Every year the Marvel Cinematic Universe expands by an exponential amount, especially on television as late with three programs a year coming to Netflix and all-new series coming to ABC, Freeform, and Hulu. The expansion in both directions, as Marvel Studios also movies to three production per year, is drawing more attention to the issues over the lack of cohesion between Marvel movies an Marvel TV.
Marvel Studios and Marvel TV operate as entirely separate business ever since their split last year, which also saw their LA offices split into two in 2015. Marvel Studios boss and producer Kevin Feige now reports directly to Disney and doesn't seem too keen on working with or for the TV side. This all gets a tad more complicated now that Marvel Studios is now also working with Sony Pictures on Spider-Man projects.
With Spider-Man in New York, where Avengers Tower is, where Doctor Strange now resides, and where The Defenders are forming, it's becoming nonsensical that these thing don't collide. For MCU's Spider-Man (Tom Holland) serving as an up-and-coming street level hero in Queens however, it's getting a little confusing how he doesn't know about the Defenders of Hell's Kitchen, the same way the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. haven't interacted with them.
Screen Rant's Rob Keyes had the opportunity to visit the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming last August in Atlanta and while talking to producer Eric Carroll, asked about the possibility for crossover. The likelihood of any Defenders appearing in the movies don't seem high in the foreseeable future, and the same can be said for any chance of Spidey appearing on Netflix, but he gave reason to believe they could be mentioned later on.
Is there a sense that Spidey knows about Daredevil or Luke Cage?
Eric Carroll: Not specifically referenced in this movie, no. I think that’s something we all think would be really fun and it’s definitely a card I would love to see played, if not sooner rather than later. But as of now, it’s not referenced in this movie.
And he’s in Queens, so it’s like so far away.
Eric Carroll: It’s so far. [Laughs] It’s like two trains.
Carroll's tone is much more optimistic than those of his Marvel cohorts, who seem to scoff at the mention of Marvel TV. So far, fans have been able to bring in some semblance of disbelief as to why Tony Stark would recruit Spider-Man instead of someone like Luke Cage for Civil War, but as the events of the Netflix shows get bigger, the less plausible it would be for the Avengers to overlook all the other superhero level threats rising.
Regardless of how positive Carroll may be here, it is still clear that fans shouldn't expect for Daredevil or Iron Fist to be mentioned in Homecoming (or Avengers movies for that matter). Marvel TV boss Jeph Loeb has discussed before that true crossovers may not be plausible due to the way these different programs are produced, but the ability to at least namedrop any of the Defenders instead of specifically referencing a particular event is much easier. After all, Kevin Feige has said before the real hold up is finding the perfect time for the crossover, and sees the acknowledgement of these shows as something that is inevitable.
If this is something that is being discussed at this stage, it will be something that will make many fans happy when/if it unfolds. Knowing that these higher profile heroes know about the street level characters will further legitimize these shows, but also come at little expense to the movies. Now, how all of this works with Sony, Marvel Studios, and Marvel Television (and now, Fox and FX as well who Marvel TV is working with for X-Men television series) all having to worry about continuity, that is unknown, but it doesn't sound like it is too big of a stretch for something like this to happen soon, such as the sequel to Homecoming.
More: Spider-Man: Homecoming Trailer Breakdown
A young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who made his sensational debut in Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging super hero in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine - distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man - but when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened. Directed by Jon Watts. Produced by Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal. Screenplay by Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley and Jon Watts & Christopher Ford and Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers, Based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
Stay tuned to Screen Rant for more coverage from the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming.
