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Another year, another cinematic universe’s death. Just 12 months after Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom put the final nail in the coffin of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), Kraven the Hunter, one of 2024’s final new movies, is set to do the same to the Sony Spider-Man Universe (SSU).
Indeed, a new report from The Wrap, with input from Sony Pictures insiders, all but confirms the SSU, which was previously – and confusingly – called the Sony Pictures Universal of Marvel Characters (SPUMC), is being axed less than a decade after it began.
Frankly, nobody should be surprised by this development. Sony might have lucked out with the release of Venom, the 2018 Tom Hardy-starring Spidey spin-off that, despite middling reviews from critics, stunned industry experts with its $856 million box office haul. Even back then, though, it was clear that the SSU was never going to be able sustain that success because of the humungous elephant – or should that be spider? – in the room.
Yep, the absolutely bizarre decision not to include a single live-action version of Spider-Man – Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, or current incumbent Tom Holland – in any of the SSU’s six movies was a huge mistake. You can’t attempt to replicate the success and popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) by building a franchise without the one individual capable of holding it all together. Warner Bros. wouldn’t create a Batman cinematic universe that the Dark Knight never appears in, is only referenced once or twice per movie, and where projects are based around his iconic rogues gallery whose origin stories have to undergo significant changes to work around the Caped Crusader’s absence. It would be an impossible task, and one I and many other Batman fans would struggle to comprehend.
So, why did Sony pursue a Spider-Man-less cinematic franchise? The short answer is it wanted a slice of the superhero genre juggernaut pie. The company’s multimedia division saw the kind of money that the MCU and, at the time, the DCEU was raking in, and thought it could create a similarly money-spinning franchise. Unfortunately for Sony, Venom proved to be an outlier. Sure, it made tons of money, but the diminishing returns of its sequels and other SSU films – Kraven is projected to make a paltry $13 million to $15 million (per Variety) at the US box office – prove that audiences have grown tired of not only a franchise lacking its primary superhero, but also one whose genre identity was as clear as mud.
The much longer answer lies in Sony’s decision to agree to an Avengers-style team-up with Marvel Studios and allow Spider-Man to finally swing into the MCU. Following his debut as the iconic webslinger in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, Holland’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man has become one of the MCU’s crown jewels. Just look at the $4 billion-plus global takings that Holland’s three standalone MCU movies have jointly accumulated and you’ll realize how popular Holland’s take on the legendary superhero is.
Okay, 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home was aided by a huge helping of nostalgia, but it’s still a film led by an actor who’s become a bona fide A-lister over the past eight years. Some of Holland’s non-Marvel projects, such as Apple TV Plus‘ Cherry and The Crowded Room, and Sony’s film adaptation of Naughty Dog’s videogame series Uncharted, weren’t popular with critics. Audiences, though, were immediately drawn to them because of Holland’s involvement, so his star power can’t be overlooked.
The SSU’s biggest problem, then, existed long before it started. Sony couldn’t make its own cinematic franchise with Holland’s Spider-Man because he exists in another one, aka the MCU.
Sure, the ongoing Marvel Multiverse Saga is breaking down the barriers between cinematic universes based around Marvel Comics’ ever-expanding roster of heroes and villains. That, though, hasn’t helped Sony’s cause because, well, the SSU began before the Multiverse Saga did. Besides the odd reference in Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Morbius, Sony hasn’t made a concerted effort to aid any crossover event by refusing to acknowledge the existence of Holland’s Spider-Man, either.
Sony can claim Spider-Man wouldn’t exist in the MCU without its partnership with Marvel and that, because it retains the rights to the webhead, his legion of associated characters, and movie distribution rights, it still holds the cards from a negotiating perspective. But, let’s be honest: people watch Spider-Man movies because a) he’s one of the most popular superheroes of all-time and b) he’s currently part of the biggest shared cinematic universe to ever exist. Sorry, Sony, but neither of those have got anything to do with you.
So, what’s the solution? Just as Spider-Man: No Way Home , aka one of the best Marvel movies and best superhero movies, initiated a hard reset for its eponymous hero in the MCU, the SSU requires a reboot not dissimilar from it or James Gunn’s reborn DC Cinematic Universe (DCU).
For me, there are two ways Sony can go about resuscitating its cinematic franchise. The first and most simple option is to just keep making Spider-Man projects that aren’t tethered to any of their counterparts. Right now, there are three such productions in active development: number one, Spider-Man 4, i.e. the wallcrawler’s next MCU adventure that’ll be part of the Marvel Phase 6 line-up. Number two, the Nic Cage-starring Spider-Man Noir TV show that’ll be released on Prime Video. And, number three, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, the third and final Spider-Verse flick that’ll wrap up Miles Morales and Spider-Gwen’s story in the multi-award-winning animated film series. Maintain that separation, continually remind audiences that they’re not connected in any way, and people will check them out.
The other, perhaps more complicated solution is to bring back one of Spidey’s former live-action stars in Maguire or Garfield, or restart a live-action Spider-Man universe with someone like Miles Morales at its heart. Indeed, complexities could arise in trying to convince Maguire or Garfield to return for a multi-movie deal when the former largely keeps a low profile these days, while the latter is enjoying success with non-superhero projects. Where Miles is concerned, Sony would need to convince fans that this iteration isn’t the same one who starred in the Spider-Verse films, too, which would lead to viewer confusion if it isn’t explained effectively.
Sony would need to ensure a related issue doesn’t emerge if it brings Maguire or Garfield back. Audiences may wonder if future films starring one of them are continuations of their Spider-Man movie franchises. If Sony only performs a soft reboot of the SSU, it runs the risk of creating confusion if any of its previous SSU movies, such as Venom are deemed canon in any new-look franchise. The DCU has already puzzled some viewers with such a scenario – Creature Commandos, the first DCU Chapter One project, including references to the DCEU’s The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker.
I love Spider-Man. He’s my all-time favorite superhero and, while I’m delighted he’s a part of the MCU, it’s been incredibly frustrating to see his legacy damaged by Sony’s hackneyed approach to his illustrious rogues gallery. If – and it’s a huge if – Sony revives the SSU after a lengthy hiatus, I really do hope that it does justice to the infamous wallcrawler. After all, “with great power, comes great responsibility”.