Entertainment

A Weird, Delightful Crossover Compromise

by Alanna Bennett

One of the more complicated (read: frustrating) aspects of modern superhero franchises is that, despite Marvel's seeming domination, a lot of them are owned by separate companies. That's why you'll likely never see Spider-man onscreen with his father figures in the comics, Iron Man and Captain America, for example, and why there are currently two separate Quicksilvers: It all gets very tricky when there's billions of dollars involved. It also leads to weird compromises, like what's happening now with The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and X-Men.

Amazing Spider-Man's being released into theaters come May 2; X-Men: Days Of Future Past is coming our way May 23. And it turns out that, despite their different production studios (Columbia Pictures/Sony and 20th Century Fox, respectively), the after-credits scene for TASM 2 is not a scene related to Spidey & Co. at all, but rather one related to Mystique, Havoc, Toad, and Stryker of X-Men. And it's apparently all happening not because of some sort of secret crossover, but because of a contract-related compromise with the director of (500) Days Of Summer .

Marc Webb, who directed 500 Days as well as The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel, reportedly made a deal with Fox to make two films, the first of which was 500 Days. The second didn't happen, and Webb instead directed The Amazing Spider-Man. Now, to make it up to them and get out of interrupting his schedule to direct another thing for Fox, it's been decided that Fox will instead sneak some ad-time for their big superhero flick into Sony's big superhero flick.

Really, studios should do stuff like this more often. Cooperation! Isn't that what they taught us in kindergarten? Quick, someone make someone skip out on a contract obligation with Disney so we can get Spidey in Avengers 3.

Image: 20th Century Fox