Why the SPIDER-MAN Deal is a One-of-a-Kind Deal Where Both Studios Win and it Could Start a New Hollywood Trend
Unless you've been off-the-grid and unplugged for the past 36 hours, you probably already heard about the new partnership deal between Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios for Spider-Man. This is really a highly unusual deal between two Hollywood studios because Hollywood can be a greedy bunch who do not like to put two studios in the same sandbox to play together. Especially with Disney where they would rather buy you out than work with you.
The Spider-Man franchise is truly an anomaly in Hollywood now. If this deal works out for both studios, and it most likely will to the tune of huge profits, then other studios may follow this potentially new way of sharing franchises for the benefit of having one singular movie universe, like the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). And for the benefit of potentially making tons of cash, too.
So Sony owns all Spider-Man movie rights but Marvel owns all animated Spider-Man rights, plus Disney bought back the merchandising rights from Sony shortly after Disney purchased Marvel Entertainment. Disney having the merch rights for Spidey is a huge deal because as George Lucas proved with his Star Wars franchise in the 70s and 80s, toys and merch licensing is where you make the most money for a film. Lucas built his empire on toys and licensing merch and is part of the reason why Disney bought him out.
The way this Sony and Marvel deal is set-up right now is that Sony controls and has final say by owning the Spider-Man rights but they are "leasing" him out to Marvel Studios to he can appear in the MCU. Per Variety.com, it's implied that Marvel Studios can now use Spider-Man is any movie franchise they want to have him in. So if Marvel wants Spidey in Captain America: Civil War, he can appear in it. If Marvel wants him in Avengers: Infinity War, he's in. If Marvel wants Spider-Man in Doctor Strange... you get the idea.
Meanwhile, Sony will get assistance from the creatives at Marvel Studios to get their own MCU-based Spider-Man movie in July 2017. Sony using "the Marvel Studios Bump" to help their Spider-Man franchise should break a few box office records and help Sony save themselves from debatably two sub-par films with their Amazing Spider-Man reboot attempt. Sony should make a load of box office cash from this film and if it's a huge success, then look for another solo Spider-Man film sometime in Phase 4 of the MCU.
While Sony collects the box office money for the solo Spider-Man movie, how does Marvel benefit?
Well, Marvel can use Spidey in their films in an assumed supporting role and, this goes back to what was said earlier in this post, Marvel/Disney will rake in all the profits from the Spider-Man movie toys and merch sales. These toy and merch sales numbers could, in theory, outperform the profits Sony may make in the box office if/when this film is a huge success. Sony saves face with the Spider-Man franchise and get it back on track by "leasing" him to Marvel Studios, while Marvel/Disney make even more in toy and merch sales plus boost their own box office results by having "the Spider-Man Bump" with him show up here and there in MCU films.
It's a brilliant partnership where both studios benefit even though Disney will probably have the upper hand when it comes to total profits. But that's the deal Sony had to take and this unique partnership could start a new trend in Hollywood if/when this all works out and both studios are showered with a stupid amount of money.
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