Sony Holds The Rights To Over 900 Marvel Characters And More New Details About The Studio's SPIDER-VERSE Plans
Some huge new details about Sony's Spider-Verse has been revealed, including who is in charge, what type of filmmakers the studio is looking for, the current slate of movies in the works, and much more...
Spider-Man currently resides in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and while Kevin Feige has been given the opportunity to do whatever he likes with the wall-crawler and some of his friends and foes, there are many characters there simply isn't room for and Sony is now looking to capitalise on that with a number of spinoffs and standalone adventures which are all in various stages of development.
Now, with new details having surfaced in regards to the future of Sony's Spider-Verse (that's not the official title but we'll get to that later), we're now looking at all the huge new details which have been revealed, including who is taking charge of this slate, which movies are actually on the way, and everything you need to know about what's happening with those and who exactly is involved.
So, to take a look at this breakdown, all you guys have to do is click on the "View List" button.
They're Being Faithful To The Comic Books (Honest)
I'm a little sceptical about this one considering the fact Sony's version of Venom has an origin story completely unrelated to Spider-Man but according to Sanford Panitch, President of Columbia Pictures, "We’re focused on being faithful to the comics." Providing they get the characters right, some tweaks - albeit pretty massive ones - to make them work without Spider-Man will be easier to swallow.
Oh, and while we've been referring to this world as the Spider-Verse, Sony has actually dubbed it "Sony's Universe of Marvel Characters" or "SUMC," something which distances it from Spidey.
Sony Holds The Rights To Over 900 Marvel Characters
Well, this is pretty unexpected. We know that a lot of characters call Spider-Man's corner of the Marvel Universe home but did you know that Sony actually holds the rights to roughly 900 of them? That's an insane amount and not only does it mean they can pick and choose when it comes to who should lead a spinoff but they also have plenty of characters to then utilise as supporting players in all of them.
(Almost) Everything Hinges On Venom
Sony clearly has some big plans for the SUMC but it appears as if all of those may ultimately hinge on how well Venom does at the box office. Very early tracking data is reportedly pointing to a solid opening weekend and providing that it is a box office hit, the studio will then segue into a series of sequels and standalone movies featuring heroes and villains who populate Spider-Man's world.
In other words, Venom is a big budget bet for them and while at least some of these other spinoffs could still happen even if it flops, a disappointing box office run will change Sony's plans to an extent!
The Studio Is Looking For Female Filmmakers
With Sony looking to put the spotlight on a lot of female characters, the studio's priority is also making sure the diversity on screen is reflected behind the camera as well. As a result, we can expect many of these stories to be written and directed by women, something moviegoers will no doubt embrace.
"Spider-Man connects to a lot of the characters," said Panitch. "There are villains, heroes, and antiheroes, and a lot are female characters, many of whom are bona fide, fully dimensionalized, and unique. We feel there’s no reason the Marvel characters shouldn’t be able to embrace diversity."
Sony Will Experiment With Different Budgets
A relatively minor but still very interesting piece of information, it's said that Sony plans to experiment with the budget ranges on the movies it makes, meaning that some will be blockbusters and others will cost a lot less. After all, it's easy to imagine the studio pouring money into a CGI heavy adventure like Venom but dialling things back a little with a grounded adventure starring the likes of Felicia Hardy.
Don't Expect To See R-Rated Movies...Yet
While Sony is willing to give a future release an R-Rating, the studio is holding back for now and Venom will indeed be PG-13. Basically, they want the movie to push the boundaries of that rating without crossing over into Logan territory. While Spider-Man currently resides in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sony still owns the character and they want the wall-crawler and Venom to cross paths one day; as a result, they won't make an R-Rated Venom because it closes the door on them meeting.
Who's In Charge?
Well, it's not Kevin Feige (sadly). While he oversees Marvel Studios and Walter Hamada has been put in charge of the DC Films Universe, there is no "uber-boss" at Sony. Instead, while Panitch is overseeing this cinematic universe and is tasked with knocking it into shape, the various movies are said to be more producer-driven meaning they could all end up being very different in terms of their quality.
For example, Amy Pascal is in charge of Silk and Spider-Man: Far From Home, Palak Patel oversaw Venom and Morbius, and Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach are serving as produces on almost all of them. If they're in charge of linking them all up we should be worried based on The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Crossovers With The Marvel Cinematic Universe
I find this highly doubtful but Sony is hoping that some of these characters could crossover into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Venom near the top of the list. They would also like some of The Avengers pop up in their spinoffs just like how Captain America appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Personally, as much as I'm sure Kevin Feige would like to keep Spider-Man in the MCU, he's probably not that desperate enough to agree to these crossovers if he really doesn't want them to happen.
The Current "SUMC" Slate
We know that Silver & Black has been scrapped so where do things stand with Sony's SUMC slate of movies? That's what we're taking a look at here as we break down all the confirmed spinoffs and standalone adventures for Spider-Man's many friends and foes (who, you know, no longer know him).
Morbius The Living Vampire
The spinoff which is currently furthest along at Sony, Morbius the Living Vampire's script was written by Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama (Lost in Space). It also has a director in the form of Safe House's Daniel Espinosa and Suicide Squad star Jared Leto will don a pair of fangs and go method to play him.
Black Cat
"We believe Black Cat is enough of her own character with a great backstory and a canon of material to draw from to justify her own film," said Panitch, regarding the decision to give Felicia Hardy her own movie. There's no denying that he's correct in that assessment so here's hoping they do it right.
Silver Sable
I'm not sure how much potential Silver Sable has in a solo outing but throw in her Wild Pack and we could definitely end up with a fun, action movie ensemble. Sony is reportedly still mulling over pairing up her and Black Cat so it will be interesting what sort of hints we get relating to that in this movie.
Nightwatch
It's been said that Spike Lee could end up taking the helm of this one and Luke Cage showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker is reportedly penning the screenplay. The story of this character - which involves time-travel and vigilante crimefighting - is one which is definitely going to be worth keeping an eye on.
Kraven The Hunter
There's only so much that can be done with a character who runs around in a leotard trying to hunt a teenager but Sony is looking to give Kraven the Hunter an origin story in a solo outing which is being penned by Richard Wenk (The Equalizer 2). We have no idea what direction it will take as of right now.
Jackpot
Jackpot was introduced during Brand New Day and Marvel initially made fans think that Mary Jane Watson was beneath the mask. In reality, both Sara Ehret and Alana Jobson have been beneath the mask and Sony reportedly intends on casting a slightly older actress (Jessica Chastain would be good).
Silk
Cindy Moon was bitten by the same spider that gave Peter Parker his extraordinary powers and while the two of them will live in different worlds, there's still a lot that Sony can do with a female "Spider-Man." I would have chosen a Spider-Gwen movie personally but this one still has some potential.