After the dust settled and Sony made a new deal with Disney regarding the film rights to Spider-Man, it was reported that actor Tom Holland, who portrays the wallcrawler in two of the most successful films in Sony’s history, actually had a hand in making the deal happen. And while that was hearsay at the time, Disney CEO Bob Iger recently confirmed the news and made it clear that Holland might not have been the sole reason that Spider-Man is back in the MCU but he definitely helped.
Speaking to Jimmy Kimmel on the host’s late-night talk show, Iger was asked about Holland’s involvement in the negotiations between Sony and Disney. The executive didn’t shy away from talking about how the young actor factored into the conversation.
READ MORE: ‘Spider-Man’: Tom Holland Helped Spark The Successful Negotiations Between Sony & Disney
“We had an event called D23 and Tom [Holland] was there because he’s a voice in a new Pixar movie called ‘Onward,’” Iger said. “He said something and it was clear that the fans wanted Tom back as Spider-Man.”
The Disney CEO went on to say that Holland found someone who could give him Iger’s phone number and email, and the young actor reached out to the studio executive.
“It was clear that he cared so much. He’s a great Spider-Man. I felt for him and it was clear that the fans wanted all of this to happen,” Iger added.
After a couple of phone calls between Iger and Holland, the CEO explained that it was clear that there were other people involved and “sometimes companies, when they are negotiating, they forget that there are other folks out there that actually matter.”
Of course, we know how the story ends with the two studios coming to an agreement and Holland is set to return to the MCU for at least two more films. And even if the young actor can never fill the shoes of Robert Downey, Jr in the realm of the MCU, it appears that he’s absolutely doing everything he can to provide a voice for the fans, which is surely going to make Holland even more of a favorite amongst the loyalists.
