‘Spider-Man’ Solo Movie To Open Earlier Than Expected

Many fans feel there was no need for another Spider-Man reboot, but when it was announced in 2015 — and revealed as a collaboration between Marvel and Sony — the studios wasted little time in fitting the web-spinner into their future plans. Now appearing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man is scheduled to make his long-awaited debut for the MCU in Captain America: Civil War, with his solo outing slotting into a July 28, 2017 release date. Marvel had to reorganize their Phase 3 releases to make way for Spidey, but now word is out that Spider-Man’s release date has been changed again, and fortunately for adoring fans, it will swing into cinemas sooner rather than later.

Following the cue of fellow blockbusters Star Wars: Episode VIII and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, it was announced yesterday that the Marvel Cinematic Universe Spider-Man reboot will change its release date, and will now be in theatres on July 7, 2017. This date was previously set for the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean film, and will now put everyone’s favorite wall-crawler in direct competition with Fox’s War for the Planet of the Apes. With Sony still very much involved in the Spider-Man franchise, it’s little surprise that the studio would take advantage of their relationship with Disney to secure a prime summertime spot for Spider-Man, and release it a few weeks earlier. Apparently this change has affected other movies around it — according to Variety, Sony have shifted the Jumanji reboot to fill the vacancy left by Spider-Man, and it will now be released on July 28, 2016.

Marvel have a habit of sliding their movies to an earlier release date. They did the same thing with Black Panther, which was moved to July 6, 2018 — because of the Spider-Man movie — and then rescheduled again for February 16, 2018, when Ant-Man and the Wasp was added to their already packed schedule. Many would expect fans to be a little annoyed with this unstable release schedule, but in the grand scheme of things, it might not irk the fans too much — after all, they get to see their heroes earlier than expected. Along with an appearance in Captain America: Civil War and his solo outing, Spidey will also be appearing in an animated movie, one that is scheduled for a December 21, 2018, release as of last month. With the chopping and changing becoming a frequent thing, to confirm a date at this stage would be pointless.

It seems Sony wants to do right by Spider-Man this time, and they’re off to a good start. John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein are penning the new movie, while Jon Watts (Cop Car, Clown) will step in as director. Tom Holland will reprise his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, after making his on-screen debut in Captain America: Civil War, and Marisa Tomei will play Aunt May. Holland recently discussed his casting with The Daily Beast, and revealed what is to be expected.

“It’s not The Dark Knight. One of the special things about what we’re going to try and create is that you’re going to see the biggest independent film ever. It’s not going to be an epic thing; it’s going to be a film surrounded by these incredible things, but that follows this boy and his life. Peter Parker is a favourite of many because everyone can relate to him, and we’re going to try to make everyone relate to our Peter Parker. And John Hughes is a perfect example of what we’re going to try and do.”

No plot details have been revealed, but Watts has described the movie as a “coming of age” tale, as revealed by Cinema Blend. With Holland’s mention of the legendary John Hughes above, expect heart, warmth and a little comedy thrown in for good measure.

Despite the insistence for another reboot, the Spider-Man franchise has done phenomenally well at the box-office. The first modern incarnation saw Sam Raimi take the helm from 2002 to 2007 and produce three movies: Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3. Tobey Maguire received critical acclaim for his innocent and natural portrayal of Peter Parker, but was soon overshadowed by poor plotting and the over-abundance of super villains. Marc Webb took charge of the second incarnation, producing two movies between 2012 and 2014: The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Andrew Garfield stepped into the red suit for these movies, and was thought to be doing a good job before another reboot was ordered. Overall, the five films have grossed $3.9 billion at the box-office, smashing several records in the process.

Will another reboot be the ticket? Will reuniting Spidey with his Avenger co-heroes be the right tonic for success? Find out when Spider-Man swings into theatres on July 7, 2017. Until then, you can catch his re-emergence in Captain America: Civil War on May 6, 2016.

[Image via Sony/Walt Disney Studio Motion Pictures]