Recently rumors have been flying around the Web to the effect that Hollywood rivals Disney and Sony are in discussions about the possibility that Spider-Man might make an appearance in a Marvel Studios film.  ICv2 hasn’t reported the story because there was no confirmation from the studios involved and the Internet sources that reported the rumors have often been wrong in the past.  But now Entertainment Weekly is joining the chorus with a report that EW’s inside sources have confirmed that conversations between Sony and Marvel Studios/Disney are underway.
 
However, don’t expect Spidey to show up in Avengers: Age of Ultron.  EW notes that the notion that Disney/Marvel could get back some of the Spider-Man rights, or at least have access to the character, or participate in a co-production all depends on the fate of the next Sony Spider-Man film Sinister Six, which former Josh Whedon collaborator, Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods) is prepping for a November, 2016 release.  EW confirms that the villain-laden Sinister Six remains on track, and maintains that there is little hope of any Sony/Disney deal for Spider-Man unless Sinister Six flops.  According to EW, "only then, amid dismal box office receipts two years from now, would any deep-negotiations be had about forging a hero-sharing deal between Sony and Disney that could team up Spidey and the Avengers."
 
Sony’s original Spider-Man trilogy, which was directed by Sam Raimi, debuted in 2002 and its tremendous box office success was instrumental in developing the climate that has led to the ascendancy of superhero movies in Hollywood today.  However, Sony’s attempt at rebooting the Spider-Man movie franchise with director Marc Webb stalled when the second Amazing Spider-Man movie starring Andrew Garfield failed to even come close to Webb’s first ASM film in the all-important domestic market, causing Sony to cancel plans for the third Webb-helmed ASM movie, and shift gears toward the Sinister Six project, which could possibly feature another actor as Peter Parker/Spider-Man.