Going forward, Kevin Feige doesn't believe there will be another emotional split between Marvel and Sony over Spider-Man. Though Spider-Man has long been Marvel's most popular superhero, the MCU began without him. Sony had the rights to the webslinger, and even as the MCU was uniting all its major heroes for The Avengers in 2012, Sony was rebooting Spider-Man with Andrew Garfield's first outing. However, once the Amazing Spider-Man series fell apart, Marvel was able to strike a deal with Sony to bring Spider-Man to the MCU for a few movies. Tom Holland was quickly cast in the role, and he made his debut in 2016's Captain America: Civil War.

Flash forward three years, and following Holland's fifth MCU outing in Spider-Man: Far From Home, news broke that the deal between Marvel and Sony had broken down, effectively taking Spider-Man out of the MCU. The announcement sent shockwaves across the internet, leaving fans stunned and disappointed. Various people weighed in on the news, from Civil War directors Joe and Anthony Russo to Holland himself. Finally, just one month later, the two studios reached another agreement, and Spider-Man remained in the MCU.

Related: Why Marvel Is Losing Rights To Spider-Man, Avengers & Other Characters

Speaking in the latest issue of Empire (via ComicBook.com), Feige reflected on the difficult situation that arose between Marvel and Sony years ago, admitting that even before it happened, "I was mentally preparing to emotionally separate from it." He added, "I didn't love it, but it is what it is. And then, thankfully, it came back together." As for what the future holds for Spider-Man himself, that might not be clear to fans, but Feige said, "I don't anticipate us going through that emotional rollercoaster, or putting fans through that emotional rollercoaster, again."

Peter Parker at Avengers tower

The immediate MCU future for Spider-Man looks pretty exciting. This December, Holland will make his sixth franchise appearance for Spider-Man: No Way Home, a multiversal adventure that is strongly rumored to feature past actors like Garfield and Toby Maguire. Additionally, the benefits of the Sony/Marvel deal are already showing for the former studio, as this month's Venom: Let There Be Carnage revealed a surprise MCU connection. Between that and next year's Morbius, which also holds some ties to the expansive universe, it's clear Spider-Man has come out on top in this renewed agreement.

Where he will go after No Way Home remains to be seen, but as Feige estimates there won't be another public split, it's likely Marvel and Sony have a plan. It could be that they will continue to cooperate on Spider-Man movies going forward, or that they will eventually find a better way for Holland's character to exit the MCU and permanently join Sony's budding Marvel universe. One might hope that Feige's comments indicate Spider-Man will remain in the MCU, and they do seem to sway in that direction. At the very least, there won't be weeks of uncertainty over the character's fate again now that Sony and Marvel are on the same page.

More: All 12 Spider-Man Universe Movies Releasing After Venom 2 (& When)

Source: Empire (via ComicBook.com)

Key Release Dates