Sony Pictures’ efforts to establish its own Marvel movie franchise remain a subject of industry debate, as recent projects like “Kraven the Hunter” and “Madame Web” continue to face criticism over their creative and box office performances. Despite setbacks, Sony is not shelving its ambitions and has plans to further explore its Marvel catalog.

Struggles With Recent Releases

Sony’s Marvel ventures, which focus on Spider-Man-related characters, have seen mixed results. The studio’s latest release, “Kraven the Hunter,” starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, is expected to perform poorly at the box office, similar to 2022’s “Morbius” with Jared Leto and “Madame Web” starring Dakota Johnson. These films highlight a larger trend of diminished enthusiasm for superhero movies, with audiences demanding higher-quality storytelling.

Analysts believe Sony miscalculated the potential of Spider-Man characters outside the context of Spider-Man himself. Jeff Bock, an Exhibitor Relations analyst, noted:

“All of these characters are famous because they went up against Spider-Man. Unfortunately for Sony, they had a taste of success with ‘Venom,’ and that kind of spoiled everything for them, because they thought they could just spin off all of these characters.”

The Exception: “Venom” Franchise

Sony’s “Venom” series, starring Tom Hardy, remains a financial bright spot for the studio. The trilogy has collectively earned over $1.8 billion worldwide, with the latest installment, “Venom: The Last Dance,” grossing $473 million. While this is lower than earlier entries, the film’s moderate production cost of $120 million ensured profitability. This success encouraged Sony to believe other Spider-Man adversaries could sustain standalone franchises, but this has not been the case with projects like “Morbius” or “Kraven the Hunter.”

Challenges in Using Spider-Man

A key obstacle for Sony is the unique arrangement with Disney’s Marvel Studios. This deal allows Tom Holland’s Spider-Man to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but limits Sony’s ability to integrate Holland’s version of the character into its own standalone projects. Although technically feasible, Sony has avoided inserting Holland into non-MCU films, fearing audience backlash due to the multiverse complexities introduced by recent Marvel projects like “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”

One Sony insider explained the difficulty of balancing creative independence with maintaining consistency in the Spider-Man multiverse.

“Sony has no flexibility. They have a cage that they have to work in, and they’re just trying to make one good movie at a time,” said a veteran executive.

Upcoming Projects

Despite these hurdles, Sony is far from abandoning its Marvel ambitions. A fourth Tom Holland-led Spider-Man film is slated to begin production in 2025, continuing its collaboration with Marvel Studios. The animated “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” trilogy, which has received critical acclaim, will conclude with its third installment. Additionally, Sony is developing a live-action “Spider-Man Noir” series for Amazon Prime Video, starring Nicolas Cage.

The Path Forward

Insiders acknowledge that Sony must be more selective in choosing Spider-Man characters to headline future movies. Creative missteps with films like “Morbius” and “Kraven the Hunter” have fueled perceptions of cynicism in the studio’s approach, with critics pointing to a lack of quality control.

There is also speculation about hiring a new Spider-Man actor to headline standalone projects, a strategy that could provide Sony with greater flexibility outside the constraints of its deal with Disney.

While the viability of Sony’s Spider-Man spinoffs remains uncertain, the studio’s commitment to its Marvel slate indicates it is not ready to exit the superhero genre entirely.

For more updates on Sony’s Marvel Universe, stay tuned to Vviptimes.