The situation with Spider-Man may be getting more heated behind the scenes, as both Disney and Marvel are said to be courting Spider-Man: Far from Home director 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 Watts is 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 on to 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 like Cop Car under his belt to proven blockbuster aficionado.
Spider-Man: Homecoming followed in the wake of Tom Holland’s debut in Captain 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 from Infinity War and Avengers: 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.
Related: Nearly 80K Angry Spider-Man Fans Sign Petition to Bring Peter Parker Back to the MCU
Then again, things could always change. As it stands, Sony and Disney have not come to terms on a new deal for the future of the Spider-Man franchise. The two studios had worked together harmoniously from 2015 to 2019. But Disney is 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 of Venom and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Whatever the case, Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, who penned Spider-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 via Deadline.
