It is no secret that Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man has played a significant role when it comes to the overall success and popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only did RDJ’s charismatic portrayal help establish the Marvel brand, but it also provided the boost Marvel Studios needed to become what it is now.
And so while countless Marvel fans lament the loss of Downey’s Iron Man, they remain in the dark about Iron Man’s role in bringing Spider-Man into the MCU. Known for their rivalry over profit sharing, Disney/Marvel-Sony’s longstanding feud was broken and the web-slinger made it to the MCU only because of Iron Man.
Reason Why Spider-Man Made It To The MCU
The Sony-Marvel/Disney rivalry has been a long-standing issue that has caused tension between the two media giants for years. From profit sharing to narrative, there has been much that the two studios have failed to come to terms with.
Even back in 2019, the two studios were at odds when it came to sharing profit (via Deadline) and Siny nearly pulled the web-slinger out of the MCU. While there are again reports of a feud between the two media giants over Spider-Man 4 (see Startefacts and X), it was back in 2014 that the two studios decided to collaborate after the disappointing success of The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Not only did it underperform, but Marvel and critics also did not like how dark the tale was becoming. And as per MCU: The Reign Of Marvel Studios, that is when Marvel aka Kevin Feige jumped on the opportunity to bring the web-slinger to the MCU.
While Amy Pascal was first apprehensive and even went on to throw a sandwich at Feige when he made such a suggestion, it was after reading the script of a now-dead and dusted Sinister Six movie that convinced her to give Marvel a chance.
Furthermore, the public support of such a decision following the leak of over 200,000 emails by hackers, helped Pascal to see that this might be Sony’s big opportunity to make it big with the Spider-Man movie. A lunch at Feige’s house and a conversation involving Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man finally made the deal happen.
How Iron Man Helped Bring Spider-Man To The MCU
Iron Man has been a pivotal character for the now billion-dollar-worth Marvel, Cinematic Universe. Even though the casting of Robert Downey Jr. was a big gamble given his difficult past, it was precisely his portrayal that helped lay the foundations of the superhero universe.
Not only did Downey’s Iron Man take Marvel Studios from a failing one to one of the most successful media houses in the world, but it also helped rope in one beloved Marvel character to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, aka the Spider-Man (see MCU: The Reign Of Marvel Studios).
While the web-slinger has been pretty famous on its own, its inclusion in the MCU (home of some Marvel beloved characters) was a lifelong dream of many fans. While talking to The New York Times, Amy Pascal recalled how Kevin Feige’s idea compelled her to take the leap,
“And then Kevin called me and came over to the house and said, ‘I have an idea. What if Tony Stark makes Peter’s suit?’ And as soon as he said that, I understood the possibilities of what we could do together. To have Iron Man and Spidey in the same world, one rooted more in technological innovation — the new suit — and less in medical experimentation, which is where we were confined before, felt so much more modern.”
And so while Pascal was baffled at the idea of Spider-Man slinging into the MCU at first, it was the possibility of Iron Man mentoring the Queens’ native that made her change her mind.
The MCU and the Spider-Man movies can be streamed on Disney+.
