Following the release of Kraven the Hunter, Sony’s Spider-Man Universe as we know it is coming to an end, which leaves many questions unanswered and loose ends unexplored. Originally planned to be connected to Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man duology, the SSU became its own entity with the release of 2018’s Venom. Despite its name, Sony’s Marvel movie franchise featured some of Spider-Man’s greatest villains from Marvel Comics, but not the wall-crawler himself, who was instead introduced to the MCU, but this may have contributed to the franchise’s downfall.
|
SSU Movie |
Release Date |
Director |
Box Office |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Venom |
October 5, 2018 |
Ruben Fleischer |
$856.1 million |
|
Venom: Let There Be Carnage |
October 1, 2021 |
Andy Serkis |
$506.8 million |
|
Morbius |
April 1, 2022 |
Daniel Espinosa |
$167.5 million |
|
Madame Web |
February 14, 2024 |
S. J. Clarkson |
$100.5 million |
|
Venom: The Last Dance |
October 25, 2024 |
Kelly Marcel |
$475.4 million |
|
Kraven the Hunter |
December 13, 2024 |
J. C. Chandor |
$42.8 million (as of 22.12.24) |
Despite starting strong with an impressive box office total of $856.1 million for Venom, Sony’s Spider-Man Universe delivered too many disappointments to be profitable. Half its six feature films were critical and commercial failures, including Kraven the Hunter, which put the final nail in the SSU’s coffin very recently. Scripts, visual effects, acting quality and repetitive narratives were criticized heavily, culminating in Sony shifting its focus onto its more-successful Spider-Man projects, but this means that we may never get answers to some of the SSU’s most burning questions.
10
What Happens To Michael Keaton’s Vulture Now?
The Vulture Appeared In The SSU In Morbius
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Michael Keaton first appeared as Adrian Toomes’ Vulture, one of Spider-Man’s most iconic villains in Marvel Comics, back in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, which took place in the MCU’s main continuity. Toomes was incarcerated at the end of the Phase 3 movie, which is where he was next seen in 2022’s Morbius, but the lackluster SSU movie completely confused Toomes’ storyline. Somehow, inexplicably, Toomes was sent from the MCU across the multiverse by Doctor Strange’s spell at the end of 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, but this broke the spell’s own rules.
Doctor Strange’s memory wipe spell in Spider-Man: No Way Home erased everyone’s memories of Peter Parker, sending the movie’s multiversal villains back to their own realities after being rehabilitated. The Vulture belonged in the MCU, so it never made sense that he was sent to the SSU. Now that the SSU has come to an end, the fate of Michael Keaton’s Vulture is uncertain. There have been calls for him to return to the MCU, or at least be referenced in Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man 4, retconning his confusing Morbius storyline.
9
Did Venom Survive The Events Of The Last Dance?
Venom Sacrificed Himself At The End Of Venom: The Last Dance
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2024’s Venom: The Last Dance capped off the Venom trilogy, which was always Sony’s most successful SSU franchise. Even though The Last Dance had its problems, and didn’t fare as well as its two predecessors, the movie did wrap up Eddie Brock and Venom’s story well, providing them with a satisfying and emotional ending. To take down the Xenophages and ensure that Knull could not be freed from his prison on Klyntar, Venom bonded with the monsters and doused himself in acid, killing him and the Xenophages and saving the universe.
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This seemed to be the official ending of Venom, which in itself was shocking. Venom is one of Marvel’s most popular properties, so his death in October 2024 perhaps signified the fact that Sony would be ending its Marvel movie franchise. Even so, Venom: The Last Dance’s post-credits scene teased the possibility of Venom’s survival, as we were shown a cockroach near an empty vial that once held a small piece of the Venom Symbiote. If Venom bonded with the cockroach and gradually worked his way up to a new human host, his story could continue.
8
How Do Julia Cornwall, Mattie Franklin & Anya Corazón Get Their Spider Powers?
Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O’Connor & Isabela Merced Starred In Madame Web
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Madame Web, currently, is the least successful and most-heavily criticized movie in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. There are few redeeming qualities in Madame Web, though the introduction of the franchise’s first Spider-People, namely Sydney Sweeney’s Julia Cornwall, Celeste O’Connor’s Mattie Franklin and Isabela Merced’s Anya Corazón, was very exciting. Unfortunately, audiences only got a very brief glimpse at these Spider-Women in action, as they took down Ezekiel Sims in a premonition, but their origin story was never actually shown on-screen.
|
SSU Character |
Marvel Comics Counterpart |
Debut |
|---|---|---|
|
Julia Cornwall |
Julia Carpenter’s Spider-Woman |
Secret Wars #6 (1984) |
|
Mattie Franklin |
Martha “Mattie” Franklin’s Spider-Woman |
The Spectacular Spider-Man #262 (1998) |
|
Anya Corazón |
Aña “Anya” Sofia Corazón’s Araña |
Amazing Fantasy #1 (2004) |
Marvel Comics’ Julia Carpenter, Mattie Franklin and Anya Corazón are three very powerful and exciting Spider-Women, so it was a huge shame that Madame Web didn’t explore them to their full potential. Madame Web’s failure, the biggest of the SSU, made it very unlikely that these Spider-Women would have ever been revisited anyway. Now that the SSU has come to an end, this is even harder to imagine, though the door may be open for new actors to reinvent these brilliant Marvel roles alongside Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in the MCU.
