Image Credit: Marvel Studios / Sony Pictures
Spider-Man: No Way Home became one of the biggest movie phenomena of the post-pandemic era, grossing around $1.921 billion at the global box office. However, for Sony Pictures CEO Tom Rothman, the film could have reached an even higher figure. In a recent interview, the executive pointed out that the absence of a release in China was the factor that prevented the film from breaking the $2 billion barrier.
What did China ask for in order to authorize the release?
During his appearance on The Town with Matt Belloni podcast, Rothman revealed that Chinese authorities made the film’s release conditional on one specific change: removing the Statue of Liberty from the film. “They said, ‘Just cut out the Statue of Liberty,’ which was the request. That was the request.” The problem is that the final battle in Spider-Man: No Way Home takes place precisely at that New York landmark, so removing it was not a simple minor adjustment, but rather a modification of the central sequence of the climax.
Rothman explained that he was unwilling to accept that condition and added ironically:
“I really didn’t feel like standing in front of Congress and telling them why I cut the Statue of Liberty at the request of the Chinese Communist Party.”
The decision was to keep the film intact, even if it meant giving up one of the most important international markets for blockbusters.
“In my mind, it surpassed $2 billion.”
China typically accounts for an additional $100 million to $200 million for major superhero productions. Therefore, Rothman argued that, in his opinion, the film would have crossed the historic mark. “In my opinion, it’s over $2 billion because I know what we would have done in China.” Without the Chinese market, the film ended up as the highest-grossing film of 2021 and one of the most successful in cinema history. Even so, the executive acknowledged that coming so close to $2 billion remains a thorn in his side.
The agreement with Marvel and the future of Spider-Man
In the same conversation, Rothman described the partnership between Sony and Marvel Studios as a “win-win deal.” Following the performance of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (which grossed around $800 million), Sony chose to partner with Marvel to relaunch the character within the MCU. Thus, Tom Holland made his debut as Peter Parker in Captain America: Civil War, accompanied by Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man.
Although the agreement went through some tensions after Spider-Man: Far From Home, both parties renewed it. The next installment, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, is scheduled to be released on July 31, 2026. When Matt Belloni mentioned that the Statue of Liberty will probably not appear in that new movie, Rothman replied: “Actually, coincidentally, that’s true.” That statement suggests that the next chapter could have a clear path to the Chinese market. Meanwhile, Spider-Man: No Way Home remains one of the biggest commercial successes of recent years, although for Sony, the final figure still leaves the feeling that something was missing.
With information from Comic Book Movie.
About the Author
