A "live-action" team-up between Marvel's web-slinging hero and DC's Man of Steel was reportedly shot down by Marvel before it ever got off the ground. The concept isn't entirely new to comics; DC and Marvel just published a crossover issue, Superman/Spider-Man #1. With that release, a new wave of Spidey and Supes ideas has been pitched, dating back to the 1970s.
What's cool about this DC and Marvel crossover is the idea of plucking different versions of each character and seeing them interact.
While the newly published Superman/Spider-Man #1 has fans buzzing, writer Dan Slott is working on a bonus story following the same crossover, but with a noir twist.
Slott and artist Marcos Martin chose to pit Spider-Man Noir (who has a fresh streaming TV series coming soon) against the original Golden Age Superman, who first appeared in 1938's Action Comics #1.
However, Slott didn't originally have this idea. The comic book writer told the Word Balloon podcast pitched Marvel on a story pairing the 1977 live-action TV Spider-Man, played by Nicholas Hammond, with Christopher Reeve's iconic big-screen Superman, a crossover that, had it been approved, would have been a unique meeting between the two live-action heroes on the page.
Marvel, of course, shut it down immediately, with Slott recounting their response:
"What about Nicholas Hammond's Spider-Man meeting Christopher Reeve's Superman? And they're like 'No! did you not hear us before?'"
Before landing on the historic "live-action" pitch, Slott had already struck out with an earlier idea crossing over the Spider-Man '67 animated series with either the Filmation Superman cartoon or the Alex Toth-designed Super Friends version, with Marvel shutting it down over complicated rights issues. Clearly, using iterations already based in the comics, not TV or movies, was an easier strategy.
Slott ultimately landed on a workaround, setting his story in the 1930s, inspired by the classic Fleischer Superman animated shorts.
The main Superman/Spider-Man crossover story pits Spider-Man and Superman against the combined threat of Lex Luthor and Norman Osborn.
When it comes to a live-action crossover between DC and Marvel, ironically, it seems like back in the days of the early Superman film and Spider-Man TV series, it could have been more possible than now in the modern day. Especially considering not all Marvel characters are even owned by the same company.
That said, two popular iterations of Superman (David Corenswet) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland) are both actively putting out big-budget films, begging the question of whether this could ever happen in cinemas.
Could Spider-Man & Superman Crossover?
As exciting as the comics have been, the question is whether a live-action Superman and Spider-Man crossover could ever actually happen, and the short answer is: don't hold your breath, but don't give up either.
James Gunn, who co-heads DC Studios and previously directed Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy films, has confirmed that Marvel/DC crossover discussions have taken place and that he remains open to the idea, though he's been clear that a good story has to come first.
His unique ties to both sides of the superhero landscape make him perhaps the most well-positioned person in Hollywood to one day broker such a deal, but even that may not be enough to untangle the logistical nightmare that a live-action crossover would present.
Competing studios, conflicting contracts, and two massive franchises still deep in their own storytelling arcs make any serious collaboration years away at best.
