Incredibly, Sony owns the film rights to more than 900 Marvel Comics characters — a whole
laundry list of Spider-Man properties that the studio plans to spin off into their own
cinematic universe.
Here's the story behind every movie planned for Sony's Spider-Verse.
The first entry in Sony's elaborate plan for an interconnected world of Spider-Man-based
films was 2018 blockbuster Venom.
Critics were split on the quality of this fairly odd film, which often played like a
dark mismatched-buddy-comedy in which both roles were played by the same guy at the same
time.
More important to Sony, however, is the fact that Venom grossed $850 million at the worldwide
box office.
“Well, you know, I aim to please."
Filmgoers clearly have an appetite for Venom, so naturally the character will return in
Venom 2.
And that might not be the end of it, either.
Star Tom Hardy mentioned in 2018 that he's contracted for a whole trilogy of Venom movies.
Meanwhile, Venom screenwriter Jeff Pinkner confirmed to Discussing Film in December that
he was already at work on the second installment.
And in August 2019, Andy Serkis signed up to direct.
As for a release date, Venom 2 is highly likely to be the mysterious "untitled Marvel sequel"
that Sony has penciled in for October 2020, exactly two years after the debut of the first
film.
While working to cure himself of a deadly blood disorder, scientist Michael Morbius
manages to accidentally science himself into becoming a vampire.
Using his scientific expertise and his newly acquired array of supernatural powers, the
character quickly found some success as a tortured antihero, fighting his lust for blood
while bringing vampiric justice to the night.
First announced in 2017, production on Morbius began in February 2019.
Director Daniel Espinosa will direct from a script by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless,
the creative minds behind Netflix's recent Lost in Space reboot and 2014's Dracula Untold.
Oscar winner Jared Leto stars as the bloodthirsty protagonist, while Matt Smith co-stars as
his friend and fellow vampire Loxias Crown.
Morbius hits movie theaters on July 31st 2020.
Felicia Hardy, also known as the Black Cat, has been a recurring foe and romantic interest
for Peter Parker ever since her first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man issue #194.
A notorious cat burglar, Black Cat has the power to manipulate the powers of probability
and luck.
She made a brief, out-of-costume appearance in Amazing Spider-Man 2, but hasn't yet been
seen suited up on the big screen.
Initially, Sony announced that Black Cat would be getting a team-up movie with fellow occasional
Spider-Man ally Silver Sable.
Tentatively titled Silver and Black and set to be directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, Sony
pulled the project from its release calendar in 2018, in favor of solo movies for the two
heroes.
According to Variety, Prince-Bythewood will "likely" no longer direct but will stay on
as a producer for both individual movies.
As for her replacement, all that's been reported is that Sony really wants to go for a female
director.
The other half of the canceled Silver and Black project, Silver Sable is also headed
to the movies with her own announced solo film.
When she first showed up in Amazing Spider-Man #265, Silver Sable appeared about as '80s
as you could get without actually starting a glam-pop band.
She's an assassin and mercenary from Eastern Europe who wields guns, knives, and various
other accouterments with deadly accuracy.
Like many characters in the Spider-Man mythos, she also changes allegiances pretty frequently,
acting as both friend and foe to the friendly neighborhood wall-crawler.
This is another project with few details to report at the moment, as there have been real
hints as to anyone who might be involved — apart from Gina Prince-Bythewood's position as producer.
Kraven the Hunter first popped up in Amazing Spider-Man #15 all the way back in 1964.
In fact, he goes back so far that he was even a member of the original Sinister Six, making
him the oldest Marvel character currently projected to get his own Spider-Verse movie.
A Russian expat with a unique flair for clothes made out of lion faces, Kraven is a big game
hunter obsessed with proving that he can kill anything — and, in particular, Spider-Man.
"Where do all these guys come from?"
Unfortunately, backstory on the character is just about all we have on Sony's Kraven
the Hunter movie.
Not a lot is known about the upcoming film adaptation, except that The Equalizer 2 and
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back writer Richard Wenk was hired to write the script back in
August 2018.
A couple of months later, Wenk teased a very special appearance in the film, claiming in
an interview with Discussing Film that Kraven will come face-to-face with Spider-Man himself.
Sony isn't just planning on bringing the heavy-hitters to their Spider-Verse, though — they've
also got plans for some of Marvel's more obscure Spider-Man characters.
Cindy Moon has actually appeared briefly in the MCU, but her comic alter-ego Silk has
yet to be explored on film.
In the comics, a retcon explained that Cindy was bitten by the same radioactive spider
as Peter and ended up with very similar powers.
Little development has been reported on the project, aside from the major announcement
in 2018 that longtime Sony producer and Spider-properties shepherd Amy Pascal was attached to produce.
Pascal's 2019 departure from the company, however, has thrown the project into doubt.
Then you've got Jackpot: a scientist, mom, and all-around super-strong crimefighting
boss.
The details behind the purported Jackpot movie are pretty mysterious, with Sony still in
the process of finding a screenwriter to take on, so it's safe to assume it'll be a while
before Jackpot hits theaters.
Finally, there's a rumor swirling around that Spike Lee is in line to direct Sonyl's upcoming
Nightwatch movie, with Luke Cage showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker said to be a top candidate
for writing duties — but that's about all anyone knows about that one, too.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a truly special movie.
It won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature, outranked every other Spider-Man movie on
Rotten Tomatoes, and earned nearly $200 million at the domestic box office.
The world clearly wants more trips through time and space with Miles Morales and his
friends — and, luckily, a sequel is indeed in the works.
Sony announced big plans for the animated sector of its Marvel slate in November 2018,
before Into the Spider-Verse had even hit theaters.
Avatar: The Last Airbender veteran Joaquim Dos Santos has signed on to direct the film,
with Wonder Woman 1984 and Zombieland 2 writer David Callaham handling the script.
“That's all, folks."
"Is he allowed to say that?
Legally?"
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was particularly noteworthy for spotlighting a biracial teen
superhero in Miles Morales alongside a stand-out female lead in Gwen Stacy.
And now the latter is set to get her own animated spinoff.
Before Into the Spider-Verse hit theaters, Sony announced that it had started work on
a film about three generations of Spider women.
Spider-Gwen will return from the first movie, assisted in her adventures by another Spider-Woman,
Jessica Drew, and Silk.
Sony has hired Bek Smith to pen the screenplay and DC animation veteran Lauren Montgomery
to direct, but more details have yet to be confirmed.
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