Marvel's 'Spider-Man: Far From Home' Dilemma

Mr Feige? I don't feel so good...

The following contains major spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War.

In 2015 the President of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, sat down with Amy Pascal - the former Chairperson of Sony Pictures. While Marvel Studios were enjoying massive financial success with their Avengers franchise, Feige was keen to introduce Spider-Man (whose film distribution rights are owned by Sony) into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The idea was that the character could be re-united with his Avengers counterparts.

The result of the negotiations was a friendly-neighbourhood-cameo in Captain America: Civil War that set up 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming - a critical and financial success that, while distributed by Sony, took place within the canon of the MCU. Co-starring Michael Keaton, Zendaya, Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr., the Tom Holland led film was just confirmed by Feige himself to be getting a sequel. 

Spider-Man: Far From Home is set for release during July 2019 - two months after Avengers 4. Tom Holland's Peter Parker is set to return. Marvel seems to be mirroring their 2018 release schedule (which saw Black Panther come out just 8 weeks before Avengers: Infinity War and sees Ant-Man and the Wasp due in cinemas around 4 weeks from now).

For far longer than anyone could have predicted, Marvel's episodic approach to film-making has allowed them to regularly release major blockbusters set within the same, shared universe up to almost three times a year.

The only problem is...Peter Parker's dead.

And not just unconscious on the floor dead either - the guy literally disintegrated in Downey Jr.'s arms at the end of Avengers: Infinity War. Now, sure, Spider-Man isn't gonna stay dead for long, and even if he will Far From Home could always be written as a prequel set before Spidey turned to dust. The Spider-Man dilemma in question, though, isn't that Peter Parker is dead.

It's that Spider-Man: Far From Home, thanks to its release date, will be impossible to advertise. How will Marvel advertise a film like Far From Home when their lead is, at the moment at least, dead?

It wouldn't be feasible for the companies involved to not release a trailer until after Avengers 4 is out - that's not how Hollywood works. The first Ant-Man and the Wasp trailer, for example, came out over 7 months before it's scheduled UK release date.

If Sony does, then, release a trailer for Far From Home before the release of Avengers 4, it would ruin the ending of the fourth crossover film for fans; the trailer would either reveal the film to be a prequel (which would confirm that Holland remains dead) or would obviously advertise a sequel set after the events of the not-yet-released Avengers 4. The latter idea would confirm that the characters who died in Infinity War would be coming back and would henceforth lower the stakes for the audience as they head into Avengers 4.

And I mean, I get it, we all know that half of the Avengers (and with them half of the Universe) won't stay dead for long, but I still don't want official confirmation as to the plot of the film before I get to see it.

And what if their brief death changes these characters? Will there be any repercussions? If Peter Parker comes back to life in Avengers 4 with a tortured mind or a broken limb or a brand new suit then the advertisement campaign for his next solo outing could go on to reveal the more emotional plot points that Avengers 4 has to offer. The're just no point going in to see a movie that begins with Spider-Man dead when the poster for Spider-Man: Far From Home is plastered over the walls of the cinema lobby as you buy your ticket.

So what can Disney and Sony do? They have a few different options. The first is to play it coy. Don't release anything and then as soon as Avengers 4 has enjoyed it's opening week-end you release a shit-tonne of posters, billboards and trailers to get the audience hyped for the film. After all, with 2019's Captain Marvel already out and Avengers 4 within the public consciousness do you even have to advertise Marvel movies anymore?

That's quite a big financial risk though, so Marvel could instead try and persuade Sony to post-pone the sequel's release date. Pushing the film back and further away from Avengers 4 would grant the advertisement campaign a longer time to work its magic. It wouldn't, though, capitalize as strongly off of the post Avengers 4 buzz as it could - remember how much the Infinity War discussion was boosted by Black Panther?

This could prove to be an especially contentious idea when you consider Far From  Home isn't even a Disney film; why would Sony care if their film's trailer was a spoiler for Avengers 4 if it means they get to take immediate advantage of the hype train that accompanies it?

It's a complicated idea and one that would require careful deliberation, but for us as movie fans it's a fascinating glimpse into the business side of Hollywood. Are the cracks in the "Cinematic Universe" formula beginning to show? Have we finally discovered Marvel's fatal flaw? What do you think should be done to solve this Spider-Man dilemma? Let me know in the comments below and keep to JG Review for more updates in the Marvel movie world.

Written by James Green