It's well-documented that Sony Pictures hasn't always seen eye-to-eye with Marvel Studios but it can't be denied that they struck gold when they finally allowed the studio to share the rights to Spider-Man, effectively making him a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The general belief within the fandom is that things started out smoothly when the deal was set in stone but apparently, there was a lot of behind-the-scenes drama that went with Spidey's MCU jump that we're only finding out now.
Kevin Feige turned down The Amazing Spider-Man 3
According to the new book The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of The Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sony Pictures sought the help of Marvel Studios in the development of Andrew Garfield's third Spider-Man film after 2014's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 failed to meet expectations. However, Feige himself wasn't feeling it and he obviously had grander plans for the character — a reboot.
The MCU patriarch said during his pitch: "The only way I know how to do anything is to just do it entirely. So why don't you let us do it? Don't think of it as two studios. And don't think of it as giving another studio back the rights. No change of hands of rights. No change of hands of money. Just engage us to produce it."
Sony Pictures' Amy Pascal reacted violently to Kevin Feige's idea
The book also reveals the initial reaction of Sony Pictures executive Amy Pascal and apparently, Feige's pitch didn't sit well with her. Admittedly, Pascal was "super resentful" of the idea and reacted violently. She recalls: "I think I started crying and threw him out of my office, or threw a sandwich at him - I'm not sure which... By the fifth movie, we weren't giving them anything new. And I have to be honest about it, we were trying so hard to be different, we even went into places to be different that we shouldn't have."
Also Read: Spider-Man Actor Tom Holland Reveals Why He Hasn't Spoiled No Way Home Yet
Pascal has reportedly clashed with Andrew Garfield in the past over the direction of his Spider-Man films so the way she reacted to Feige's pitch shouldn't come as a huge shocker. Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed in the end and we're now enjoying the partnership between the two production companies. Now, whether or not we'll see it continue in the future remains to be seen but it would be safe to assume at this point that Peter Parker will be sticking around in the MCU.
Spider-Man: No Way Home hits cinemas on December 17, 2021.
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