Sony has released a new trailer forThe Night Monkey. Or, to be more precise, a trailer for the digital release ofSpider-Man: Far from Homethat plays on Peter Parker’s alter ego from the movie. In many cases, this would just be viewed as a cute marketing ploy. However, given everything that has happened, what with Sony splitting with Disney over the future of the Spider-Man franchise, this takes on a whole new meaning.
The trailer is positioned as a darker tale thanSpider-Man: Far From Homewas in most of its marketing. We see Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, exclusively in his black suit, taking on the name ofThe Night Monkey. This all came from a joke during a key sequence in the movie where Ned was trying to protect his friend’s secret identity. The moment in question is included in this trailer. The spot also features the following tagline.
“When night falls, a new hero rises. The night belongs to the monkey.”
The most interesting part of this whole thing is that many fans jokingly called for Marvel Studios to just make Night Monkey part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, sinceSony controls the rights to Spider-Man. Undoubtedly, Sony was well aware of these rallying cries from MCU fans online when they put together this trailer. As a result, some may choose to process this as a big middle finger. It’d be hard to blame them for doing so. Even seeing the Marvel Studios logo at the beginning of this spot feels like it has a lot of weight to it, given all that has happened in recent weeks.
Prior to the release ofCaptain America: Civil War,Marvel Studios struck a unique deal with Sonythat would allow for Spider-Man to appear in the MCU. Marvel Studios would then co-produce solo movies with Sony, which would take place in the MCU as well, though Sony would take home the lion’s share of the profits. That relationship proved to be fruitful for both sides. But following the release ofAvengers: EndgameandSpider-Man: Far From Home, negotiations over the future of the franchise broke down between Disney and Sony. So, the MCU will no longer include Spidey and Tom Holland’s Peter Parker will continue on his own outside of that universe and without his fellow heroes.
All of that aside,Spider-Man: Far From Homeproved to be a massive success. The movie wasembraced by critics and fans alike, which pushed it to rake in big bucks at the box office. As of this writing, it’s made $1.12 billion globally, making it the third highest-grossing movie of 2019 overall, and the biggest release ever for Sony Pictures.Spider-Man: Far From Homeis available on digital platforms now, with the Blu-ray/DVD and 4K Ultra HD release scheduled for October 1. Be sure to check outThe Night Monkeytrailer from the Sony Pictures Entertainment YouTube channel for yourself.
