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Will Spider-Man star in a Marvel movie?

According to leaked e-mails, Sony and Disney discussed the possibility of Spider-Man appearing in a 'Captain America' film, and of Marvel producing a 'Spider-Man' trilogy. 

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Niko Tavernise/Columbia Pictures – Sony Pictures/AP
'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' stars Andrew Garfield (r.) and Jamie Foxx (l.).

Comic book fans know that Spider-Man is a member of the Marvel comic-book universe and even frequently fights as a member of the Avengers, the superhero group which conquered the box office in 2012 and is set to appear in a sequel next year.

So is there a chance Spider-Man could appear in a Marvel film? According to the Wall Street Journal, e-mail discussions about just that possibility took place between Sony Pictures and Disney, which bought Marvel Entertainment in 2009, though the discussions eventually stalled.

The e-mails are now public because of the hack of Sony Pictures that caused Sony movies and e-mails between its staff, among other material, to be posted on the Internet.

According to the WSJ, Sony Pictures president Doug Belgrad said in an e-mail to Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chairman Amy Pascal that there was a possibility that Marvel would produce a trilogy about Spider-Man but that Sony would still have “creative control, marketing, and distribution.” The e-mail was sent this past October. 

Meanwhile, Pascal also sent an e-mail in which she stated Marvel wanted to have Spider-Man appear in its upcoming third “Captain America” film, which is titled “Captain America: Civil War,” according to the website IGN. 

That certainly makes sense – Spider-Man figures into the “Civil War” storyline in the comic books. In the comic book version of “War,” the government creates the Superhero Registration Act, which… well, it kind of explains itself. Some superheroes were for the act and others were against, with Iron Man supporting it and Captain America strongly against it. In the comic books, Spider-Man first supported the act and then went over to the anti-registration side. 

However, since discussion of Spider-Man appearing in Marvel movies then fizzled, the plan may be done for now.

Wondering why Spider-Man is at Sony in the first place? According to CNN, Marvel sold the rights to Sony in 1999 before it began in-house film production in earnest.

Will Sony and Disney be able to work out a plan for Spider-Man to work with Marvel characters in the future? Only time will tell.

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