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Sony Could Have Had Spider-Man Appear In Its Villain Films But Chose Not To

Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, known for its spin-off films like Venom, Morbius, and Kraven the Hunter, may be nearing a crossroads. Despite the mixed reception and underwhelming box office performance of recent projects, the studio remains committed to developing Marvel films. However, a new report sheds light on a significant factor in Sony’s struggles: the absence of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in its live-action universe, despite the potential to include him.

Sony Could Have Had Spider-Man Appear In Its Villain Films But Chose Not To

Per Variety, Sony’s deal with Disney and Marvel Studios did not prevent the studio from featuring Holland’s Peter Parker in their Spider-Man spin-offs. The full statement is as follows: “According to one Sony source, the deal with Disney never precluded Sony from using Spider-Man in its movies that didn’t bear his name; the “Spider-Verse” movies’ profusion of Peter Parkers, Gwen Stacys and other various Spider-People certainly bears that out. But there was a feeling within the studio that audiences would not accept Holland’s Spidey suddenly popping up in a live-action film that wasn’t a part of the MCU, especially after Spider-Man: No Way Home and the Marvel Studios projects Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness established definitive boundaries to the Marvel multiverse.”

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Sony instead chose to focus on Spider-Man’s rogues’ gallery, starting with the success of 2018’s Venom. While that film proved a financial success, subsequent entries like Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter failed to replicate its success. “Unfortunately for Sony, they had a taste of success with Venom, and that kind of spoiled everything for them, because they thought they could just spin off all of these characters… To not have Spider-Man in these films was the fatal flaw,” said analyst Jeff Bock.

Sony Could Have Had Spider-Man Appear In Its Villain Films But Chose Not To

Interestingly, Sony has enjoyed significant success with its animated Spider-Verse films, which embrace the multiverse concept and feature alternate versions of Spider-Man, Gwen Stacy, and other Spider-People. This success highlights an opportunity for Sony to create its own live-action Peter Parker, Miles Morales, or Gwen Stacy, independent of the MCU. Such an approach would allow the studio to reintroduce Spider-Man into its live-action films while maintaining continuity with Holland’s MCU appearances.

This strategy could also pave the way for a massive crossover event, uniting Sony’s Spider-Man with Holland’s version. The success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, which featured multiple Spider-Men, proved that audiences are eager for such cinematic spectacles. A crossover event could surpass the box office draw of standalone spin-offs like Madame Web or Kraven the Hunter.

Sony Could Have Had Spider-Man Appear In Its Villain Films But Chose Not To

While Kraven the Hunter has struggled critically, debuting with a low Rotten Tomatoes score and lackluster reviews, Sony’s animated Spider-Verse series remains a bright spot. The franchise, which includes Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, has been critically acclaimed and financially successful. Fans eagerly await the third instalment, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, though its release has been delayed indefinitely.

Sony’s path forward may involve leveraging the multiverse concept to introduce new Spider-People and revitalise its live-action films. By balancing original storytelling with connections to the larger Spider-Man mythos, the studio has the potential to create films that resonate with fans.