Nowadays, streaming platforms have become a staple in many households, providing a vast array of movies and TV shows at our fingertips. Disney Plus, in particular, has made a name for itself as a go-to destination for all things Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars. However, a burning question that many fans have is why all the Spiderman movies are not available on Disney Plus.
One of the main reasons behind this is the intricate web of ownership and licensing agreements surrounding the Spiderman franchise. While Disney owns Marvel, and Spiderman is a Marvel character, the film rights to Spiderman have long been held by Sony Pictures Entertainment.
After Disney acquired Marvel in 2009, there were negotiations between Disney and Sony to bring Spiderman into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This led to Tom Holland’s portrayal of Spiderman in films like “Captain America: Civil War,” “Spiderman: Homecoming,” and more.
However, the distribution rights to these Spiderman movies remained with Sony. This means that while Disney can include Spiderman in its Marvel movies, it cannot unilaterally stream standalone Spiderman films on Disney Plus without Sony’s approval.
In April 2021, Disney and Sony did strike a deal that allowed for joint releases of Spiderman films on streaming services like Disney Plus. However, this agreement only came into effect starting in 2022, after the release of “Spiderman: No Way Home.”
Given the popularity of the Spiderman franchise and the revenue it generates, Sony likely views the exclusivity of the Spiderman films on its platforms as a strategic advantage. This exclusivity allows Sony to drive viewership and subscriptions to its streaming services.
On the other hand, Disney’s focus on expanding its own Marvel-centric content on Disney Plus means that while it can incorporate Spiderman into the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, it may not prioritize securing streaming rights to standalone Spiderman films on its platform.
Furthermore, streaming rights and licensing agreements are often complex and involve negotiations between multiple parties. The logistics of securing the rights to stream the entire Spiderman film catalogue on Disney Plus may require additional agreements and compromises that have yet to be reached.
It’s worth noting that the landscape of streaming services is constantly evolving, with new deals and partnerships being forged all the time. As such, it is possible that in the future, we may see more Spiderman movies becoming available on Disney Plus as new agreements are made.
In conclusion, the primary reason why not all the Spiderman movies are on Disney Plus boils down to the intricate web of ownership and licensing agreements between Disney and Sony. While there have been some collaborative efforts between the two studios, the distribution rights to the Spiderman films ultimately lie in Sony’s hands, limiting Disney’s ability to stream them on its platform.
