Sony’s Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse is the latest release of their, various Spider-Man-themed properties. The movie is quite possibly one of the best comic book and Spider-Man movies ever! However, despite the success of Sony’s Spider-Verse movies, its other Spider-Man properties are struggling to be in any way successful. But now, with a new announcement of even more Spider-Man properties coming to live-action, Sony needs to take a page out to James Gunn’s DCU plans.
Amy Pascal Confirms New Live-Action Spider-Man Movies
Image via Marvel Comics.
At the premiere of Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, producer Amy Pascal confirmed the development of additional Spider-Man properties into live-action. Pascal confirms that a live-action Miles Morales and Spider-Woman movie is in the works. But neither Pascal nor producer Avi Arad mentioned if the Spider-Woman or Miles Morales movies will be a continuation of Sony’s Spider-Verse movies or standalone reboots with those characters. Previously, Sony’s other Spider-Man-related properties included the two Venom movies, which earned quite respectably at the Box Office, along with Morbius, which did not. Venom has been so successful that there is a third film in development, and the movie was also referenced in an easter egg in Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse. The less said about Morbius, the better.
There Are More Of Sony’s Spider-Verse Movies In Live-Action Coming Up
Image via Marvel Comics.
Along with those iffy standalone villain movies, some other Spider-Man-related properties are also coming up from Sony. Currently, there is the Kraven The Hunter movie with Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the titular role. As well as a Madame Web movie starring Dakota Johnson as the spider-adjacent psychic character from the comics. We recently also got confirmation that Sidney Sweeney will play Spider-Woman in the Madam Webb movie. This is the Julia Carpenter version of the character from Marvel Comics, not the Jessica Drew version we saw in Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse voiced by Issa Rae. It’s unsure which Spider-Woman the above-mentioned standalone movie will feature.
How Will A Live-Action Miles Morales Fit Into This Spider-Man Universe
Image via Sony PIctures.
What’s more interesting is that none of Sony’s existing Spider-Man properties are interconnected. Venom and Morris exist weirdly independently of one another, despite sharing mentions and easter eggs. Venom was partially brought into the MCU with the Marvel Studios’ collaboration in Spider-Man: No Way Home. And we’re still unsure if the Kraven and Madame Web movies will interconnect.
So if Miles Morales does come into live-action, along with Spider-Woman, it will be the first Spider-themed hero movie coming from Sony independent of the Tom Holland Spider-Man movies which are shared with Marvel Studios. So how will it all work? How will Miles exist in a universe where we already have a live-action Peter Parker struggling to reconcile his personal life with his superhero adventures, without it feeling repetitive? I have thoughts.
Sony’s Spider-Verse Movies Need To Look To James Gunn’s DCU
Image via Warner Bros.
Miles and Peter can both coexist in Sony’s Spider-Verse movies’ universe. Especially given that the DCU is going to do something similar with Batman. In James Gunn’s new DCU, there will be an Elseworlds version of Batman played by Robert Pattinson in The Batman. This franchise will focus on a younger Batman learning to be a crime fighter. But Gunn has also announced The Brave And The Bold which will be in-canon and see a much older and experienced Batman, learning to be a father to his son as Robin. Given that the DCU can feature two versions of the same character, so can Sony’s Spider-Verse movies.
Leaving Tom Holland’s Spider-Man movies out of it, given that they are clearly in the MCU, Sony can retroactively create their own shared universe of Spider-Man characters. Since they’ve already set up a universe with multiple Spider-villains who all have origin stories independent of Spider-Man, it wouldn’t be difficult to make them the villains as a continuation to their previous Andrew Garfield Spider-Man franchise. To start with, anyways.
Sony’s Spider-Verse Movies Need To Focus On Miles
Image via Sony PIctures.
Miles Morales’ Spider-Man franchise could be the brand new universe where we see a younger Spider-Man build his own career as the prime Spider-Man of this universe. Along with his own villains, conflicts both internal and external and side characters who could then spin-off into their own adventure. Potentially. Essentially a brand new rebooted Spider-Man franchise, similar to Maguire’s and Garfield’s. This way Sony gets to do with a new Spider-Man what the MCU has done with Holland’s Spider-Man movies.
While the way to unite all these separate, seemingly standalone villain movies, would be to bring back an older Spider-Man who has to team up with some of them as anti-heroes, and fight against others as full-on villains. There were already talks of Tobey or Andrew returning to their own Spider-Man franchises after their appearances in Spider-Man: No Way Home. So it would be the perfect way to bring Garfield back and unite these villains as being a part of his universe.
Also, it would be the first time we get an older Spider-Man later on in life, with the burdens of adulthood adding new layers to the character in live-action. Seeing how popular Peter B. Parker’s character was in Into The Spider-Verse, a similar one could be just as successful in live-action. Especially if the two franchises cross streams and Garfield’s Spider-Man acts as a mentor to a live-action Spider-Man, similar to Into The Spider-Verse.
What do you think of this idea of Sony’s Spider-Verse movies? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below or reach out to me on Twitter at @theshahshahid to continue the conversation.
