Interesting. I mean it does seem fairly transparent based on the recent Twitter back and forth. Whether justified or not, I think there are many creatives that view upset fans as bullies as opposed to disgruntled customers. And so they're responding to large swaths of their consumer base as such. I don't think this is something that's even limited to Spider-Man. You see it in comics, film, television, gaming, etc. for a variety of popular IPs.
It's just one big power struggle. Fans feel empowered by social media to voice their opinion, and feel entitled to be heard because they're choosing to spend disposable income on disposable media. And creatives feel empowered by their positions, and feel entitled to a sense of a gratitude because they're providing such media. Except engaging in this type of power struggle with fans is doing the book and the brand no favors.