7
Is Martine Bancroft A Vampire?
Martine Bancroft Ingested Michael Morbius’ Blood
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Adria Arjona debuted as Martine Bancroft in Morbius, introduced as the scientific colleague and friend to Jared Leto’s Michael Morbius. Unfortunately, her character was not done justice in the embarrassing 2022 movie, but it’s possible future SSU movies could have given her a more substantive role. After being fed on by Morbius and ingesting some of his vampiric blood, Martine Bancroft herself was teased at becoming a vampire, as she resurrected at the end of Morbius with red eyes, teasing her larger role in the franchise’s future.
Morbius, the Living Vampire, is an iconic member of Marvel Comics’ Midnight Sons. There has been speculation that this supernatural team will be forming in the MCU, so Morbius could be reinvented by Marvel Studios following the SSU’s ending.
It seems this won’t come to fruition anymore, though it’s possible a reinvention of Morbius, the Living Vampire, in the MCU could also come with a new version of Martine Bancroft. In Marvel Comics, Morbius and Bancroft are lovers, while the latter also found herself involved with Jack Russell’s Werewolf by Night and even became an ally to Peter Parker’s Spider-Man, culminating in her demise. It’s a shame that Morbius didn’t do her justice, especially with Arjona in the role, so it would be great for Marvel Studios to give Martine Bancroft a re-do.
6
How Did Shriek Get Her Powers?
Shriek Is A Powerful Mutant In Marvel Comics
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Similarly to Martine Bancroft, Venom: Let There Be Carnage’s Frances Barrison, a.k.a. Shriek, is another formidable female Marvel character who was completely wasted in the SSU. The Andy Serkis-directed 2021 movie had its pros and cons, and Naomie Harris delivered a brilliant performance as Shriek, but she was nothing more than a side character to Tom Hardy and Woody Harrelson’s leading men. In Marvel Comics, Shriek is a powerful mutant villain, but, of course, Sony couldn’t use this term in the SSU, so instead just ignored Shriek’s backstory altogether.
Marvel Studios gained the film rights to Marvel Comics’ mutant characters following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019, but this did not grant Sony the opportunity to use the term.
The opening of Venom: Let There Be Carnage revealed that both Frances Barrison and Cletus Kasady were living at St. Estes Home for Unwanted Children before Barrison was taken to the Ravencroft Institute. Barrison already had her powers at St. Estes, but Let There Be Carnage did not reveal how she came about them or what her life was like prior. This was unlikely to ever be explored in subsequent projects, as Shriek was seemingly killed beneath the collapsing cathedral during Let There Be Carnage’s final battle.
5
Where Are Teddy Paine & Agony?
Agony Was One Of Venom: The Last Dance’s Few Surviving Symbiotes
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Venom: The Last Dance might have ended Eddie Brock and Venom’s story, but it also may have started the narrative for a new Symbiote known as Agony. Agony bonded with Juno Temple’s Teddy Paine during The Last Dance‘s final battle, and remained bonded to the Area 51 scientist even after escaping the battlefield. Unfortunately, with no future projects announced for the SSU and Sony’s focus shifting, it seems Teddy Paine and Agony’s relationship has ended just when it really began, which is a dire shame.
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Agony was forcibly spawned from the Venom Symbiote in Marvel Comics back in 1993, and used by the sinister Life Foundation. The new Symbiote could have become much more of a hero in the SSU, however, as Agony was seen fighting alongside Venom against the Xenophages during Venom: The Last Dance’s final battle. Juno Temple was an exciting addition to Venom: The Last Dance’s cast, and helped make the movie something of a success in Sony’s dwindling Marvel franchise, but it’s unlikely she’ll be seen again.
4
Will Knull Find A Way To Break Free?
Knull Teased His Return In Venom: The Last Dance’s Mid-Credits Scene
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Knull was one of the most enticing additions to Sony’s Spider-Man Universe during Venom: The Last Dance, but the live-action future of the terrifying supervillain has now been thrown into jeopardy. The Last Dance revealed Knull’s backstory, which stayed relatively close to his Marvel Comics history, though omitted everything to do with the Celestials, Knowhere and All-Black, which have all been seen in the MCU proper, but were still implied. The Last Dance ended with Knull teasing his return, but it’s now unclear when this could happen.
