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At one time, it seemed as though as Peter Parker (Tom Holland) would find himself ejected from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The relationship between Disney — Marvel Studios’ corporate owner — and Sony soured in the early summer of 2019, and the success of Venom and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse seemed to indicate Sony could invent its own cinematic universe to rival that of Marvel. In fact, the studio always looked at the MCU as something to emulate.
Once again confident in those ideas, they forged ahead the early 2020s developing projects for something they called (for a brief moment, anyway) the “Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters.” At the same time, the relationship with Disney was repaired (reportedly at Holland’s behest) and despite the third MCU Spider-Man film receiving a No Way Home subtitle, the character remained firmly in that universe by the movie’s conclusion.
Nevertheless, Sony continues its plans with a full film roster in what is now called Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. And although the live-action version of the title character is still a universe or two away, the studio is deep into making his friends and foes movies stars in their own rights. So let’s take a look at all the films the studio has announced — and a few they’re developing — in their bid to create their own connected universe.
Kraven the Hunter
Release Date: October 6, 2023
What We Know: Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars as Sergei Kravinoff. Presumably, the film will chart his rise from the scion of deposed Russian aristocracy to a big game hunter who eventually sets his sights on Spider-Man. That said, Taylor-Johnson referred to the character as an “animal lover and a protector of the natural world.” The movie also stars Russell Crowe as Kraven’s father, Fred Hechinger as Chameleon, Ariana DeBose as Calypso, Alessandro Nivola as Rhino, Christopher Abbott as the unnamed primary antagonist, and Levi Miller in an undisclosed role. Production took place across 2022. J. C. Chandor directs from a screenplay by Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, and Richard Wenk. According to reporters who saw scenes from the film — including a moment in which Kraven bites the nose off of a poacher — and its first trailer at the 2023 Cinemacon, the film will be a violent, R-rated affair. We also expect Kraven will be the next person Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton) contacts to join his gang. Well, provided that Morbius stinger scene ever amounts to anything more.
Madame Web
Release Date: February 16, 2024
What We Know: In Marvel Comics lore, Madame Web is a mutant with precognitive abilities who guides Spider-Man on various occasions. In the 1990s Spider-Man: The Animated Series, she superficially sought to train him for a battle spanning the Multiverse. But for Sony’s feature film, Dakota Johnson will star as Cassandra Webb, a woman on her way to becoming the title character. Whether or not her film will ultimately tie into Sony’s plans for Spider-Man remains to be seen, though. Tahar Rahim, Celeste O’Connor, Isabela Merced, Emma Roberts, Mike Epps, Adam Scott and Zosia Mamet also star. Euphoria’s Sydney Sweeney will appear as Spider-Woman Julia Carpenter. Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama provide the script while S.J. Clarkson directs. Production occurred from summer of 2022 to the earlier parts of 2023, necessitating a delay in the film’s release to early 2024.
El Muerto
Release Date: January 24, 2024
What We Know: Announced at the 2022 CinemaCon, musician Bad Bunny is set to star as El Muerto, a more obscure ally of Spider-Man introduced in 2006, although reports suggest he will be more of an anti-hero in the film. The plot will reportedly see the mystically super-powered luchador on the verge of receiving his abilities and family legacy. If it’s anything like his one Spider-Man comic book story, it will involve unmasking another wrestler or hero. In October of 2022, Jonás Cuarón and Garreth Dunnet-Alcocer signed on as director and writer, respectively, but despite a scheduled release date, the project has been in a reported standstill at least as of March 2023 without a single moment shot.
Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse
Release Date: March 29, 2024
What We Know: Originally slated to be “Part 2” of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the film will pick up from its predecessor’s cliffhanger ending while taking Miles (Shameik Moore), Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), and others presumably beyond what they know of reality and comic book canon. Could it be the Marvel Cinematic Universe or some other live-action sphere? It remains to be seen. Executive producers Christopher Miller and Phil Lord remain on board as writers, alongside David Callaham. It’s probably safe to assume the trio of Across the Spider-Verse directors remain as well, but the subtitle, revealed at April 2022’s CinemaCon, may indicate changes in the production staff.
Venom 3
Release Date: TBD
What We Know: Announced at the 2022 CinemaCon, the film will likely see Eddie and Venom (both Tom Hardy) continuing to flee from the events of Venom: Let There Be Carnage even as the symbiote still yearns to be the Lethal Protector. Considering the duo’s brief appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home, though, they may find themselves in a whole new universe and status quo. Will it include the Vulture and his scheme to get Spider-Man? Kelly Marcel, a producer and writer on the first two films, may have some ideas, as she signed on to direct the sequel in October of 2022. She also wrote the project based on a story credited to her and Hardy. Filming is expected to begin soon with both Juno Temple and Chiwetel Ejiofor joining the production in April and May of 2023, respectively.
