Sony had to know that people were going to be upset about Spider-Man not being a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe anymore, but they likely had no idea just how bad the backlash would be. An online petition started just a couple of days ago to bring the web-slinger back to the MCU has already amassed over eighty thousand signatures from angry fans. At this rate, it could crack a million before the month is over.
This is just the latest development in what’s been a public relations disaster for the corporation. Both “Boycott Sony” and “Save Spider-Man” were among the top trends on Twitter for hours following the announcement, causing the company’s stock to tank. Jeremy Renner has expressed his desire for Peter Parker to return to the MCU as well, while Kevin Smith practically begged Sony to give the superhero back to Disney.
A few particularly zealous moviegoers are even planning to storm the studio in order to rescue the masked crusader. In fact, this issue has become so big that it almost seems inevitable that President Trump will tweet about it by the end of the week.
Sony might be shouldering most of the blame for the split, but they’ve made it clear that they don’t think they’re responsible. Some levelheaded fans, including Stan Lee’s own daughter, are pointing a finger at Disney for this mess. Tom Holland, meanwhile, has still yet to give his opinion on the matter, though there’s speculation that he may have unfollowed Sony on Instagram.
Regardless, the studio is confident that the web-head’s story can continue without Marvel. Two more movies with Holland at the forefront are already in development and there are persistent rumors that the two sides can still reconcile, but for now, nothing seems imminent. Hopefully, a fair deal for everyone involved is reached soon. If not, all of those petitioners will just have to get used to an MCU without Spider-Man.