The Spider-Man franchise went from being a fan favorite of children and young adults to appealing to fans of all ages and backgrounds. It is no wonder it has grossed so much at every outing to the box office over the years. This is probably also why many are interested in finding out who owns the rights to the franchise. The answer is not so straightforward considering how its ownership has gone from hand to hand over the years. But to clear the confusion, the rights to the Spider-man franchise belong solely to Sony Pictures Entertainment and it has been since the 90s.
The confusion was probably also a result of the fact that there have been differing versions of the beloved superhero in different media out there. This is easily explained by the fact Sony struck a deal with Marvel that allows Spider-Man to join MCU’s list of superheroes. This agreement also allows Marvel to make independent Spider-Man movies.
Does Activision Own Spider-Man?
The confusion about Activision being the owner of the rights of Spider-Man is not completely off the track. However, this is not true because Activision does not in fact own the rights to the Spider-Man franchise. As we have discussed earlier, Sony Entertainment has the pleasure of that ownership.
Activision does, however, hold the license to the video game of Spider-Man and has for many years. With this license, they have notably developed several well-loved games featuring the character published on their public domains.
Who Owns the Rights to Spider-Man?
The spider-man character was first created for a comic book series by Marvel Comics in the early 60s and they were a hit at the time. Soon enough, there was a need to also make movies about the superhero based on adaptations from the comic books that had already been written under Marvel comics. This need prompted Marvel Comics to strike up a deal with the Cannon Group in 1985 wherein they sold the film and television rights for Spider-Man.
Barely three years after they acquired the film and television rights for Spider-Man, Cannon group would declare bankruptcy and go out of business. This also meant that Marvel comics went back to being the owners of the rights they had initially sold to Cannon. But this arrangement did not last for long because in 1999 Marvel went ahead and sold the rights again to Sony Pictures Entertainment. Bear in mind that at the time all of this was going on, Marvel was an independent studio.
The transfer reportedly took place for $7 million, granting Sony the exclusive license to produce Spider-Man movies. Since then, the studio has successfully released several films featuring the beloved superhero.
In 2015, Sony and Marvel reached a deal to share the film rights to Spider-Man, which allowed the character to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films, starting with Captain America: Civil War in 2016. This agreement allowed Marvel to use Spider-Man in their films and share in the profits, while Sony retained the rights to make standalone Spider-Man movies.
Who Owns Amazing Spider-Man?
if you are one of the fans confused about which is what, Yes, the Amazing Spider-Man is still a Spider-Man movie, but its ownership is slightly different from those of the other Spider-Man movies. Here’s the breakdown to help you get some perspective: The first three Spider-Man movies directed by Sam Raimi and starring Tobey Maguire were produced by Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios. However, after the third movie, there were disagreements between Raimi and the studio over the direction of the franchise, and plans for a fourth movie were eventually scrapped.
In 2012, Sony Pictures released The Amazing Spider-Man, directed by Marc Webb and starring Andrew Garfield. This movie was intended to be a reboot of the franchise, starting a new series of Spider-Man movies with a different cast and crew. The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, were produced by Sony Pictures and Marvel Entertainment. However, they were not part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which includes other Marvel characters like Iron Man and Captain America. Instead, they were part of a separate continuity.
In years leading to 2015, Sony Pictures would reach a deal with Marvel Studios to allow Spider-Man to appear in the MCU. This led to the introduction of Tom Holland as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War and he has since appeared in several other MCU movies.
So while the first three Spider-Man movies and the current MCU Spider-Man movies are all part of the same continuity, The Amazing Spider-Man movies were produced by a different company and are not part of that continuity.
Who Owns Spider-Man No Way Home?
Now coming to “Spider-Man: No Way Home”, it was produced by Marvel Studios and Columbia Pictures, which are both subsidiaries of the entertainment company, Sony Pictures. The film is distributed by Sony Pictures and, therefore, owned by them. However, as a Marvel character, the rights to use Spider-Man in films are shared between Sony and Marvel Studios, and the character is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) through a licensing agreement.
Therefore, while Sony Pictures owns the distribution rights to “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” Marvel Studios has creative control over the character and is involved in the production of the film. This agreement allows for the inclusion of other Marvel characters and storylines from the MCU in the film.
Key Facts About Spider-Man Ownership
Aspect | Ownership/Details |
---|---|
Character Creator | Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, introduced in Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962) under Marvel Comics. |
Comic Book Rights | Owned by Marvel Comics, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company since 2009. |
Film Rights | Owned by Sony Pictures since 1999, when they acquired exclusive rights for Spider-Man films. |
Disney and Sony Agreement | Since 2015, Disney’s Marvel Studios and Sony have an agreement allowing Spider-Man to appear in the MCU. |
TV Rights | Marvel (Disney) retains the rights to produce Spider-Man in animated series and shows. |
Merchandising Rights | Owned by Marvel (Disney), allowing them to produce Spider-Man merchandise, toys, and products. |
Recent Developments | Disney and Sony renegotiate terms periodically; current agreements enable Spider-Man’s presence in both studios. |
Does Tom Holland Do His Own Stunts In The Spider- Man?
Tom Holland, who portrays Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is known for his athletic ability and agility, which makes him capable of performing many of his own stunts. However, there are times when a stunt is too dangerous or complex for even Holland to perform safely which is expected as he is a professional actor and not a stunt performer.
Thankfully, Holland had nothing to worry about with regards to delivering his roles in the Spider-Man movies, as modifications were made to the necessary scenes and he has had several body doubles for the more challenging stunts.
One of the actor’s most well-known doubles is gymnast and stunt performer Chris Silcox, who has worked with Holland on several films, including Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Silcox has performed some of the most challenging stunts in the Spider-Man movies, including the famous “spidey flip” in Spider-Man: Homecoming and the high-flying action scenes in Spider-Man: Far From Home.
However, Holland has also performed some impressive stunts himself, such as the scene in Spider-Man: Far From Home where he swings through the streets of Venice.
It’s worth noting that while Holland does have a body double for some stunts, he still undergoes extensive training to prepare for the physically demanding role of Spider-Man. He’s shared videos of his training on social media, which include gymnastics, parkour, and martial arts.