I don't believe that at all, also it's hilarious because Dark Phoenix never would've been made if X3 wasn't butchered to hell and back.....by tom rothman
I believe the Variety article and the deadline articles since they all basically say the same thing when it comes down to it.
A) Disney wanted as much as 50 in co -finacing, which in the film industry is controlling interest in the Spiderman character from Sony. Whether they started with 25% or not ,they ended with 50%.
B) Rothman and Sony felt they didn't have to take the deal and that they can succeed without Marvel.
The dispute is whether or not Sony counter offered 30/70 a split and whether Disney wanted control of the spin off films . It sounds like Sony's sources say yes and Disney sources say no.
From the info I have now, I suspect this is an instance in which both Alan Horn at Disney and Tim Rothman at Sony
both felt that having Spiderman in the MCU wasn't essential. The landscape post Fox merger, Endgame, SMITSV , Venom, and SMFFH, was different than in 2014 when the deal was made.
Disney wanted Feige to focus more on the characters they acquired from Fox , and it would only be worth their while to keep the Spiderman deal if they have a stronger financial controlling interest in the films, or in other words basically owned the film rights.
Rothman felt that Disney shouldn't get anymore of the pie, and ultimately felt they could go it alone now wtih Venom and SMITSV.
Feige, unfortunately, was at the mercy of clashing ego's at Sony and Disney and any long term plans with the character would ultimately be secondary to whatever larger plans Dinsey and Sony had.