Sony and Marvel are reportedly engaged in a "tug of war" over Jon Watts following their recent split.
The two franchises won't be working on Spider-Man together anymore - unless, of course, they go back to the table and somehow come up with an arrangement - but neither of them wants to leave Watts with the other, with the Spider-Man director considered to be a valuable asset that both companies would do well to keep, per Deadline.
News of the split dropped this week and it's said to stem from Sony refusing to agree to a 50/50 co-financing split after Disney, who owns all of the Spider-Man merchandising rights, proposed to up their take of five percent from all earnings made on movies to an even financing endeavor. Sony officials are said to have balked over the offer and suggested that things remain the same. Subsequent reports claimed Disney only decided to go for the 50/50 proposal after Sony failed to respond to an offer of a 25 percent co-financing stake, however.
The video game side of things, meanwhile, seems to be the same. Insomniac Games, makers of 2018's PS4 hit Marvel's Spider-Man, now belongs to Sony. A sequel is likely underway, assuming Disney allows Sony to keep using the video game rights to the web head.
Whichever way you cut it, the companies are no longer in bed together, much to the disappointment of just about every fan out there. Fortunately, the two Spider-Man films we were promised before things went sour will still be made, they just won't feature anything Marvel-related.
Meanwhile, both companies are understood to be courting Watts, who is said to have "enviable leverage" in whatever he decides to do. The director has not made a decision as yet and could say no to both companies as, unlike Tom Holland, he had only signed on for two movies.
The 38-year-old directed both Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home but hadn't agreed to make a third installment.
Given the character's immense popularity, Sony will have to bring in a replacement straightaway if Watts does opt to leave. Holland, on the other hand, will remain tied to the franchise for a while longer as he's slated for at least two more movies.
It seems that the actor is never far from controversy, through no fault of his own, with the Uncharted movie losing its fifth director this week too. Fortunately, he's poised to stay on for that as well and plans for his upcoming role as a young Nathan Drake remain intact, for the time being.