In the late 2010s, when the heyday for superhero movies was at its peak, Sony attempted to capitalize on the genre’s popularity in a rather curious way. While the latest live-action version of Spider-Man became part of Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sony launched its own franchise, which would go on to be dubbed Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. Despite bearing the web head’s name, the franchise did not feature Spider-Man in a meaningful capacity. Instead, the films made Spider-Man adjacent characters like Venom and Kraven the Hunter the stars of the show — to decidedly mixed results. After Kraven the Hunter bombed in 2024, Sony put future Spider-Man spinoffs on hold, but the studio hasn’t given up on the IP just yet.
During an appearance on the podcast The Town, Sony CEO Tom Rothman addressed the future of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. He was asked if the studio would “go back” to “the larger Spider-Verse” at some point, and he said yes. Rothman then confirmed that it would be a full reboot that wipes the slate clean with an all-new cast. He didn’t provide many details beyond that.
Spider-Noir Could Pave the Way Forward for Sony’s Spider-Man Universe
It isn’t surprising to hear Sony intends to hit the reset button on its Marvel movies. Of the six films that made up Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, only the Venom trilogy achieved any modicum of box office success — and it’s not as if those movies were critical darlings (as was the case with every SSU film). Hampered by mixed reviews, each Venom installment earned less than its predecessor, making the trilogy a case of diminishing returns. Mobius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter are among the most infamous box office bombs of the 2020s; Kraven the Hunter set a new low for the SSU with just $61.9 million worldwide. Morbius and Madame Web couldn’t even top $200 million globally.
With that kind of reception, a hard reboot is the only route Sony could logically take. Fortunately, there are signs suggesting the studio is close to turning things around on the SSU front. This year sees the release of the live-action TV series Spider-Noir, which stars Nicolas Cage as a variant of Ben Reilly. Thanks to its distinct storytelling approach and style (which takes cues from film noir classics of yesteryear), Spider-Noir has the potential to be Marvel’s most exciting TV show this year. The trailer seemingly set the stage for something special, showcasing how the project injects some fresh energy into the superhero genre.
This could be the path forward for the SSU. Rather than tell stories about characters best known as Spider-Man villains, Sony could rejuvenate its franchise with a series of stories that revolve around different variants of Spider-Man. This would be a way to amend perhaps the biggest error of the first wave of films (not featuring Spider-Man) while differentiating from the ongoing tale of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker in the MCU. As evidenced by the animated Spider-Verse films, there’s no shortage of Spidey iterations to choose from, and the Spider-Man brand is so popular that any of them could feasibly carry a project.
In order for that to fully work, Sony will have needed to learn the right lessons from Spider-Noir. Audiences are responding positively to early marketing materials because it feels unique and fresh, standing out from the bevy of superhero films and shows coming out. The trick is to find the approach that best fits each Spider-Man variant and craft something that embodies those sensibilities. The old-school noir feel of Spider-Noir is perfect for that particular project; something like a Spider-Punk movie could benefit from an energetic, rebellious style that encapsulates the punk rock movement. It’ll be interesting to see what Sony does, but it sounds like the SSU reboot is in the earliest stages of development, so it’ll probably be a while before any plans are formally revealed.
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