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And so it has come to pass.  Sony Pictures has announced that Spider-Man will next appear in an untitled Marvel movie before getting a new solo installment, which will be released on July 28, 2017.

Aside from the headline-grabbing news, the press release has other interesting aspects.   First up, Kevin Feige will produce the next Spider-Man movie.  While the press release may phrase this as "Sony Pictures Entertainment Brings Marvel Studios into the Amazing World of Spider-Man," it's absolutely the other way around.  Spider-Man was floundering over at Sony, and now Feige is going to be guiding the character's future.  By the same token, Avi Arad, who has taken the blame for the crappiness of the Amazing Spider-Man movies, is not mentioned in this press release.

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Image via Sony Pictures

Andrew Garfield also isn't mentioned in the press release, because the role is being recast according to The Wrap reporter Linda GeA rumor last month about Spider-Man appearing in Phase 3 mentioned recasting Garfield, so this isn't too surprising, but still a bummer.  Additionally, I do not look forward to at least three months of "Who will be the next Spider-Man?"

While the press release didn't name the Marvel movie that will feature Spider-Man, I assume it will be Captain America: Civil War.  That's where they wanted the character to go in the first place, Spider-Man is a huge part of the Civil War comics, and now Marvel has him before Civil War starts filming.  Furthermore, the July 28, 2017 date means that everything from Thor: Ragnarok onwards has been pushed back, so if Spider-Man didn't show up in Civil War, the only other Marvel movies are Doctor Strange and Guardians of the Galaxy 2.  Neither one is a great fit for the wall-crawler.

Finally, the press release notes that the partnership between Sony and Marvel will go both ways with Marvel characters possibly appearing in future Spider-Man movies.

For more on the Sony/Marvel deal, peruse the links below:

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Here's the press release:

SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT BRINGS MARVEL STUDIOS

INTO THE AMAZING WORLD OF SPIDER-MAN

New Spider-Man Will Appear First in an Upcoming Marvel Film Within Marvel’s Cinematic Universe Marvel's Kevin Feige to Produce Next Installment of the Spider-Man Franchise with Amy Pascal

(Culver City, California, and Burbank, California February 09, 2015) – Sony Pictures Entertainment and Marvel Studios announced today that Sony is bringing Marvel into the amazing world of Spider-Man.

Under the deal, the new Spider-Man will first appear in a Marvel film from Marvel’s Cinematic Universe (MCU). Sony Pictures will thereafter release the next installment of its $4 billion Spider-Man franchise, on July 28, 2017, in a film that will be co-produced by Kevin Feige and his expert team at Marvel and Amy Pascal, who oversaw the franchise launch for the studio 13 years ago. Together, they will collaborate on a new creative direction for the web slinger. Sony Pictures will continue to finance, distribute, own and have final creative control of the Spider-Man films.

 

Marvel and Sony Pictures are also exploring opportunities to integrate characters from the MCU into future Spider-Man films.

 

The new relationship follows a decade of speculation among fans about whether Spider-Man – who has always been an integral and important part of the larger Marvel Universe in the comic books – could become part of the Marvel Universe on the big screen. Spider-Man has more than 50 years of history in Marvel’s world, and with this deal, fans will be able to experience Spider-Man taking his rightful place among other Super Heroes in the MCU.

 

Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company said: “Spider-Man is one of Marvel’s great characters, beloved around the world.  We’re thrilled to work with Sony Pictures to bring the iconic web-slinger into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which opens up fantastic new opportunities for storytelling and franchise building.”

“We always want to collaborate with the best and most successful filmmakers to grow our franchises and develop our characters. Marvel, Kevin Feige and Amy, who helped orchestrate this deal, are the perfect team to help produce the next chapter of Spider-Man,” said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment. “This is the right decision for the franchise, for our business, for Marvel, and for the fans.”

 

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Image via Sony

“Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios share a love for the characters in the Spider-Man universe and have a long, successful history of working together. This new level of collaboration is the perfect way to take Peter Parker’s story into the future,” added Doug Belgrad, president, Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group.

 

“I am thrilled to team with my friends at Sony Pictures along with Amy Pascal to produce the next Spider-Man movie,” said Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. “Amy has been deeply involved in the realization on film of one of the world’s most beloved characters.  Marvel’s involvement will hopefully deliver the creative continuity and authenticity that fans demand from the MCU. I am equally excited for the opportunity to have Spider-Man appear in the MCU, something which both we at Marvel, and fans alike, have been looking forward to for years.”

Spider-Man, embraced all over the world, is the most successful franchise in the history of Sony Pictures, with the five films having taken in more than $4 billion worldwide.