REPORTS: Sony and Marvel Very Close to Making Deal for Spider-Man to Join Marvel Cinematic Universe

By the end of February, a deal will be in place for Spider-Man to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That's what a batch of new reports claimed over the weekend, with numerous signs pointing to Sony and Marvel Studios being on the verge of reaching a deal that would give Marvel creative control over Spider-Man while still allowing Sony to profit from Spider-Man movies.

Thanks to Sony Pictures' inability to prove it knows what to do with the Spider-Man franchise, parent Sony in Japan is ready to put Marvel Studios in charge of the character. Reddit contributor insider89film posted on Sunday that Sony and Marvel Studios have negotiated a deal that would give Marvel Studios creative control over the character while Sony Pictures retains marketing and distribution rights. This Reddit source writes that the final decision over the deal will be made in January, while Screen Gonzo reports that "we should have some 'good news' come February."

If and when a deal is reached, we'll reportedly see Spider-Man in a Captain America: Civil War cameo, most likely in a credits stinger. According to Screen Gonzo, Marvel and Sony execs are  supposed to meet at Pinewood Studios, where the upcoming Captain America sequel is being shot.

With Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige in charge, there'll be some huge changes coming to the Spider-Man movies. Screen Gonzo reports that Joe and Anthony Russo, the directors behind Captain America: The Winter Solider, Civil War and reportedly both parts of Avengers: Infinity War, will write and direct a new Spider-Man trilogy that will launch in 2018. Longtime Spider-Man producer Avi Arad will be gone, providing Feige gets his way. Arad has been involved with the Spider-Man movies since the first one hit the big screen in 2002, but Feige's Marvel Studios and Arad don't work together.

Sadly, Andrew Garfield would be out too. Marvel Studios wants a clean break from previous Spider-Man movies, with its plan for the character being to launch a version of Spider-Man who has been "a hero for a few years, likely in college or just afterwards." Screen Gonzo reports that Marvel is already looking at actors to replace Garfield, with insider89film writing on Reddit that the list includes Anton Yelchin, Dylan O'Brien, Freddie Highmore, Thomas Mann, Logan Lerman, Michael Angarano, Douglas Booth, Nat Wolff and Skandar Keynes. Interestingly enough, Lerman was among the finalists when Garfield got the role for The Amazing Spider-Man.

The Reddit contributor also writes that Marvel Studios is already talking villains for its first Spider-Man movie. Mysterio and Shocker are allegedly in the running, with there also being the possibility that Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin could jump from the Daredevil series running on Netflix into the new Spider-Man movies too. This would be the first time the longtime Spider-Man villain appeared in a Spider-Man movie. We're seeing the fruits of Marvel Studios long process of reclaiming its characters from other studios really beginning to pay off now.

All of these reports note that "nothing has been made 100% official yet" and "talks between Marvel and Sony are far from over." That said, Sony and Marvel reaching a deal on Spider-Man appears more and more likely with every passing day.