Spider-Man, the beloved superhero that has captured the hearts of millions worldwide, has been swinging from one blockbuster hit to another for two decades. However, Sony's recent moves have made it clear they need the guidance of Marvel Studios to figure out what to do with the character. The studio is on a mission to completely control Spider-Man's cinematic universe with their own slate of films, but many fans wonder if this move is a wise choice.

Let's explore why Sony has failed to capitalize on the iconic character's potential and what it means for Spidey's future in cinema.

Cinematic Universe Fever

spider-verse
Sony Pictures

Since acquiring the rights to Spider-Man in 1999, Sony's journey with the beloved superhero has been a rollercoaster ride. The initial Sam Raimi trilogy was a roaring success, adored by fans worldwide, and even the third installment has managed to win over some audiences in recent times. However, when the reboot with Marc Webb and Andrew Garfield hit the screens, the response was lukewarm, and the duology garnered moderate success. The second movie tried to juggle too many storylines, resulting in a cluttered and chaotic narrative that failed to impress.

Following 2014's Amazing Spider-Man 2, Sony hit a dead-end with the character and handed it over to Marvel Studios, who introduced Tom Holland as the new web-slinger. The new trilogy marked a significant deviation from the earlier attempts, with the highlight being the integration of Tobey McGuire and Andrew Garfield into the larger narrative of the MCU. Despite the critical reaction from fans, the latest Spider-Man entry remains a significant departure from the previous efforts. It remains to be seen what Sony has in store for the beloved superhero in the future.

Low Production Values

MorbiusJaredLeto
Sony Studios

While Sony's Spider-Man films have consistently boasted impressive production values, the same cannot be said for its spin-off projects. With two Venom movies and Morbius under its belt, Sony's attempts at creating an extended universe for the web-slinger have been plagued with issues. The production quality of these ventures has been underwhelming, with subpar CGI, uninspired sets, and poorly written scripts. Morbius's dark, murky cinematography makes it difficult to discern what's happening during the final battle, leaving viewers frustrated and disengaged.

Moreover, the tone in these movies is all over the place. The lack of a clear vision and direction has left audiences confused and wanting. While the Raimi trilogy had a certain consistency, Spider-Man 3 was an exception. The Marc Webb duology attempted to lay the foundation for a larger Spider-Man universe but ended up with a bloated, incomprehensible mess that squandered the talents of everyone involved. And then there's Venom, which seems to be struggling with an identity crisis. Is it a comedy, a sci-fi movie, or a superhero flick?

Out of Touch Producers

SM_AVI
Sony Pictures.

Sony holds the rights to Spider-Man, a franchise that should be a license to print money. Yet, the studio's questionable management decisions have left audiences wondering why they keep people who seem out of touch attached to the project. Avi Arad, the former head of Marvel Studios, has been a leading force in superhero films for years. He produced many films that paved the way for the current superhero craze in Hollywood, from Blade to X-Men. Arad is now part of the trio managing Sony's proposed Spider-Verse universe, along with Matt Tolmach and Amy Pascal.

Unfortunately, their films have missed the mark lately, with outdated production values and a lack of understanding of what audiences want. The lack of a coherent plan and knowledge of the franchise's potential has frustrated and confused fans. The current slate of movies about the Spider-Man universe features C-list characters and no plans to bring back beloved actors like Maguire or Garfield. It's still being determined who the Spider-Man in this universe is, as it already includes Venom, Morbius, and The Vulture.

Related: Andrew Garfield Thinks Coming Face-to-Face with Tom Hardy's Venom Would Be Cool

Poor Choice of Characters

"Kraven the Hunter" star Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Sony Pictures Releasing

Sony's attempt at creating a Spider-Man cinematic universe it's been an absolute mess. It's not the first time they've tried to shove too much into one movie, as we saw with the overstuffed Spider-Man 3. But the actual offender here is The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which introduced three different villains and even set up The Sinister Six, all while killing off Gwen Stacy. It was a bloated effort that ultimately fell flat, leading Sony to turn to Marvel Studios for help.

After successfully rebooting the character within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sony decided to go with their own Spider-Verse. Still, it needs to be clarified who Spider-Man is in their universe. Their upcoming slate of films focuses on lesser-known characters like Kraven the Hunter, Madame Web, and El Muerto, which won't do much to help them catch up to the MCU. Sony still hasn't learned from their mistakes and is headed down a risky path with their beloved superhero franchise.

Lack of Creativity

Venom: Let There Be Carnage
Sony Pictures Releasing

It's no secret that Sony Pictures has hit a rough patch lately, with a steep decline in revenue that has left the studio struggling to find its footing. And one area where they've struggled the most is their treatment of the Spider-Man franchise. Sony has yet to fully capitalize on the rights to their most significant property without the help of Marvel Studios. Sony has demonstrated a considerable lack of imagination by outsourcing the creative process.

