Sony’s Spider-Man Reboot Faces Same Flaw That Ended The Venom Universe

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Despite a rocky start, Sony’s universe of Marvel characters – featuring heroes like Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter – might not be finished. The franchise seemed to end in 2024 with the release of Kraven the Hunter, but there are signs it could be making a comeback.

Sony Pictures CEO Tom Rothman recently announced plans to revitalize their Spider-Man Universe (SSU) in the coming years. This includes a project involving Tom Hardy, though details about his role are still unknown. While Rothman clarified that the new SSU won’t simply continue stories from films like Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter, it still struggles with the same fundamental problem that caused the original franchise to fail.

Sony’s Spider-Man Universe Needs Spider-Man

You’d think a movie universe called the ‘Spider-Man Universe’ would actually include Spider-Man, but surprisingly, it doesn’t. While the films focus on villains from his world and are named after him, Spider-Man himself is absent, except for a brief appearance as a baby.

Let’s face it: people care about Spider-Man’s villains because of their connection to Spider-Man. It’s tough to make these characters interesting on their own. They need Spider-Man to feel relevant. Morbius is more believable as a flawed character – an antihero or villain – than as a traditional hero. And characters like Madame Web were always better suited as supporting players rather than leads.

Venom is the most recognizable character in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe who could realistically star in his own movie. He’s popular, but his story is strongest when it’s connected to Spider-Man, just like in the comics. Without Spider-Man, it’s hard for audiences to understand why Venom does what he does, or the origins of his powers and abilities.

Sony is starting fresh with its Spider-Man characters, and it’s crucial they get it right this time. Spider-Man needs to be central to these new movies – not just a cameo – to attract audiences and make this cinematic universe a success. People will be more likely to go to the theaters if Spider-Man is truly a key part of the story.

How Sony Can Fix Its Spider-Man Problem

Sony’s desire to create its own Spider-Man universe stems from its agreement with Marvel Studios, which permits them to do so. While the details aren’t public, the deal doesn’t appear to prevent Sony from introducing another Spider-Man. They likely held off on doing so to avoid weakening the Spider-Man brand. However, given Spider-Man’s continued popularity despite growing superhero movie saturation, audiences might be open to following two different Spider-Man storylines in separate franchises.

Sony is looking for a new Spider-Man to lead its film series, and finding one might be simpler than people think. Many fans want Andrew Garfield to return after his popular appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Bringing Garfield’s version of Spider-Man into a fresh storyline would be a great way to relaunch the franchise and immediately appeal to those who loved his Amazing Spider-Man films.

In recent years, Miles Morales has become increasingly popular. As the animated Spider-Verse films conclude in 2027, Sony might introduce a live-action Miles Morales to lead their own cinematic universe. This would be a great way to establish a distinct brand, creating one universe centered around Spider-Man and another around Miles Morales.

Sony’s future Spider-Man movies need to feature the character prominently. Recent superhero film attendance shows audiences need a compelling reason to go to the theater, and Spider-Man is that reason for Sony’s Marvel films. Hopefully, the studio will avoid past errors and create more engaging movies moving forward.

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2026-03-03 05:06