Tom Rothman lays out Sony’s Spider-Man relationship with Marvel Studios

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

How does this whole Spider-Man thing work between Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios, following the groundbreaking arrangement struck between the two companies regarding this one particular character and the world he inhabits? That's been a big question people have been trying to figure out since it was announced that both studios would be partnering up to bring Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe while effectively rebooting him on the fly for his rights-owner. Who calls the shots? How long will this last? Are both sides happy with the progress being made? 

In a new profile by The Hollywood Reporter, Tom Rothman – the Chairman of Sony Pictures – talks about everyone's plans for Spider-Man, how the hierarchy works for this particular property and how likely Marvel and Sony are to work together more in the future to keep this gravy train rolling. 

Since you teamed with Marvel, do you plan to make a whole Spider-Man universe? Do you have plans for more work with Marvel?

Yes to both those questions. It’s been fantastic, our relationship with Marvel.

Who has greenlight authority?

Sony has the ultimate authority. But we have deferred the creative lead to Marvel, because they know what they’re doing. We start shooting the new Spider-Man in Atlanta [in mid-June].

Do you want to trim the costs of that franchise?

I don’t want to trim costs. I want to make money. And sometimes you make money by trimming costs and sometimes by investing in things that are profitable. A movie like Spider-Man by Marvel, that’s not inexpensive. But it’s a great investment. Knowing that Marvel has such a clear, creative vision, I sleep very well at night.

You're preaching to the choir, Tom. After those Marc Webb films, you're not the only one who seems to be sleeping well at night knowing that Spider-Man is in the hands of those who seem to care about him and get him. For you, that means a ton of money. For the rest of us, that means an awesome Spider-Man to look forward to. 

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING opens in theaters on July 7, 2017.