Sony's Spider-Man TV show is probably the worst decision for web-slinging superhero and the franchise's resurrection
When Spider-Man was introduced in the MCU, he was introduced to a larger universe. Not just did he get to star in three movies that had the bigwigs in it, he also appeared in two standalone films that were pivotal in their own ways. 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' gave an insight into the world of the Avengers after the events of 'Civil War', while its sequel, 'Far From Home' set up Phase 4 beautifully. And to add, both movies were staggering successes— critically and commercially.
The Disney-Sony kerfuffle, however, has left the webslinger's future in doubt. He won't be seen in any Phase 4 movies and that means, Sony essentially has to plan the way forward for the wise-cracking superhero. Speaking of which, Sony Pictures have confirmed they're developing 5-6 TV shows that will be set in the Spider-Man universe. It sure looks like they have taken a leaf out of Disney + mini-series theory. Talking to Variety, Sony Pictures chairman and CEO, Tony Vinciquerra revealed that they're currently working on "five or six" TV series set in the Spider-Man world. There were no further details provided, meaning we still don't know whether these series will conenct to the movies or feature top characters from the Spider-Man comics.
However, the question right now is whether the move is a good one? While it is a unique call from Sony, it's also a risky one considering their Spider-Man universe is still in its early stages. To begin with, let's assume that each episode is a stand-alone. Spidey has close to 153 villains in comics and even if the studios plan to introduce way less than half of the number, it still becomes a challenge. Plus, he's got support from other allies in defeating most of these villains, except that all those friends are part of the MCU and its unclear how Sony will manage to bring them in.
Next up is the whole 'Far From Home' theory. The mid-credits scene in the film exposes Spider-Man's identity, so things for the third movie were already set in place. Will we see Sony carry over from that plotline? If not, then Spider-Man's arc remains incomplete and that is a major bummer. The third setback or success for Sony is entirely dependent on how Disney's miniseries fare. Should these work really well, then following the blueprint would mean on having at least a good amount of success with Spider-Man on the small screens.
There have been seven Spider-Man films made till date, not counting Tom Holland's appearances in 'Civil War', 'Infinity War' and 'Endgame'. Each of these movies have had different villains and their successes at the BO varied. Rebooting means starting over and that in turn means that webby's world was still in its infancy. Now compare this to characters from the MCU who are getting their own miniseries. 'The Falcon and The Winter Soldier', 'Hawkeye', 'Loki' and 'WandaVision' revolve around the superheroes who have been part of the MCU for at least five movies at a minimum and their character arcs too have been built around the OG Avengers. A miniseries would help in giving them the perfect send-off or giving them a storyline to keep their arc going till they come again on the silver screen for a bigger role. However, that would be a sad call for Spider-Man who, after being renowned to be seen on big screen will have to be content with TV series. Especially, when his superhero story was getting off the ground.
Personally, the TV series wouldn't really come as much of an appeal and the thought of seeing Spidey on small screen feels like wasting a rich storyline of a really cool character. Until Sony announces mind-boggling developments on how they go about it, the plan just feels unconvincing.