Sony’s New Spider-Man Spinoff Makes Morbius And Madame Web Even Worse

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Beyond the main Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sony’s Spider-Man films have often been disappointing. While the Spider-Man world offers tons of interesting characters and villains, the movies haven’t usually lived up to their potential. However, Sony finally released a well-received spin-off film, Spider-Noir, in 2026. Ironically, its success only highlights how much previous films like Morbius and Madame Web fell short.

Although the Venom movies did reasonably well at the box office and gained a following despite their issues, Sony’s other attempts to launch live-action Spider-Man spin-off films haven’t been successful. Movies like Morbius and Madame Web were quickly criticized, and Kraven the Hunter had difficulty attracting an audience, raising doubts about the future of Sony’s Spider-Man universe.

The problems with these films aren’t really about the characters themselves, but more about how poorly Sony handled them. It really highlights how out of touch they seem to be with what audiences want from a superhero movie. This makes Prime Video’s Spider-Noir a welcome surprise. Sony has finally created a live-action Spider-Man spin-off that both critics and fans generally enjoy, leaving many to wonder why it took them so long to get it right.

Finally, Sony Has Made A Good Live-Action Spider-Man Spin-Off

From the start, it’s clear that Spider-Noir works so well because it goes all in, without reservation.

The latest Marvel series fully commits to being a detective story in the style of classic film noir, set in a visually striking 1930s New York. Every aspect, from how it’s filmed to the way characters speak and the overall mood, is carefully designed to create that atmosphere, and it’s presented in both black-and-white and color. Both versions are effective, but the black-and-white really makes the show stand out as something special and different within the superhero landscape.

Nicolas Cage was perfectly cast as Spider-Noir after originally voicing the character in the animated Spider-Verse movies. The filmmakers gave him the freedom to deliver a uniquely Nicolas Cage performance, creating a truly memorable and delightfully quirky live-action Spider-Man.

I’m totally hooked on Ben Reilly as played by Cage! He’s just so good at portraying this really cynical, sarcastic guy. It’s fascinating watching him try to be a regular private investigator while constantly fighting those Spider-Man impulses. The backstory about him retiring after a devastating loss is heartbreaking, but seeing him step up again? It’s amazing. Every episode just pulls you in!

Perhaps even more importantly, these Spider-Man films aren’t tied to any existing franchises or previous iterations. For example, Nicolas Cage’s live-action Spider-Noir is completely separate from his animated version in the Spider-Verse movies. The main goal was simply to create a strong, standalone story centered around a Spider-Man hero. While interconnected universes can work well, Sony hadn’t demonstrated the ability to create one effectively. It might seem basic, but focusing on a good story first is something Sony had struggled with for a long time – until now.

Why Did It Take So Long To Get Something Like Spider-Noir?

As a huge Spider-Man fan, I think Spider-Noir totally proves we don’t need Peter Parker in every story to get something amazing. It shows that audiences are up for following characters we don’t know as well, as long as the movie has a really strong and unique creative vision. Honestly, it’s proof that Spider-Man spin-offs can work, and work well!

So why did it take so many years to get to something like Spider-Noir?

Sony’s recent superhero movies haven’t quite hit the mark, and a big part of the issue seems to be a hesitation to fully commit to the core identities of these characters. For example, Morbius tried too hard to make Michael Morbius into someone he wasn’t in the comics. Madame Web felt directionless and unsure of its own story. And while Kraven the Hunter showed some promise, it never quite settled on whether Kraven was a villain, a conflicted antihero, or a true hero.

The Venom movies got closer than most to hitting the right formula for success. Tom Hardy’s dedication to the role was really what made those films work, even with all their problems. The relationship between Eddie Brock and Venom was fun to watch, which kept people interested – for a while, at least. However, even with Hardy’s strong performance, the series never quite lived up to its potential.

Spider-Noir fully commits to its gritty, dark portrayal of 1930s New York, and doesn’t hold back. This dedication is what makes earlier films like Morbius and Madame Web seem even less impressive by comparison. The issue wasn’t the characters themselves, but rather the lack of genuine effort and commitment to bringing them to life.

Let’s hope Sony builds on this recent success, particularly as they reportedly plan to start a fresh Spider-Man universe from scratch.

All episodes of Spider-Noir are now streaming on MGM+ and Prime Video.

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2026-05-30 06:50