This whole thing with Spider-Man and Sony vs Marvel is relevant to my last post. One of the points I was trying to make is that in social media and on the internet in general we are so eager to give our opinion and be a part of the conversation that we take a stance without really knowing what we’re standing on. Most people are upset with Sony for not making the deal here. Understandable. This recent iteration of Spider-Man was perhaps the most beloved so far, even getting a strong stamp of approval by Stan Lee. And I think most people associated this Spider-Man with Disney more than they did Sony, especially with him being in the Avengers movies, with him being a Marvel character, and with the relationship they developed with RDJ’s Iron Man (RIP). So it can seem like it’s Sony who is ripping this beautiful Spider-Man away from us.
When it comes down to it, this is a battle between two businesses who likely don’t give a damn about what the people want, or if they do it’s not top priority. Here’s the proposed deal: 50/50 stake in Spider-Man, with Kevin Feige (of Marvel/ Disney) at the helm. Disney is a monstrous beast and knew they could strongarm Sony: “Give us control of Spider-Man, or we’ll make the world will hate you.” Sounds quite villainous no? And it worked. Sony didn’t give in, and people starting hating on them.
While Disney owns Marvel and Marvel is Spider-Man’s home (are the movie titles getting some extra meaning now or is it just me?), I also don’t consider Disney-Marvel Spider-Man’s true home. It’s one of the homes that’s made to look like your home, but it’s too perfect, and if you step out of line, shit’s gonna go down. Even Stan Lee’s daughter came out in defense of Sony and saying it’s what her father would have wanted. Sony could have swallowed their pride and say “Fuck it, let’s give the people what they want,” but just like Disney, they are a business, and I don’t think they would part with their most successful franchise that easily. It’s nothing personal to all us fans, it’s just business.
Again I think it’s important to be a part of the conversation and to take sides (especially on issues that ACTUALLY MATTER [stay tuned for my post on that]), but it’s always good to take a second and get informed, or at least be open-minded enough to change your thoughts or your beliefs when you get new information.
nANIMOv 