Planet Money

The Spider-Man Problem (update)

Jun 7, 2023

Joanna Robinson, a Senior writer and podcaster at The Ringer, dives into the intricate saga behind Spider-Man's film rights. She discusses the fascinating history of Marvel's licensing deal with Sony and its consequences. The conversation touches on the behind-the-scenes drama that rivals the films themselves, including the impact of Sony's reboot struggles and the spectacular success of 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.' Robinson also highlights how the multiverse storytelling has revitalized the franchise and reshaped superhero cinema.

30:58

Creator website

Episode guests

Joanna Robinson

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Email Leaks Reveal Sony's Jealousy of Marvel Cinematic Universe

00:30

Sony's Contractual Obligation to Produce Spider-Man Movies

00:34

The Evolution of Marvel's Business Model

00:28

Intro

5min

Untangling the Spider-Man Franchise: A Behind-the-Scenes Look

2min

The Birth of a Hero: Spider-Man's Cinematic Journey

5min

The Spider-Man Rights Dilemma: A Legal Complication

4min

Marvel and Sony: The Spider-Man Rights Saga

13min

Revitalizing Spider-Man: The Multiverse and Its Impact

4min

(Note: This episode originally ran back in 2022.)

This past weekend, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse had the second largest domestic opening of 2023, netting (or should we say webbing?) over $120 million in its opening weekend in the U.S. and Canada. But the story leading up to this latest Spider-Man movie has been its own epic saga.

When Marvel licensed the Spider-Man film rights to Sony Pictures in the 1990s, the deal made sense — Marvel didn't make movies yet, and their business was mainly about making comic books and toys. Years later, though, the deal would come back to haunt Marvel, and it would start a long tug of war between Sony and Marvel over who should have creative cinematic control of Marvel's most popular superhero. Today, we break down all of the off-screen drama that has become just as entertaining as the movies themselves.

This episode was originally produced by Nick Fountain with help from Taylor Washington and Dave Blanchard. It was engineered by Isaac Rodrigues. It was edited by Jess Jiang. The update was produced by Emma Peaslee, with engineering by Maggie Luthar. It was edited by Keith Romer.

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