Spider-Women
Release Date: TBD
What We Know: Announced by Spider-Man producer Amy Pascal in the wake of the first trailer for Across the Spider-Verse, this animated film will follow Gwen and Jessica as they meet yet more women with spider-like powers and costumed identities, including a version of Silk. The script comes courtesy of Bek Smith while Voltron: Legendary Defender’s Lauren Montgomery will reportedly direct. Little had been said about the project in some time, until Pascal apparently confirmed it’s still happening — along with a few other notable titles, covered below — in an interview with Variety after the release of Across the Spider-Verse.
Untitled Olivia Wilde Project
Release Date: TBD
What We Know: Olivia Wilde is slated to direct a Sony Spider-Man Universe film. She will also co-write the film with Katie Silberman. It is widely believed the movie will center on the Jessica Drew Spider-Woman, but this has never been confirmed. If it turns out to be true, it is also unclear if this will be the Issa Rae version from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse or a new take set in another of the SSU’s multiverse.
Jackpot
Release Date: TBD
What We Know: In 2020, word broke indicating former Arrow executive producer Marc Guggenheim was writing a script based on the Jackpot character — an ally of Spider-Man he previously wrote in a Jackpot one-shot comic book. Jackpot is actually two characters – the first a woman with super-strength who eventually licenses her costume identity to the second Jackpot, who uses various drugs to develop a similar powerset. Both have red hair, leading to speculation in their early appearances that they might be Mary Jane in a supersuit; this was eventually proven false. The initial reports about the movie indicated Guggenheim had been working on the script since 2018, but little has been revealed about it since.
Untitled Roberto Orci Project
Release Date: TBD
What We Know: Reports from March of 2020 suggested the Star Trek (2009) co-writer is developing a film set inside the SSU, but featuring a character further afield from Spider-Man. Little has been heard about it since the pandemic began, though, so it is difficult to say if it is still on Sony’s project board.
Untitled Hypno-Hustler Project
Release Date: TBD
What We Know: In December 2022, reports indicating Donald Glover — the occasional live-action version of Miles Morales’s uncle Aaron — will star in and produce a film based on the obscure Spider-Man foe the Hypno-Hustler. Debuting in 1978, the character was a musician who also used hypnosis to rob his fans. Myles Murphy will reportedly write the film, should it move forward.
Silk: Spider-Society (TV series)
Release Date: TBD
What We Know: The Sony Spider-Man Universe extends into television with Silk, a series based on the Spider-Man character who occasionally stars in her own self-titled comic book. As another person bit by a radioactive spider, Cindy Moon spent many years confined to a cell. Breaking out, she seeks to find her family. The Walking Dead‘s Angela Kang is developing the program and will serve as showrunner with Pascal and Spider-Verse executive producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller also on board. The program’s subtitle suggests this version of Silk will spinoff from Across the Spider-Verse and its sequel, but it is unclear if this Silk will be the same one to be featured in Spider-Women. Either way, the program will run on Amazon’s Prime Video and the MGM+ linear channel.
Spider-Man Noir (TV series)
Release Date: TBD
What We Know: Pascal, Lord, and Miller are also expected to serve as executive producers of a series based on Spider-Man Noir, the character voiced by Nicolas Cage in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The live-action program is being developed by Oren Uziel, but it is reportedly on hold pending the conclusion of the Writers Guild of America strike.
The Sinister Six
Release Date: TBD
What We Know: The Sinister Six is the film Sony has wanted to make since The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Back before Spider-Man: Homecoming, it was meant to bring together the six greatest foes of Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man. Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods) was said to be writing and directing the film back in 2013 – just before the Amazing sequel tanked Sony’s initial plans for a shared Spider-Man universe – and Pascal has since said she would like him to return for the revived project. No official word has emerged, but the whole point of Vulture’s cameo in Morbius was to lead in this direction. Presumably, the eventual film will see Vulture, Venom, Morbius (Jared Leto), Kraven and two other villains in an uneasy alliance against the web-slinger.
Fourth Tom Holland Spider-Man Project
Release Date: TBD
What We Know: Marvel head Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal indicated as early as late 2021, when Spider-Man: No Way Home debuted, that a fourth film was indeed on the way, with Pascal going so far as to claim that a whole second trilogy was in the works (Sony Pictures CEO later disputed that). More recently, in the same post-Across the Spider-Verse Variety interview when Amy Pascal confirmed we’ll be getting an animated Spider-Women (or Spider-Woman) movie, she also noted that a fourth Tom Holland/Zendaya Spider-Man movie is coming, plainly stating, “Are we going to make another movie? Of course, we are.” Pascal continues on to say that the writers’ strike put a halt to development on the film, and that the process will continue once negotiations are over.
Live-Action Miles Morales Project
Release Date: TBD
What We Know: And finally, Pascal’s Variety interview also revealed that Sony has plans for a live-action Miles Morales movie, though we know almost nothing beyond that. When asked about the film, Pascal simply said, “You’ll see all of it. It’s all happening.” Not exactly rock-solid evidence of the film’s existence, but with the runaway success of the Spider-Verse films, it wouldn’t surprise us to see the studio attempt to bring the character to live-action.
By Erik Amaya
