Joe Russo calls Sony's Spider-Man split with Marvel Studios 'a big mistake'

The world of pop culture is still reeling from the news that Sony would be pulling Tom Holland's Spider-Man out of the MCU following a financial dispute with Marvel Studios. While fans were hoping that the two parties could reconcile their differences, Sony Pictures chairman Tony Vinciquerra confirmed during a recent interview that "the door is closed" for any future negotiations.

Now, two of the biggest Marvel directors in the studio's history, Joe and Anthony Russo (fresh off of Mosul, their latest effort as producers), are offering up their two cents on the divorce. After all, they were the first filmmakers to bring young Peter Parker into the shared universe with Captain America: Civil War in 2016.

"It was a tenuous, fraught union throughout the whole process," Joe told The Toronto Sun. "But, I will say, stepping back and trying to be objective as possible, that I think it’s a tragic mistake on Sony’s part to think that they can replicate Kevin’s penchant for telling incredible stories and the amazing success he has had over the years. I think it’s a big mistake."

Credit: Marvel Studios/Disney

"It was so difficult to get him into Civil War," explained Anthony. "It was an extremely long and hard process. But we were driven to help make it happen. But [Marvel Studios President] Kevin Feige pulled it off, somehow. Disney and all the good people at Sony found a way to make it work and it lasted a few films. We had a wonderful experience with that and I think audiences really appreciated that marriage. But we know how hard that marriage was to make in the first place, so the fact that the marriage fell apart isn’t really that surprising to me and Joe."

Having also helmed Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, the Russo brothers are two of the most lucrative directors Feige ever decided to hire. While the siblings cut their teeth on comedic sitcoms like Arrested Development and Community, they first proved that they could handle big-budget comic book blockbusters with 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Endgame alone went on to become the highest-grossing film in history, with more than $2 billion at the global box office.

Spider-Man: Far From Home ended on a major cliffhanger, with J. Jonah Jameson (played by a returning J.K. Simmons) revealing Peter Parker's secret identity to the entire world. During an appearance at Philadelphia's Keystone Comic Con last month, Holland revealed that the third film in the new trilogy has already been pitched and will take the franchise in an exciting new direction.