Without Marvel's guidance, Sony has been unable to develop fresh and innovative ideas to keep the franchise engaging. The result has been a series of lackluster films that have failed to impress audiences, as seen with the diminishing returns of the sequels to Venom and Morbius. While some die-hard fans may enjoy these movies, Sony has failed to fully realize the potential of these characters without Marvel's involvement.

Poor Writing

Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man 2
Sony Pictures

Sony has held the movie rights to Spider-Man since the early 2000s, but apart from the well-regarded Raimi trilogy, their output has been hit or miss. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse after the release of The Amazing Spider-Man in 2012, and the subsequent installment in that series was a financial disappointment. The root cause of these issues is a common problem in Hollywood: poor writing.

Writers like Jeff Pinkner, Kelly Marcel, Matt Sazama, and Burk Sharpless, known for delivering underwhelming scripts, are often involved in the Spider-Man franchise. Sazama and Sharpless, for example, have a track record of critically panned movies like Dracula Untold and Gods of Egypt. Additionally, the constant script changes demanded by producers make the films feel like mere products designed to set up future installments instead of telling compelling stories. This lack of focus on quality storytelling has prevented Sony from realizing the full potential of its Spider-Man franchise.

Hardened Competition

Avengers movie ending
Marvel Studios.

Sony has fallen behind the competition in the cutthroat world of superhero movies. While Marvel Studios and DC Comics are pumping out hit after hit, Sony has struggled to find its footing. Despite owning much-coveted Spider-Man rights, the studio has been unable to create a successful shared universe around the beloved character. The ill-fated Amazing Spider-Man 2 clearly showed Sony had lost its way. The studio passed on the rights of properties like The X-Men and The Fantastic Four back in the 90s and has been forced to rely on lesser-known characters like Venom and Morbius.

Unfortunately, these films have failed to generate the same excitement and success as their competitors. Sony must make significant changes to keep pace in the superhero movie space. Otherwise, let the rights lapse and hand the reins back to Marvel Studios.

Poor Marketing Strategies

Morbius
Sony Pictures Releasing

In the aftermath of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Sony had to change their approach to the beloved superhero. One of the most significant moves was to strike a deal with Marvel Studios to allow Spider-Man to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was a smart move for Sony, as they could share the burden of producing Spider-Man films with the experienced team at Marvel. However, despite this, Sony has still struggled to build their own successful Spider-Verse.

Poor marketing strategies and a lack of understanding of the characters have been critical factors in their failure. Take Morbius, for example, Sony's latest box office disappointment. The trailer included misleading images cut from the final version, such as the presence of Spider-Man in the background. Moreover, these movies are marketed as standalone offerings with only half-hearted attempts at connecting them, such as the clumsy post-credit scenes in Morbius. It's clear that Sony still has a lot of work to do to create a successful Spider-Verse that can stand on its own in the competitive world of superhero movies.

General Disappointment from Fans

Star couples in Spider-Man
Sony Pictures Releasing / Marvel Studios

In today's era of social media, fans have more power than ever to make their voices heard. This was evident when Sony and Disney's partnership appeared on the rocks after their initial deal expired before the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Fans and Tom Holland spoke out, forcing Sony to play nice with Disney and continue collaborating for the trilogy's completion and future projects. NWH turned out to be a massive box office hit, and it is credited with saving theaters after the pandemic, but Sony has yet to make any significant moves in the Spider-Man universe.

The lack of clarity and direction from Sony is concerning, and fans are eagerly waiting for the studio to clarify its plans for the future of the Spider-Man franchise. While the studio is set to release a sequel to one of its most successful Spider-Man films, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, no live-action projects focus solely on the web-slinger. Instead, the studio is putting more emphasis on the villains, which has left many fans scratching their heads. For example, why is Kraven the Hunter suddenly an animal rights activist? And is Morbius a hero or a villain?

Related: Is Morbius a Hero or a Villain? It's Complicated

Lack of Cohesion

Madame Web and Spider-Man
Sony Pictures/Marvel Comics

The Raimi trilogy was a critical and commercial success, with the director's unique vision bringing the beloved comic book character to life in a way that captivated audiences worldwide. Since then, Sony's management of the Spider-Man franchise has been hit or miss, with more misses than hits. If we look closer at Sony's approach to the Spider-Man IP, the studio's track record for producing superhero movies has been less than stellar. One of the main reasons for Sony's struggles with the Spider-Man franchise is their lack of understanding of the character. Spider-Man is not just a superhero. He's a relatable character with real-life problems.

Sony has overlooked this fact, and their recent films have been more focused on setting up a shared universe and introducing new villains rather than telling a compelling story about the hero himself. To truly succeed in the superhero movie space, Sony needs to take a step back and refocus on what made the character of Spider-Man so famous in the first place. Instead of focusing solely on introducing new villains, they need to invest time and resources into developing a compelling story centered around the hero himself. Only then can Sony hope to reclaim the magic that made the Raimi trilogy so successful and establish itself as a significant player in the superhero movie landscape.