With the Marvel Studios-produced Spider-Man movies swinging to critical acclaim and commercial success, Sony Pictures decided to take advantage of their momentum by launching various "spin-offs."
Separate but still oddly connected to the MCU's wall-crawler—hence Venom's pointless trip to Earth-616 and back—the movies were, outside of Venom, box office flops. They were also torn apart by fans and critics alike, often feeling like leftover bad superhero titles from the mid-2000s.
According to Sony Pictures CEO Tom Rothman, the plan now is to reboot the studio's live-action Spider-Verse content, with a fresh creative team. That's come as a relief to fans, but what does Sony need to do to make these future titles work? We have some ideas.
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6. Get Marvel Studios Involved
In 2015, Sony Pictures agreed to allow Marvel Studios to produce its Spider-Man movies. Disney would get a small percentage of the profits, while Kevin Feige could finally have Peter Parker assemble alongside his fellow Avengers.
Homecoming, Far From Home, and No Way Home were critical and commercial successes, and crucially, loved by fans. Despite that, Sony forged ahead with its own spin-offs, all of which have been mostly reviled by those same fans.
Given how much money was lost on flops like Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter, it wouldn't hurt Sony to give Marvel a cut of the Spider-Verse's profits if the quality increases. On Marvel Studios' side, it means more of these characters can be seeded throughout the MCU.
5. These Movies Need A Spider-Man (Spider-Men?)
Spider-Man's absence has been the fundamental problem with all these movies. Venom doesn't work as well when he's not fueled by vengeance and attempting to be a better hero than Peter Parker by becoming a Lethal Protector.
Morbius can't be a heroic vampire without first learning the error of his ways from Peter Parker. Madame Web is only interesting when she's a supporting character in Spider-Man's world. And nobody wants to see Kraven the Hunter do anything other than fight the wall-crawler.
For better or worse, the comics feature countless Spider-Man Variants. Whether it's another version of Peter Parker, Miles Morales, Miguel O'Hara, or clones like Ben Reilly and Kaine, there's no excuse for Sony's Spider-Verse to be lacking a Spidey of its own.
4. No More Avi Arad
Avi Arad might be the worst thing to ever happen to comic book movies. Oh, he'll take credit for founding Marvel Studios, and we'll give him props for the small role he played in helping make movies like Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk a reality.
The truth of the matter, though, is that he was there to make sure Marvel Entertainment sold toys and, in reality, he had little faith in what would one day become the MCU. Eventually, he took charge of The Amazing Spider-Man franchise and turned it into a convoluted disaster.
Arad seems to have little interest in adhering to the comics. He also appears to lack any real understanding of what makes Spider-Man tick or how these characters around him should be portrayed on screen. Moving on from him will benefit this franchise massively.
3. Stick MUCH Closer To The Comics
Even if, for some reason, Spider-Man remains off-limits to Sony's "spin-off" movies, there are some characters who can work without him...so long as the studio starts taking its cues from the comics instead of clueless executives like Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach.
Why not tell a Venom story that picks up with him years after he first battled Spider-Man? Or a body-horror Lizard movie, that finds Curt Connors taking refuge in the swamps and trying to regain his humanity after crossing paths with the web-slinger off-screen?
Even beyond that, by staying true to who characters like Man-Wolf, Carnage, and Cardiac are on the page, Sony will find greater success. Doing its own thing hasn't worked out. Madame Web is a prime example of what a disaster it is when the studio tries to create its own mythology.
2. Figure Out A Plan...And Stick To It
Not everything needs to take place in a shared world, but that would have benefited Sony's failed Spider-Verse. Instead, Sony decided to connect these movies with the MCU, whether it was Venom's random Spider-Man: No Way Home cameo or Morbius's meeting with The Vulture.
Those were nonsensical and didn't work; Avi Arad's fingerprints were all over it, as these instances were very much like what we saw from The Amazing Spider-Man 2's disastrous attempt to expand that franchise.
Moving forward, we'd like to see these movies build to something, whether it is a new take on the Sinister Six or an eventual clash with a Spider-Man Variant. Ultimately, a long-term plan is needed, even if it's to produce a slate of fully standalone Marvel stories.
1. Stop Making Villains The Hero Of Their Stories
While villains typically see themselves as the heroes of their own stories, that doesn't necessarily translate well to the screen. That was evident from Venom, Morbius, and Kraven the Hunter; while Eddie Brock just about works as an anti-hero, villain-led movies aren't the way.
Madame Web had the right idea, but dropped the ball by keeping Spider-Woman, Spider-Girl, and Araña in their civvies. It's baffling that Sony would choose to focus on Kraven when they have access to Spider-Man 2099, Prowler, Silver Sable, Miles Morales, and countless others.
If Spider-Noir is a hit on Prime Video this May, it should help point the studio in the right direction. And if we're talking about a creative team to oversee the whole thing, why not Spider-Verse masterminds Phil Lord and Christopher Miller?