Sony's drops major, but disappointing update on rebooting extended ‘Spider-Man’ universe
In what comes as a disappointing piece of news, Sony will reboot the 'Spider-Man' universe despite the several box office bombs, especially in the recent past. Quite simply, the next string of Sony-Marvel films will feature fresh faces with 'Spider-Man' characters.
On the latest episode of Matthew Belloni's The Town podcast, the studio's CEO, Tom Rothman, confirmed the news. This comes as a disappointment for fans who were disgruntled by the films that didn't feature the web-slinger. The 'Venom' trilogy — 'Venom', 'Venom: Let There Be Carnage', and ' Venom: The Last Dance' were regarded as good flicks, but 'Morbius', 'Kraven the Hunter', and 'Madame Web' were all damp squibs and were panned by critics.
This will be the third attempt by Sony to reboot the franchise, and speculations are rife that these films will be without the main protagonist making an appearance. In the interview, Rothman was asked, "Where are we in the Spider-Man franchise? Not the animated Spider-Verse. Is the larger Spider-Verse dead?" To which his answer was a no. When asked if the next wave of films would be a soft reboot, he replied with an equally crisp "yes".
The latest comes on the back of an animated 'Venom' film in development. Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein, of the 'Final Destination: Bloodlines' fame, are set to bring back the character, with Tom Hardy expected to be involved in the project.
"No word on the plot of the new film, and there’s not a writer attached. Amy Pascal, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach are expected to return as producers following their involvement with the live-action Venom films, as is the film’s star, Tom Hardy, in some capacity," a Deadline report read.
The franchise follows Eddie Brock (Hardy), an investigative journalist who becomes an anti-hero after an alien symbiote bonds with him. Created by David Michelinie and artist Todd McFarlane, the character first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man No. 300. Before the standalone series of films, Venom first appeared in Sam Raimi’s 'Amazing Spider-Man 3' with Topher Grace playing the role.
As for 'Spider-Man', the Tom Holland-led film returns to the big screens with 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' setting up as the last MCU film before 'Avengers: Doomsday' in December. 'Brand New Day' releases July 31, 2026. Meanwhile, the new update from Rothman continues to garner mixed reactions from fans, especially in the wake of the recent flops that studio dished out.
