It took years, but fans rejoiced when Sony and Marvel Studios officially joined forces in 2015 to bring Spider-Man to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, what some may not have expected to see Sony develop its own movie franchise featuring characters from Spider-Man’s corner of the Marvel Universe, beginning with 2018’s Venom. With more films on the way, many are wondering if Tom Holland’s Spider-Man will ever cross paths with any of these characters, and a Sony exec recently shared some thoughts on the matter.
Although Sony does own the film rights to Spider-Man, the character has been firmly grounded in Marvel Studios’ franchise since his debut in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. So crossing over the character could be tricky from a logistical standpoint. While it currently appears that the worlds are being kept separate, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group President Sanford Panitch explains that the studio does have some kind of long-term goal for the costumed hero:
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.
Sanford Panitch definitely remained ambiguous about the “plan,” while speaking with Variety. It’s hard to say what Sony (and potentially Marvel Studios) might be planning in terms of further Spider-Man connections. But recent reports surrounding Spider-Man: No Way Home are starting to make fans wonder about the future. Based on Panitch’s comments, Sony seems to understand that fans view the franchise as Spider-Man-adjacent, but he doesn’t seem to think audiences will be asking questions about the wall-crawler when Venom: Let There Be Carnage hits theaters:
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.
Many fans are starting to believe that Sony and Marvel Studios are eyeing a cinematic multiverse of sorts and, if reports about the movie are correct, then Spider-Man: No Way Home could kick things off. With former Spider-Men Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield and Doctor Strange rumored to have roles in the film, many believe the multiverse is indeed on the horizon.
Sony’s Marvel films also appear to be hinting at a larger multiverse, thanks to the presence of key Easter eggs. The Venom: Let There Be Carnage trailer features a number of references to the famed web-slinger. And even the trailer for Jared Leto’s Morbius hinted at the presence of a Spider-Man. And let’s not forget that the trailer also featured an appearance from Michael Keaton, who may or may not be playing a version of his Spider-Man: Homecoming character, Adrian Toomes/Vulture.
Until Sony and Marvel Studios provide some more details, all we can do is speculate on what lies ahead for both sides of the Spider-Man movie franchise. But one thing that’s clear is that something is certainly brewing, and it’s only a matter of time before more details come to light.
