After the release of widely-panned sequel The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in 2014, it was abundantly clear that the titular web-slinging superhero was in desperate need of a theatrical reinvention. While most fans assumed that Sony would simply wait a few years and reboot Spidey's film franchise yet again, the studio instead made the surprising, but very welcome, move of forming a partnership with Marvel Studios. This pact set the stage for Spider-Man to make his way over to the immensely successful MCU, while still allowing Sony to retain its interests in Spidey and his supporting cast of characters.

Thankfully for all involved, Spider-Man's arrival into the MCU via this past summer's Captain America: Civil War was a triumphant one, with both Marvel Studios' writing and actor Tom Holland's portrayal of the iconic character drawing rave reviews from just about everyone. With the Marvel/Sony relationship set to continue with next year's highly-anticipated Spider-Man: Homecoming - Peter Parker's solo MCU debut - many fans have naturally begun to wonder just how long it'll be before 20th Century Fox finally allows the Marvel characters it controls to also enter the MCU mix.

Unfortunately, a Marvel Studios/20th Century Fox pact doesn't seem very likely at this point. During a recent interview with Collider, Marvel boss Kevin Feige was asked about the possibility of the two companies coming to a crossover agreement, and stressed that nothing has changed on that front:

"Well, it’s the same as it has always been. I don’t want to attribute it as a frozen wasteland or anything like that. We all get along and I see them occasionally but there’s no change in any dynamic."

Well, that's a pretty straightforward statement, and Feige is certainly in a better position than just about anybody to know the facts as they currently stand on the issue. It appears that just because Marvel and Sony have decided to play nice concerning Spider-Man existing within the MCU, that doesn't mean that Fox has softened its stance on allowing characters like the X-Men and Fantastic Four to become a part of that mix.

As far as the X-Men go, Fox not wanting to share is understandable, as their recent X-Men efforts have tended to go over pretty well with both critics and fans. It's a bit puzzling why the studio wouldn't jump at the opportunity to let Marvel Studios rehabilitate the Fantastic Four, as Fox has yet to make an FF film that really succeeded in wowing fans, and their most recent attempt to reboot the property was a financial disaster to boot. Still, at least for now, it looks like those hoping to see Wolverine share the screen with Iron Man anytime soon would do well to keep their expectations in check.

Source: Collider