, particularly within the MCU, fans have wondered for a while if Homecoming and Far From Home would finally make their way alongside the MCU’s other hits on Disney+. Thankfully, that answer may have arrived thanks to a big-time deal between the two studios in the mix.
Sony/Disney Sharing Details
Variety confirmed that Disney has put together a major movie licensing pact with Sony Pictures for the USA which “promises to bring Spider-Man and other Marvel properties” to Disney+. This will start with Sony’s 2022 movie slate, which includes movies like Morbius and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse 2.
This comes after Sony’s deal with Netflix which gives the streaming service the rights to Sony Pictures movies after theatrical and home releases. These films will then make their way onto Disney+, although it’s currently only set to come in the United States.
Chuck Saftler, the head of business operations for ABC, Freeform, and FX Networks offered the following statement:
This landmark multi-year, platform-agnostic agreement guarantees the team at Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution a tremendous amount of flexibility and breadth of programming possibilities to leverage Sony’s rich slate of award-winning action and family films across our direct-to-consumer services and linear channels. This is a win for fans, who will benefit from the ability to access the very best content from two of Hollywood’s most prolific studios across a multitude of viewing platforms and experiences.
This is a major win for fans everywhere who dream of an even tighter integration for Spider-Man with the rest of the hero’s Marvel family. While at the moment, this mostly means old and new Spider-Man properties will be making their way to Disney+ alongside the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it will be exciting to find out what other possibilities are now available for future Spidey projects.
Currently, Marvel Studios and Sony are preparing for the highly-anticipated debut of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which has the opportunity to blow the door wide open in Marvel’s universe within the movies. With confirmed and rumored appearances by multiple past Spidey villains and even all three live-action Spider-Men, the future is brighter than ever for the web-slinger alongside his Marvel family from other studios.
What do you think of the new agreement between Sony and Disney? What other ramifications might come from the deal? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below or over on our social media!
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