Sony (NYSE: SNE) is set to swing Spider-Man out of Disney's (NYSE: DIS) Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a pivot that's shaking up the superhero movie world and riling some film enthusiasts. The entertainment companies teamed up in 2015 to reinvent the web-slinger for the big screen and tie the character into the MCU -- a project that yielded two successful solo movies produced by Sony and a series of well-received appearances for the character in Disney's blockbuster Marvel films. This year's Spider-Man: Far From Home completed the terms of the deal, and it looks like Sony will now choose to resume exclusive film rights to the character.
Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies have made their dissatisfaction known across social media sites, and plenty of media outlets have been quick to portray the move as a blunder for Sony. Time may eventually validate that position, but Spider-Man was set up as one of the main leads for the next phase of Disney's massively successful superhero universe, and the House of Mouse may have asked for too much when it sat down with the Japanese company to negotiate Spidey's movie rights.
It's still possible that the two sides will come to an agreement and keep the webhead in the MCU. However, the team-up always looked poised for a split, and Sony may be making a very smart move in disentangling the character from the MCU.