In 2019 Spider-Man fans were shocked when it was announced the Wallcrawler was leaving the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sony and Disney had been attempting to renegotiate their shared ownership of the character but the deal fell through. Thankfully a hero rose up to help get things back on track. ‘Who?’ You ask? Tom Holland.
It’s well known that Holland, who plays Spidey in the MCU, was upset by the news and spoke to relevant parties at Disney and Sony to try and get things back on track, but he’s finally explained exactly what happened. In an interview with CinemaBlend, the action movie star joked that it involved drunkenly pouring his heart out to Bob Iger.
“I was at the pub quiz. I was pretty drunk because I was really upset that I wasn’t going to be in the MCU anymore,” Holland said. “I got a phone call from a 310 number; I knew that Bob Iger was going to be calling me, but I thought it was going to happen a couple of days prior. So I thought I had kind of given up on the phone call, and then I got this call, and it was him. Bob and I had a lovely chat we spoke about my passions for the character. I think I spoke about the importance of Spider-Man in the MCU and what I can offer and what I can bring to the table.”
Holland said that he believes his outburst resonated with Iger. “He really heard how much I love this character and how much I believe in him,” he continued. “I think through that conversation, he then opened up a bigger conversation between himself and [Sony Pictures Chairman] Tom Rothman and [Sony Pictures CEO] Tony Vinciquerra and they were able to make a deal.”
For the record, Holland doesn’t think he’s the only reason that Sony and Disney agreed to a new deal, just that he nudged it along. Regardless it’s interesting to think that if Holland had a pint or two, we might not be getting Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Speaking of which, No Way Home is part of Marvel’s Phase 4 and swings into theatres on December 15. If you can’t get enough of superheroes, check out our guide on the upcoming fantasy movie Doctor Strange 2.