The world of superhero movies is currently up in arms with the sad news Sony and Disney are parting ways over their symbiotic Spider-Man deal. Personally, I always felt there was a sense of crossed wires when it came to the Venom-Verse. Sony bigwig Amy Pascal gave a different answer to Marvel Studios boss Kevi Feige when the pair were asked if Venom is part of the MCU. This could get interesting.
After the middle of the road reviews of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, way back in 2014, Andrew Garfield was out of the role and the studios rebooted the much loved superhero with Tom Holland to bring Peter Parker into the MCU.
Things seemed to be going incredibly well with Holland suiting up for Sony standalones Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home, along with fan-favourite appearances in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. This incredible success could be the reason for the split.
The MCU is casting the friendly neighbourhood hero adrift as he’s left to find his own way in the cutthroat arena of comic book movies.
All is not lost though. While some outraged fans have already got #BoycottSony trending on Twitter, here’s why Spider-Man finding his own eight feet is great for Sony’s Venom-Verse.
‘R’ You Listening?
Work has already started on Venom 2 as Andy Serkis takes the reins for the star studded sequel. He is hoping to continue the success of Ruben Fleischer’s Venom. The sequel is bringing back Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock, Michelle Williams as ex Anne Weying, and Woody Harrelson as Cletus Kasady.
William’s She-Venom only briefly appeared in Venom, while Kasady was saved for the movie’s post-credits scene to hint at his comic book alter ego of Carnage. The story has basically written itself, but there are worries a family-friendly outing constrained by Sony’s loose ties to Disney is stopping an R-rated masterpiece. Well, until now.
Perhaps the biggest positive of Sony’s split is the idea that Serkis can embrace Venom’s bloody source material. As Variety’s Justin Kroll reminds fans, an R-rated Venom sequel is now a huge possibility.
Haven’t had time to weigh in on SPIDEY yet but one thing that sticks out is the possibility of getting R-rated films in that universe including VENOM 2 now that there is no Disney connection. Sony had considered a R-rated VENOM but passed in fear cross-over chances would be hurt
— Justin Kroll (@krolljvar) August 20, 2019
Elsewhere, we could finally see Holland suit up in the Venom-Verse. Although Venom managed perfectly well on its own without Peter Parker, fans were clamouring for a cameo. Even if the Venom-Verse is still set on keeping Hardy at its core, that doesn’t mean the pull of Holland won’t shift some serious ticket sales.
Something Sinister Is Waiting
Venom-Verse projects currently on the horizon include the likes of Morbius the Living Vampire, a Kraven the Hunter movie, and continuing buzz about Silver & Black. Giving Sony full control of its characters again should allow the Venom/Spider-Verse create its own coherent cinematic universe.
There were already rumours Kraven could be the big bad of Black Panther 2, but if this was the case, Ryan Coogler will have to go back to the drawing board. Phil Lord and Chris Miller are already working on their own Spider-Man TV universe, which could tie into a continuing Venom-Verse like the MCU plans to do with its Disney+ offerings.
Sadly, it’s not all good news. If Spidey is done with the MCU, it’s unclear what will happen with Holland. The latest version of the wall-crawling hero is tied to the MCU in his own complicated web. From Tony Stark giving Peter his suits to Nick Fury being his new mentor, the MCU also set Spider-Man up as a dead-cert for the revamped Avengers roster.
It’s not that Spider-Man can’t live without the MCU, but are we supposed to forget the two worlds were once linked? Given the fact that the Fantastic Four and X-Men are just over the horizon, Spider-Man will just have to pretend none of this is going on.
MC-U Soon
On the flip side, the MCU will be missing out on some of the best comic book villains out there. Homecoming and Far From Home used the likes of Vulture, Shocker, and Mysterio, but with the Sinister Six’s ranks including Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, Rhino, Sandman, Hobgoblin, and so many more, these two won’t be missed.
Let’s also remember the importance of Norman Osborn as not only a Spider-Man rogue, but a continuous threat to the Avengers. Osborn could’ve easily been the MCU’s next big bad. Back when The Amazing Spider-Man 2 bowed out of cinemas, it looked like we were heading to a full-blown Sinister Six movie. Maybe it’s time to revisit that idea for the Venom-Verse.
[Featured Image: Disney/Sony/Marvel]