It was announced today that a new Spider-Man will appear in an upcoming Marvel film to revamp the character. Sony is then set to release a new Spider-Man film on July 28, 2017.Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images
The amazing worlds of Spider-Man and The Avengers will join forces in the ever-expanding superhero movie universe – and Spidey could be getting a major makeover in the process.
As every self-respecting comic-book geek is now aware, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Marvel Studios have agreed to merge the wisecracking webslinger and the planet-saving superhero team in a future film project.
The two Hollywood studios announced late Monday that the next chapter in Sony's Spider-Man movie franchise will be co-produced by Marvel studio head Kevin Feige, in consort with Sony's Amy Pascal, and is slated for release on July 28, 2017.
But before then, Spidey will make an appearance in a Marvel film (which, according to The Wall Street Journal, will very likely be the 2016 feature Captain America: Civil War, currently slated for release on May 6, 2016).
Naturally, the big news had comic fans flocking to social media.
Twitter user hellresidentNY (@hellresidentNY) started the party late Monday night with the tweet, "This is Marvel's version of Beyonce dropping her secret album. People will be so hyped during their commutes tomorrow."
Joe Glass (@josephglass) tweeted, "Will be quite sad if Andrew Garfield really isn't Spider-Man anymore. As much as his two films weren't perfect, he was the perfect Spidey."
And Mark Cassidy (@RorMachine) expressed the thoughts of many Twitter users with his tweet stating, "I don't want another teen Spidey. Let him be in his 20s doing his thing. I don't want him to so much as walk by a school/college."
But the real buzz the morning after the big announcement had more to do with the direction that Sony-Marvel will now take the venerated comic-book hero, who made his first appearance in Marvel Comics' Amazing Fantasy in the summer of 1962.
As pointed out by Slate and other media outlets, at no point in the Sony-Marvel announcement is the name Peter Parker – Spider-Man's bookish alter ego – mentioned by name.
And that, not surprisingly, already has a good number of people speculating that the new movie will focus on the character of Miles Morales – the Puerto Rican-American version of Spider-Man as depicted in Marvel's Ultimate Universe comic-book series.
The rumour prompted Twitter user Benjamin H Bailey (@BenHBailey) to tweet, "I love Peter Parker. I do. I grew up with him. But we've seen his story. A lot. Miles Morales would be something different."
There was also this tweet from Block Samson (@insanityreport): "Miles Morales could open a huge door for them. Even folks that complain would still see it. All folks really care about is the suit."
And superhero fan Ryan Closs (@gobo) made his feelings pretty clear with his tweet stating, "Please be Miles Morales. Please be Miles Morales. Please be Miles Morales."
Of course, all casting decisions remain to be announced and promptly dissected to bits by moviegoers, but what the real fan wants to know: Will Spider-Man receive a parking spot for the Spider-Mobile at Avengers headquarters?