Yesterday, fandom was rocked by the devastating news that Spider-Man has been exiled from the Marvel Cinematic Universe because of a failed deal between Sony and Disney. (At least for now–negotiations aren’t completely dead and this could just be a power play to make one side give in.) Fingers were pointed, jimmies were rustled, and as the implications set in (Will Spider-Man have to be recast yet again? How many times are they going to make Uncle Ben die? How DARE they? etc.), social media exploded with calls to #SaveSpidey.
(Possible spoilers for Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home, so click at your own peril.)
Leading the pack was the MCU’s very own Hawkeye, aka Jeremy Renner, who took to his Instagram with a plea to keep Spider-Man in the MCU. Posting a photo of himself in character as Clint awash in somber violet lighting, he wrote, “Hey @sonypictures we want Spider-Man back to @therealstanlee and @marvel please, thank you #congrats #spidermanrocks#
#please.”
Meanwhile, another red-clad Marvel superhero with dubious MCU status weighed in. When one fan asked Ryan Reynolds whether the news would grant us a Spider-Man/Deadpool cross-over, he aimed right for the feels, writing:
“You can. But you can only see it in my heart.”
You can. But you can only see it in my heart.
— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) August 20, 2019
Elsewhere, fans assembled their greatest MCU memes in mourning and indignation. Check out some of the best below.
Good morning to everyone (except the people at Sony)
#SaveSpidey pic.twitter.com/lmebVVhlWc
— Gianna LaPerna (@ggiannallaperna) August 21, 2019
Stan Lee rn: #SaveSpidey #SpidermanBelongsInTheMCU pic.twitter.com/3mqTyL7ys7
— Kirisha (@kirishapraba) August 21, 2019
GOSH I CANT WAIT TO SEE UNCLE BEN GET FUCKING SMOKED AGAIN #SaveSpidey pic.twitter.com/s64MJcN88H
— Serafin
REZZ (@serafine_af) August 21, 2019
REZZ (@serafine_af) Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland after Sony messed it up #SaveSpiderMan #SaveSpidey pic.twitter.com/a3y6Sst8Uw
— 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒖 ⎊ tizia inutile (@manuelaguds) August 21, 2019
Sony: I am inevitable.
Marvel defending Spider-Man: pic.twitter.com/C4emNqLX9C
— Cameron Grant (@extracoolcam101) August 21, 2019
Sony: Spider-Man is no longer part of the MCU.
Me:#SpiderManFarFromTheMCU #SaveSpidey #boycottsonypictures pic.twitter.com/vKXSwiI9mx
—
Johnny
(@JoloFieldz_234) August 21, 2019
JohnnyDisney: *Fails to negotiate with Sony.*
MCU Fans: #SaveSpidey #SpidermanBelongsInTheMCU pic.twitter.com/2FCqc0UHxq— Ansh Kamble (@AnshK_25) August 21, 2019
Me @ Sony rn #SaveSpidey pic.twitter.com/3wDJoE0XyC
— Sinead (@Lacunasin) August 21, 2019
Spider-Man became an Avenger, went through the blip , fought thanos and his army, lost his father figure, got blind sided from mysterio, fought mysterio, got a gf and then got exposed. YOU CANT JUST TAKE HIM OUT OF THE MCU AFTER ALL OF THIS #SaveSpidey #SaveSpiderMan pic.twitter.com/HQz9f7IbtX
— Al (@wafflesmalik) August 21, 2019
Tom Holland rolling up to Marvel Studios to film the third Spider-Man movie #SaveSpidey #SpiderManFarFromTheMCU #SaveSpiderman #SpiderMan pic.twitter.com/nlORBIRVkU
— Grace (@delpizzaaa) August 21, 2019
Uncle Ben finding out he has to come back and die for a fourth reboot #BoycottSony #BoycottSonySpiderman #SaveSpiderMan #SaveSpidey pic.twitter.com/jLBabf4ZKT
— #SaveSpiderman (@savemcuspidey) August 20, 2019