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.

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.”
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.

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.

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.