Five Years Ago This Week, Marvel’s Biggest Event Proved Sony’s Spider-Man Spinoffs Were Doomed

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Sony’s attempt to build its own Spider-Man cinematic universe faced an uphill battle from the start. The connection between Sony and Marvel Studios has always been complicated. Back in 1999, Marvel sold the movie rights to Spider-Man and related characters to Sony, and the films quickly became popular. The success of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy predicted the rise of superhero movies and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but it created a challenge for Marvel. Because Sony owned the rights, Spider-Man couldn’t initially be included in the early days of the MCU.

Eventually, Sony and Marvel came to an agreement, establishing a partnership that has been adjusted several times over the years. This deal brought Tom Holland’s Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Sony also wanted to capitalize on the success with its own Spider-Man Universe, launching films like Venom, Kraven the Hunter, Madame Web, and the Venom trilogy – all connected to, but separate from, the main MCU. However, a major Marvel event five years ago hinted at why these spin-off films would ultimately struggle.

“King in Black” Showed the True Potential of Venom

Five years ago, the “King in Black” storyline dramatically expanded the role of Venom within the Marvel Comics universe. It introduced Knull, a powerful god-like being and the origin of all symbiotes, who emerged from the very beginning of time with a goal to extinguish all life and light. Knull quickly established himself as a major threat by shockingly killing the incredibly powerful Sentry and covering the Earth in a blanket of symbiotes. He was instantly recognized as one of the Avengers’ most formidable enemies.

One of the great things about shared cinematic universes is the ability to bring characters together from different stories. Sony had an advantage with its Spider-Man related heroes and villains, as crossovers felt natural – it’s common for these characters to interact. While Venom: The Last Dance introduced Knull, a powerful villain, he didn’t reach his full potential as depicted in the comics. The ‘King in Black’ storyline, which featured Knull battling gods, monsters, the Avengers, and the X-Men, demonstrated the scale Sony couldn’t achieve.

Sony’s Spider-Man Spinoffs Could Never Be What the Studio Wanted

Looking back, Venom really showed us what Sony was up against from the beginning. They had to completely change the story of how Venom came to be, taking Spider-Man out of it – you know, the whole origin story with the symbiote and that big ‘Secret Wars’ event. It quickly became clear they really missed having Spider-Man in their universe, and they kept hinting at him in the trailers, but never actually showed him! It was like they were admitting the whole thing felt incomplete without Spider-Man being a part of it.

While the Venom movies initially did well – the first one earning over $850 million globally – their performance declined, with the sequel falling short of $500 million. Other spin-offs in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe haven’t fared much better, and Madame Web barely reached $100 million. Madame Web especially felt like a last-ditch effort, going so far as to show the story of Peter Parker’s birth. Ultimately, though, it just highlighted how much these films lacked a strong connection to the core Spider-Man story.

The recent “King in Black” storyline in Marvel comics demonstrated that the issues extend beyond just Spider-Man’s presence. What makes the Marvel Cinematic Universe so successful is its ability to combine seemingly unrelated characters and storylines – like when Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man teamed up in The Avengers back in 2012. Sony hasn’t been able to achieve that same level of integration, even when trying to connect their Spider-Man films to the MCU through multiverse storylines.

It’s understandable why Sony tried to create a shared universe like Marvel’s, but they didn’t have enough established characters to make it work. Villains like Knull felt diminished compared to their comic book origins because they lacked the broader context they needed. Ultimately, it wasn’t surprising when Sony’s Spider-Man Universe didn’t succeed – it was a difficult project from the start. While Sony is still making Spider-Man related movies, like the upcoming Spider-Man Noir, the idea of a large, connected universe seems to be abandoned.

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2025-12-05 19:46