Tom Holland cried to keep Spider-Man in Marvel movies, Disney CEO Bob Iger jokes

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After an uproar over Spider-Man parting ways with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the franchise announced the superhero is staying put for another film.
USA TODAY

Not all heroes wear capes. 

Tom Holland channeled his inner Peter Parker and stepped up to save the day, Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed Friday on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” It was Holland, 23, the current face of Spider-Man, who stepped up and asked Iger to give fans what they wanted: to keep the superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

Spidey drama began over the summer, when negotiations broke down between Disney and Sony Pictures over future Spider-Man films, sending fans into panic. 

Sony has controlled the rights to the web-slinger since 1999, but the two studios have been happily (or so we thought) sharing Spider-Man across a plethora of films since 2015, including major roles in the latest “Avengers” movies. As part of the previous agreement, Marvel had also been acting as a producer on the 2017 and 2019 standalone Sony “Spider-Man” movies starring Holland, which were both box-office blockbusters.

“It was clear that the fans wanted Tom back as Spider-Man,” Iger said of the social media frenzy that followed news of the negotiation impasse.  

Iger said Holland reached out to Disney higher-ups for Iger’s contact information in late August and begged Iger to keep Spidey in the MCU. 

“He basically – he cried on the phone,” Iger joked. “No, not really. But it was clear that he cared so much. And we care a lot about him. And he’s a great Spider-Man, isn’t he? I felt for him and it was clear that the fans wanted all this to happen.”

He then spoke with more Disney team members before calling the head of Sony to try and quell the Spider-Man standoff. 

“I said, ‘We’ve got to figure out a way to get this done. For Tom and for the fans,’ ” Iger recalled. 

“Like two divorced parents coming together and figuring it out,” Kimmel quipped. 

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Marvel announced last month that the superhero would stay put for another film. The third installment in “Spider-Man: Homecoming” is scheduled for release in 2021.

“Sometimes, companies when they’re negotiating, or people when they’re negotiating with one another, they kind of forget that there are other folks out there that actually matter,” Iger added. “There’s a whole Parker family out there (to think about).” 

Contributing: Bryan Alexander and  Andrea Mandell, USA TODAY

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