The SPIDER-MAN Movie Universe: How? Who? Why?

So, the big thing in comic books is creating a shared universe with their characters. After the Avengers proved that a multiple movie set up leading into a cross over could work, every studio with a super hero rights license decided to emulate what the good folks at Marvel are doing. Fox has the X-Men and Fantastic Four, and Sony has Spider-Man. Now, the subject at hand is Spider-Man. 

For me, Spider-Man is my favorite super hero in all of comics. He is not the cool billionaire, he doens't(normally) have the cool gadgets, though that has changed in recent years in the books thanks to Peter's job at Horizon labs. But I digress. He's always been my favorite. But now, Matt Tolmach and Avi Arad are cooking up their own little movie universe for our friendly neighborhood web head. But I think this is the question on every fan’s mind: How? 
Well, I think I might have an answer. Then again, I might not. Spider-Man’s core stories didn’t have super powered cast that such titles like the Avengers or the X-Men had. He’s a loner, and his conflicts normally lie in his relationships as Peter Parker. Whether its his latest romantic struggle with either Betty Brant, Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane Watson, or even Debra Whitman, or tending to Aunt May’s fragile health while the Sinister Six tear the crap out of everything, and finally dealing with J. Jonah Jameson and the staff of the Daily Bugle. Are we going to see solo films tackling the comings, goings, and happenings of the newsworld via the Daily Bugle? Are we going to follow Ben Urich and Robbie Robertson around in a plot to try and figure out who the web head is? I think not. But what about the other characters of the super powered variant that have appeared to both plague and help our hero that aren’t normally apart of his rogue’s gallery OR of the Marvel Universe at large who aren’t already properties of Marvel Studios or 20th Century Fox. 

When people who don’t read the comics think of Spidey’s rogues gallery, they normally think of the characters who have already been on screen. Indeed, the villains that have appeared in the five Spider-Man films thus far were already Spidey’s core group of villains. The Green Goblin(s), Doc Ock, Sandman, Venom, the Lizard, Electro, and Rhino. But that is truly just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Spider-Man’s list of villains. The big hitters who haven’t been on screen yet include Scorpion, the Jackal, Mysterio, Vulture, Kraven the Hunter, and Chameleon. All of them have the potential to create some incredibly awesome film stories for Spider-Man. Mysterio’s frightening illusions and being a villain who goes for the mind would be a fresh change from the admittedly physical adversaries that Spidey has dueled with on screen for the duration of his film career. Kraven and Chameleon would be awesome to see on screen, and could even had a hint of espionage flavor to Spider-Man’s movie universe with the Chameleon’s scheming and knack for impersonating virtually anyone. 

You’ve also got a slew of other villains that would be nice to see on screen: Carnage, Hobgoblin, Hydro Man, Shocker, Jackal, Scorpion, Molten Man, Boomerang, Beetle, Jack O’ Lantern, the Enforcers, Spidercide, Spot, Swarm, Speed Demon, The Tinkerer, Tarantula, Tombstone, Silvermane, Scorcher, Hammerhead, the Smythes, Carrion, Demogoblin, the Rose, Mr. Negative, Menace, Freak, Paper Doll, Overdrive, and Raptor. Man, that’s a heck of a rogues gallery! But it gives endless potential for possible movies. Spider-Man also has a number of stories that could keep the audience around for a good show, the most (in)famous of which is the Clone Saga. Could we possibly see that played out in the future without the negativity surrounding it? Could it even be done? Ten years ago, I would’ve said no, but after the Avengers, I think anything is possible when it comes to adapting comic book properties. There’s certainly no shortage of villains that can be used as either prime opponents or simply cannon fodder at the main baddie’s behest. But the trick is to keep the audience engaged. Comic books, unlike some movies, seem to have no problem in keeping their audiences around. 

But what about the proposed solo films that Sony plans on dishing out? Venom, IMO, is the only one that could truly work. He definitely is a love or hate character, as Spider-Man fans come from different times. The old timers who grew up reading the original books back in the day don’t like him mostly due to his crass personality. He is definitely all about eating brains, which is a far cry from the Green Goblins and Doc Ocks. But Eddie Brock does have a unique characterization that could make for an interesting film. But Spider-Man would need to be involved, or its not even worth it because that characterization comes from Eddie’s relationship with the web head. But lets talk about the single film idea. To do that, you need to have a lead character that you can root for. Spider-Man, while not having a base as large as the Avengers, does have characters that are mostly central to Spider-Man’s world. There’s Silver Sable, Morbius, Madame Web, Scarlett Spider, Puma, Toxin, Cloak and Dagger, Anti-Venom, Spider-Girl, the Black Cat, Spider-Woman, the Prowler, or even a small timer like Solo. For those who don’t know, Solo was a character back in the 90s that was determined to fight terrorism. With today’s world the way it is, and terrorism as a very real thing, it would be interesting for that threat to become involved in Spider-Man’s world. But to build a film universe, especially with a character that is a loner, these characters are really the only options to choose from in Sony’s venture to create a solo film set in Spidey’s world. The one that I’d really like to see on screen is Cloak and Dagger. They have potential to attract an audience due to their youth, and the horrible way they were given their powers. Its also a film opportunity to show what lengths Oscorp would go to to achieve their goals, though in the comics it was an organized crime project. 

There was another editorial I read on here that proposed bringing in the alternate Peter Parkers and those who later took the mantle of Spider-Man. To this I say leave Peter Parker as the only one wearing the mask. What works in comic books and video games does not always work on film, and several movies have already proven that. However, characters like Miles Morales and Miguel O’Hara have possibility. Maybe, dare I say it, have a movie where Peter Parker is killed? That would definitely allow the franchise to stand out from the others, as most of the time the thought of a hero dying onscreen is blasphemy. But the Ultimate comics prove that if handled right, the dynamic can work. But is Sony ballsy enough to pull at that heartstring? Somehow I don’t think so. 
So that’s essentially my thoughts on the subject. Obviously, this is happening. Not in the way I have in mind, but of course that’s not how it works. If its done right or wrong, no one knows. I will say that I believe the Sinister Six movie will be a defining point in the direction of the series and the growing cinematic universe at large. Forgive the way the article is presented. I've only written one before this. Thanks to those who did read, and of course,