Sony has had enough of the Spider-Man–meets-Batman speculation: CEO Hiroki Totoki says the Japanese giant won’t bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, taking one heavyweight out of Hollywood’s megadeal race.

One of this year’s biggest M&A rumors has centered on Warner Bros. Discovery. Many expected the 2021-merged media titan to be snapped up in a multibillion deal, but this week a key suitor stepped away: Sony Interactive Entertainment is not preparing an offer.

Speaking to Nikkei, Hiroki Totoki made the company’s stance plain. “Right now, we don’t want to do a big M&A deal in Hollywood. We want to build a solid foundation on our strengths: anime and video games,” he said, signaling a focus on the businesses with the best margins and growth runway.

At the movies, it’s anime first

The executive added that Sony is targeting expanding, durable markets rather than short-term profit pockets. “The global anime market is just beginning and will continue to grow at double-digit rates for some time,” he noted. In other words, Japanese animation is a strategic pillar for Sony’s future, not an integration with a film behemoth like Warner.

Context matters: Sony’s Aniplex label has backed major modern anime hits (e.g., Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle), and the company has taken stakes in giants like Kadokawa and Bandai Namco. It views anime not merely as a complement to games, but as a central axis of its global strategy.

Recent chatter also tied Sony to a potential grab for Warner Bros. Games IP, including valuable DC licenses. Totoki’s comments put those rumors to bed—for now, Sony aims to consolidate in interactive entertainment and animation, leaving the fight for Warner’s future to others.

Source: 3DJuegos