Sony’s attempt to build a Spider-Man Universe without the iconic wall-crawler at its center has been anything but smooth. ‘Venom’ found unexpected success, but the studio’s follow-up efforts like ‘Morbius,’ ‘Madame Web,’ and ‘Kraven the Hunter’ have been met with critical backlash and box office struggles. Despite the rich world of Spider-Man’s rogues gallery, Sony’s universe suffered from creative missteps, lack of cohesion, and missed opportunities that have left us fans frustrated. The franchise now faces uncertainty, and it’s worth looking back at the five critical mistakes Sony made that contributed to their current struggles — and what they could do to fix them.
5. Relying on Spider-Man Characters Without Spider-Man
Photo Credit: Sony
Sony’s biggest misstep was believing any Spider-Man-related character could carry a franchise on their own. ‘Venom’ succeeded due to the character’s cultural significance, but ‘Morbius,’ ‘Madame Web,’ and ‘Kraven the Hunter’ failed to engage fans. These characters are famous in comics because of their connection to Spider-Man, and excluding him left a noticeable void. In fact, there was nothing to prevent them from using Spider-Man in the movies, but they didn’t include him deliberately.
4. Lack of Narrative Cohesion
Photo Credit: Sony
Sony never developed a cohesive, intentional narrative for its ‘universe of Marvel characters.’ Each movie felt disconnected and standalone, without a clear overarching vision to tie them together. This approach led to a fragmented and inconsistent cinematic experience that alienated fans.
3. Multiverse Confusion Post-No Way Home
The delay of ‘Morbius’ and subsequent reshoots, combined with ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ and ‘Doctor Strange 2’ bringing multiverse rules, created unnecessary confusion. Sony’s attempt to include MCU connections, like Michael Keaton’s Adrian Toomes, without properly aligning with Marvel Studios, felt forced and poorly thought out.
2. Quality Over Quantity Was Ignored
Sony’s approach to churning out spin-offs without prioritizing quality control led to movies that fans and critics saw as opportunistic cash grabs. Films like ‘Kraven the Hunter’ and ‘Madame Web’ were criticized for being creatively uninspired. This damaged Sony’s credibility in the superhero genre. According to Variety, a veteran producer tells it this way: “You can feel the cynicism a mile away. They’re grinding out product, and it feels like it. There’s no quality control.”
1. Ignoring Potential Alternatives for Spider-Man
Sony’s refusal to use Spider-Man outside of the MCU, despite the option to do so, was a missed opportunity. The studio believed fans wouldn’t accept Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in a non-MCU film, yet they never seriously explored introducing a different Spider-Man to anchor their universe, like Miles Morales or a new Peter Parker.
