Spider-Man: Homecoming was a triumph but Sony remains intent on moving forward with spinoffs not set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (or even in a world where the wall-crawler exists). It's hard to say how that's going to work out for them but considering the fact they hold the rights to around 900 Marvel characters - a figure now confirmed by Variety - they have a whole hell of a lot of options.
Apparently, each of these movies is going to be very different; some could go the R-Rated route while others will have much lower budgets and Venom is viewed by the studio as a horror film, while Silver & Black is being compared to buddy films like Midnight Run and Thelma & Louise. Worlds apart then!
"I wanted to tell the story of two damaged women who are at war with each other but need each other to survive," says director Gina Prince-Bythewood who went on to say that after exploring the origins of each character, it seems their decisions have ties to the role played in their lives by their parents. So, daddy issues? Who knows, but Columbia Pictures' Sanford Panitch is excited about this direction. "It’s not so much that characters have a cape and fly. In “Silver & Black,” these two women are modern and cool. … They may wear costumes, but [they’re] very real and very grounded."
Venom, meanwhile, will be helmed by Zombieland's Ruben Fleischer and he has some very interesting ideas about where to take Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock. "I’ve always been drawn to the more antihero superheroes. There’s a dark element to [Venom] and a wit that has always appealed to me." The film is set to delve into the character's origin story (sans Spider-Man?) and the Jekyll and Hyde relationship Brock has with the alien symbiote. "They become almost a third being, which is what Venom is. There’s a famous quote: ‘You’re Eddie Brock. I’m the symbiote. Together we are Venom.’"
Panitch adds to that by emphasising Venom's horror roots and stating that it will draw on the work of Jfilmmakers like John Carpenter and David Cronenberg while delivering "more pop and fun." He won't be tied down to confirming a Spider-Man appearance, though, stating: "If we get lucky enough to make more than one [Venom film] and continue the franchise, there are lots of opportunities."
He's just as vague when it comes to Kraven the Hunter too as the studio exec would neither confirm nor deny plans for him to get his own solo movie. "He’s an awesome character," Panitch says. "Let’s just leave it at that." What do you guys think? As always, share your thoughts in the usual place.