Sony Pictures' Sinister Six movie, which had been scheduled for release between The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and The Amazing Spider-Man 3, was shelved when Sony Pictures agreed to share the web-slinger with Marvel Studios.
The Cabin in the Woods director Drew Goddard was tapped to write and direct the movie revolving around Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker. He'd have been forced to become the team's sixth member after being coerced into joining their ranks by a resurrected Norman Osborn (The Amazing Spider-Man 2 cut a scene where his severed head was put on ice).
The story was going to take place in a Savage Land-like location, with the web-slinger battling the villainous team as they set out to find Pandora's Box. Could that be what we're looking at here?
Concept artist Victor Martinez has shared another of his pieces for the unmade movie, showing the web-slinger hanging out in front of a mysterious glowing device in a secret underground laboratory with spider-inspired imagery on the roof. Whether that was tied to the plot or just a fun visual reference isn't clear.
The Sony Hack revealed several intriguing details, including the fact that the roster considered Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Kraven the Hunter, Vulture, Rhino, Mysterio, Sandman, Scorpia, Black Cat, Venom, and Electro as potential members. It seems Brian Michael Bendis' Ultimate Six was a key source of inspiration for Sinister Six, but fans responded poorly to the details in those leaked emails.
"I had a big Spider-Man movie about the Sinister Six go down because of the Sony hack," Goddard previously said. "My office was right on the lot, and I saw the FBI swarm in and the helicopters fly over the studio."
"I was sad about it, but there was literally nothing I could do to change the course of events," he added. "I suppose it was better than if they hadn’t liked the script."
After movies like Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter bombed, Sony has put its live-action Spider-Verse plans on hold. The studio was mulling over a reboot, but currently appears focused on the Spider-Man franchise led by Tom Holland—no great shock when Spider-Man: Brand New Day is still breaking box office records.
Take a closer look at this newly revealed Sinister Six concept art in the player below.