Written By Kieran Bugg
Spider-Man producer Avi Arad threw shade on the Sony-Disney deal. Without a doubt, it must sting for Marvel Studios to create better Spider-Man films. Or Marvel movies in general. Overall, Avi Arad owns a spotty track record with Spider-Man fare. Furthermore, if you look beyond the Spider-Verse, it’s a frightening sight.
On one hand, Arad produced a few early classics. These include Spider-Man 2 and Iron Man. Well, Iron Man features his credit. Otherwise, he left no fingerprints on that movie; it was Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige’s creative supervision.
Dig deeper and you will see a lengthy collection of misses. The Daredevil movie. Elektra. Fox’s initial two Fantastic Four films. The Ghost Rider movies. X-Men: The Last Stand.
Ouch.
Granted, these films have their share of admirers. Nevertheless, few will say Arad’s name guarantees quality. To hardcore fans, Arad’s Venom franchise and Morbius pale against their comics counterparts.
Then again, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse did win an Oscar. Certainly, he won the lottery with that project.
Spider-Man Producer Avi Arad Throws Shade On Sony-Disney Deal
Image: Sony Pictures
In any case, Spider-Man has one of the most popular rogues’ galleries in comic-book history alongside Batman. Indeed, many of his foes became household names. Nonetheless, Spider-Man’s greatest foe exists in the real world and his name is Avi Arad.
That name would send chills down the spine of any Spider-Man follower. Arad spoke against Spider-Man joining the MCU.
Let that sink in.
In addition, Arad seems to bear a childish grudge against Feige. He’s often attempted to take the credit for the MCU’s creation as he’s one of Marvel Studios’ founders. In reality, Feige tried to build a shared cinematic universe for years. On the contrary, Arad scoffed at the idea. Seriously?
Arad damaged Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3. Venom? Arad’s idea.
His decision resulted in a complete reboot.
Likewise, he sunk Andrew Garfield’s trilogy. It didn’t move past two. Trilogy? Nope. Didn’t happen. Arad demanded multiple bad guys. Again.
History repeats itself.
LOL, Sony, LOL.
Spider-Man Producer Avi Arad Throws Shade On Sony-Disney Deal
Image: Sony Pictures
Thankfully, this led to the Disney-Sony agreement. Spider-Man entered the MCU. He fought alongside the Avengers. And Marvel Studios elevated Spider-Man: No Way Home into a nearly $2 billion blockbuster. Impressive.
This decision obviously didn’t sit well with Arad. He called the two studios’ partnership “The worst deal.”
Right.
The fans, critics and box-office numbers suggest otherwise. He revealed his feelings in his book, Great Power. There’s irony in the title. Arad takes no responsibility for his actions. He even blamed former Sony Pictures president Amy Pascal for the deal. He complained:
They did it for the money. Terrible, like giving your kids away for adoption, just because you’re not sure what to do with them.
Huh? Say what now?
Sony moves forward with the Spider-Verse without clear direction. Upcoming films such as Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter fail to generate buzz. The Venom movies rode on Tom Hardy’s charm. Still, they felt dated. Morbius spawned hilarious memes. So will Arad’s book. We’re laughing already.
LOL, Sony, LOL.