Sony says it's "disappointed" not to be working with Disney on future Spider-Man films, the BBC reports.

Actor Tom Holland might not return for new Marvel movies, because a fresh deal can't be reached over the character.

Film rights for the superhero are owned by Sony - and he was able to appear in movies like "Avengers: Endgame" because of a deal between Sony and Marvel Studios - owned by Disney.

Sony says it hopes things "might change in future".

In a series of tweets, Sony referenced Kevin Feige, the President of Marvel Studios, thanking him for his "help and guidance".

Feige had a key creative role in the last two Spider-Man films, starring British actor Tom Holland, and successfully integrated the webslinger into its multi-billion dollar Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Spider-Man is a Marvel comic book character - but in 1999 Sony bought the film rights for the superhero.

Sony made five films of their own featuring the character - three with Tobey Maguire and two with Andrew Garfield.

In 2015 the studio struck a deal with Disney and Marvel Studios to bring Peter Parker and his alter-ego into the MCU.

The deal meant Disney would co-produce and share profits from films featuring Spider-Man.