Director Joe Russo believes Sony executives have made a "tragic mistake" in pulling Spider-Man out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
In August, it was revealed that bosses at Sony Pictures and Disney, the parent company of Marvel Studios, couldn't agree on new co-financing and profit-sharing terms, so the deal they made in 2015 to share the film rights to Spider-Man was off. This meant that the web-slinging superhero, played by Tom Holland, would no longer be a part of the MCU.
Yet, during an interview with the Toronto Sun, Russo, who directed Holland as Spider-Man in three MCU films with his brother Anthony, said Sony leaders were making a mistake if they thought they could replicate the genius of Marvel boss Kevin Feige.
"It was a tenuous, fraught union throughout the whole process," he said. "But, I will say, stepping back and trying to be objective as possible, that I think it's a tragic mistake on Sony's part to think that they can replicate Kevin's penchant for telling incredible stories and the amazing success he has had over the years. I think it's a big mistake."
The Russo brothers directed Holland's first appearance in 2016's Captain America: Civil War as well as Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, and Anthony admitted they weren't surprised that the deal fell apart.
"It was so difficult to get him into Civil War. It was an extremely long and hard process," the filmmaker added. "But we were driven to help make it happen. But Kevin Feige pulled it off, somehow. Disney and all the good people at Sony found a way to make it work and it lasted a few films. We had a wonderful experience with that, and I think audiences really appreciated that marriage. But we know how hard that marriage was to make in the first place, so the fact that the marriage fell apart isn't really that surprising to me and Joe."
Holland has assured fans that he will still be playing the superhero in Sony's movies.
