Go back over the last year or so and read all our articles relating to either the upcoming Sony/Marvel co-produced Spider-Man: No Way Home or Sony’s own solo Spidey-related films (based on the 900 other characters bundled into the Spider-Man film rights) such as Venom: Let There Be Carnage or Morbius, and you may get confused. On the one hand, Far From Home is confirmed to feature characters pulled from Sony’s former pre-Marvel Cinematic Universe Spider-Man franchises, such as Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus from Spider-Man 2 and Jamie Foxx’s Electro from Amazing Spider-Man 2. But while rumours peg the Spider-Men of those respective franchises, Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield, as also being part of things, they keep denying it despite mounting on-set evidence.
Then we have Morbius, the trailers for which feature images of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man from Spider-Man: Far From Home as well Michael Keaton’s Adrian Toomes aka Vulture from Spider-Man: Homecoming, suggesting that Sony’s newest deal with Marvel will allow the studio to crossover its properties with the MCU. And yet, despite rumours that Holland has filmed a cameo for the film, Venom: Let There Be Carnage director Andy Serkis has stated very plainly that his film is still completely standalone and the characters aren’t aware that Spider-Man exists.
So what is actually going on here? Well, it seems that we’ll start clearing up this quagmire of conflicting directions when No Way Home eventually hits cinemas at the end of the year. That assurance comes directly from the studio itself as Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group President Sanford Panitch recently spoke to Variety.
We don’t really think of our 900 characters as the Spidey-verse. We have a Marvel universe. The volume of characters we have — you know, wait until you see this next Venom. You don’t miss Spider-Man. [PAUSES] It’ll be exciting if they do meet, right?
There actually is a plan. I think now maybe it’s getting a little more clear for people where we’re headed and I think when ‘No Way Home’ comes out, even more will be revealed.
Continuing, Panitch addressed the fact while Spider-Man: No Way Home is currently the final film in the co-production agreement between Sony and Marvel. While not divulging exactly what the two studios intend to do with Holland’s Spider-Man, he did hint at even further crossover possibilities.
The great thing is we have this very excellent relationship with [Marvel President Kevin Feige]. There’s an incredible sandbox there to play with. We want those MCU movies to be absolutely huge, because that’s great for us and our Marvel characters, and I think that’s the same thing on their side. But we have a great relationship. There’s lots of opportunities, I think, that are going to happen.
Well, consider me excited. Spider-Man: No Way Home swings into cinemas on 17 December, so we’ll have to wait until then to see just what these plans are, but we may be getting a hint before that. After all, we still don’t have a trailer for the film yet and it’s the only MCU film released this year that hasn’t got a preview yet despite No Way Home having wrapped up months ago. That should hopefully be rectified soon.
Last Updated: May 31, 2021
