
Sony’s attempt to create its own Spider-Man universe outside of Marvel has, to put it bluntly, been a rocky road. From the high point of Spider-Man 2 (2004), which remains one of the greatest superhero films ever made, to the uninspiring Kraven the Hunter in 2024, it’s been a tale of squandered potential. While Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage have gained a sort of cult following for their chaotic fun, the rest of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU), which has been missing the titular hero, has largely been forgettable — even downright painful to watch.
After The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in 2014, which was a financial success but critically weak, Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige helped broker a deal that saw Tom Holland’s Spider-Man appear in the MCU. Sony, while maintaining the rights to the character, got a taste of the success that comes from working with Marvel. Since then, Sony has attempted to capitalize on its remaining Spider-Man-related properties, but with diminishing returns.
With 2024’s Kraven the Hunter underperforming at the box office, alongside the disappointment of Madame Web, speculation is rising that Sony might be looking to ditch their Spider-Man properties and hand them back to Marvel Studios. But, despite the rumors, there is no official confirmation of such a deal. It’s not something that’s happening anytime soon, and the notion remains mostly speculative. While it’s true that the SSU is currently underperforming, Sony has not officially killed it off. In fact, they are focusing on Spider-Man 4 as the next big opportunity, where they know the money and success will come from. There’s also a Spider-Man Noir series starring Nicolas Cage slated for 2025, possibly indicating a pivot to the small screen.
Even though Kraven flopped, Spider-Man’s enduring popularity as both a character and a multiversal brand makes him a valuable asset for Sony. Despite its struggles with standalone films, Sony is likely not ready to give up the Spider-Man rights, as the character continues to bring in massive amounts of cash, especially with his MCU involvement. While fans may dream of Marvel taking full control, it seems more likely that Sony will continue to pursue Spider-Man-related projects in some form, hoping to recapture that magic.
In short, while Sony might be facing challenges with its current Spider-Man universe, it’s not ready to give up on Spidey just yet. Whether or not they’ll pivot or keep making misfires is a big question, but one thing’s for sure: they’ve got a lot of responsibility to handle.