The departure of Sony's co-chairman and head of its motion picture division Amy Pascal has left the future of several of her ongoing film franchises up in the air. Most importantly for comic fans, this also includes the embattled Spider-Man franchise. According to Variety, Pascal's successor has yet to be chosen, and that decision could be the key factor in how the Spider-Man franchise moves forward. As Variety states, Amazing Spider-Man 2 was only a modest success, falling far short of the billion dollar mark Pascal predicted.
The last official word on the future of the Amazing Spider-Man franchise saw the announcement of a Sinister Six film to be released in 2016, pushing Amazing Spider-Man 3 back to a 2018 release. Of course, the recent Sony e-mail leak - a leak which possibly led to Pascal's resignation - revealed that Sony has also been in talks with Marvel Studios to license Spider-Man back to Marvel, possibly for Captain America: Civil War, or Avengers: Infinity War. Could Pascal's departure signal a shift in the dynamics of that negotiation?
It will likely be up to whomever takes on Pascal's role to decide -- and could be a key component of a pitch for everyone vying for that treasured role in the film business.