Sony's Spider-Man Plans Are Brave, But Risk Backfiring
Sony’s Spider-Man Universe continues to deliver films showcasing Spider-Man characters, but their approach could come with some significant risks. In 1998, Sony bought the rights to Spider-Man for $7 million. Marvel was facing bankruptcy during that time, and Spider-Man was the only character Sony deemed profitable. The purchase of Spider-Man also included all characters that fell under the character's umbrella, including all of the web-slinger's villains. Per the agreement, Sony had to release a new Spider-Man movie every few years to retain the character's rights.
Sony originally had plans to use Andrew Garfield's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 to establish its own universe with numerous spinoff projects, but the film's poor reception and revenue forced the studio to adjust. As the Marvel Cinematic Universe took off with popular films like Iron Man and The Avengers, Sony eventually brokered a deal with Marvel to share Tom Holland's Spider-Man between both studios. Despite the success of the new cooperative agreement, Sony had a plan to continue expanding their own Spider-Man franchise, with or without the iconic superhero.
Related: Spider-Man 4, 5 & 6: Marvel/Sony Deal Impact & Spider-Man Universe Future
When it comes to live-action films, Sony's strategy thus far has been relatively fearless with its efforts to highlight the supporting characters and villains in the Spider-Man library. Outside of the Marvel Studios partnership, Venom was a box office success for Sony Pictures, earning $856 million. In addition, Venom's achievement happened without even featuring Spider-Man in the movie, with the focus completely on Tom Hardy's titular anti-hero. Venom's success created a good foundation for Sony to pursue Spider-Man villain
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