Just two years ago, Disney and Sony were seemingly on the outs in regards to Spider-Man. Well, things change fast in Hollywood. Just announced is the news that Disney has reached a huge movie licensing deal with Sony Pictures for the U.S. One that promises to bring Spider-Man and other Spidey-related Marvel properties to Disney+. This starts with Sony’s 2022 release slate. Theatrical releases from 2022 to 2026 will move to Disney after their runs on Netflix, which recently announced a large deal with Sony for streaming rights to their films.
Sony Pictures / Marvel Studios
Having Spider-Man will fill a large Manhattan-sized hole in the Marvel section of Disney+. Now, the only missing MCU movie will be The Incredible Hulk, which is technically a Universal release. Many classic Spider-Man cartoons series are already on Disney+, since they existed prior to Sony landing the film rights to the Spider-Man family.
So what does this mean exactly? The official release says this new pact “gives Disney enormous programming potential across its platforms and makes them key destinations for a robust collection of Spider-Man films.” A “robust collection” probably means it’s not just the recent MCU Tom Holland Spidey movies. Probably all the Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield movies are also coming to the “Marvel Legacy” section of Disney plus. This also adds fuel to the fire to rampant rumors that the previous two big-screen Spideys are joining Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Sony Pictures / Marvel Studios
But this deal isn’t just about Spider-Man and his amazing friends (like Venom). It also includes rights to a significant number of Sony’s vast library of titles. Among them are big family-friendly franchises like Jumanji and Hotel Transylvania. The new pact also covers the Disney-owned Hulu. Also part of the deal is linear entertainment networks, including ABC, Disney Channels, Freeform, FX and National Geographic.