Portrayed by Venom: Let There Be Carnage director Andy Serkis, Knull is a formidable threat in Marvel Comics, but this hasn’t yet been seen in live-action. As a multiversal villain, there has been speculation that Knull could make the move to the MCU proper following Venom: The Last Dance, perhaps going toe-to-toe with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and a new version of Venom. It’s unclear how Knull could break free from his prison now that Venom is dead in the SSU, and it’s even more unclear when this could be explored.
3
Is Venom Now In The MCU?
A Piece Of Venom Was Left In The MCU In Spider-Man: No Way Home
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Even though Venom: The Last Dance may have ended with Venom sacrificing himself to save Eddie Brock and the entire universe from Knull, this may not be the end for Venom. During Spider-Man: No Way Home’s mid-credits scene, Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock was revealed to have been brought into the MCU’s universe, and was sent home by Doctor Strange’s spell, but Venom left a piece of his Symbiote form in the MCU’s Earth-616. This perfectly sets up Venom for a meatier role in the MCU’s own future, outside the SSU, but this hasn’t yet been confirmed.
Venom first appeared in Marvel Comics as a black alien costume that granted Peter Parker’s Spider-Man incredible new abilities during 1984’s The Amazing Spider-Man #252, part of the original Secret Wars storyline.
A piece of the Venom Symbiote existing in the MCU should be a big deal, but this piece hasn’t been seen or mentioned in the three years since Spider-Man: No Way Home. It’s possible that the MCU’s upcoming Spider-Man 4 could finally address it, bringing Venom officially into the MCU, but, until then, this is just another major unanswered question connected to the SSU. Venom may be dead in the SSU, but could still be alive in the MCU, though it will still be a number of years until we get a definite answer.
2
What’s Next For Kraven The Hunter?
Kraven The Hunter Is The SSU’s Final Movie
Close
Almost a decade after he debuted as Pietro Maximoff’s Quicksilver in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, Aaron Taylor-Johnson brought the iconic Kraven the Hunter into live-action for the first time ever. Unfortunately, Kraven the Hunter is performing about as poorly as everyone expected from the most recent, and seemingly final, SSU movie. This is something of a shame, as Taylor-Johnson’s portrayal of Sergei Kravinoff is actually admirable, though he never really gets the chance to truly become the Hunter as depicted in Marvel Comics.
There have been calls for Aaron Taylor-Johnson to reprise the role of Kraven the Hunter in the MCU’s upcoming multiversal crossover events, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. It’s unclear whether this will happen, however, so the future is uncertain for Kravinoff. This is especially disappointing, as 2024’s Kraven the Hunter ended with Kravinoff fully embracing his identity as the Hunter, and perhaps setting out to be a more morally-ambiguous antihero-come-villain, which may have perfectly primed him to battle a wall-crawler such as Spider-Man.
1
Where Is Spider-Man?
Spider-Man Never Appeared In The SSU
Close
Among the plethora of criticisms thrown at the SSU throughout its entire six-year history, the biggest concern of all was that the franchise never introduced its own version of Spider-Man. This seemed outlandish, as many questioned how a franchise named Sony’s Spider-Man Universe could avoid bringing Spider-Man into the fold, particularly when many of the franchise’s lead characters simply don’t work without a Spider-Man to fight. It’s recently been revealed that Sony could have used Tom Holland’s Spider-Man as well as him appearing in the MCU, but this didn’t happen.
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Instead, the only glimpse audiences ever got of Spider-Man in the SSU was when Emma Roberts’ Mary Parker gave birth to Peter Parker in Madame Web. Unfortunately, this inclusion only made the SSU’s timeline even more confusing, as Madame Web was set in 2003, meaning he should have been operating for several years by the time Morbius, Venom: The Last Dance and Kraven the Hunter rolled around. Spider-Man’s absence was a huge pitfall for Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, and it seems we may now never be properly introduced to this franchise’s version of Peter Parker.
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Sony’s Spider-Man Universe
Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU) is a media franchise and shared universe centered around various characters associated with Spider-Man, but without including Spider-Man himself as a central figure. The SSU focuses on antiheroes and villains like Venom and Morbius and has expanded to include additional characters like Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter. The franchise exists independently of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) but has made some minor crossovers.
Created by
David Michelinie
, Todd McFarlane
, Roy Thomas
, Gil Kane
First Film
Venom
Upcoming Films
Venom: The Last Dance
, Kraven the Hunter
, The Sinister Six
Upcoming TV Shows
Spider-Noir (2025)
, Silk: Spider Society
Upcoming MCU Movies
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Captain America: Brave New World
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February 14, 2025
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Thunderbolts*
Release Date
May 2, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Release Date
July 25, 2025
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Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
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Spider-Man Homecoming 4
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July 24, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars
Release Date
May 7, 2027
