Is the universe of Spider-Man villains from Sony coming to an end? Everything seems to indicate that the nightmare is over

Sony’s ambitious attempt to build a cinematic universe centered around Spider-Man’s villains seems to have come to an end. Despite a promising start with the commercial success of Venom (2018), subsequent releases like Morbius (2022) and Madame Web (2024) turned out to be failures both critically and at the box office. Now, with the imminent release of Kraven the Hunter on December 13, everything points to Sony putting an end to its “spider universe” outside the creative control of Marvel Studios.

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The reason is clear. Sony has invested more than 465 million dollars in the production of these films, hoping to replicate the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). However, from the collapse in the second week of Morbius to the disastrous 52 million dollar opening of Madame Web, the trend was clear: the audience was not interested in a universe of secondary characters disconnected from the central protagonist, Spider-Man. Even Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), although profitable with more than 500 million dollars, showed a decline compared to the 856 million of its predecessor. And the third part of the trilogy has barely achieved more than 400 million.

Close the door on your way out

The main problem seems to be the lack of a cohesive narrative vision. While the MCU has proven to be a successful model thanks to its long-term planning and interconnected stories, Sony’s movies lacked that approach. The exclusive reliance on Spider-Man’s villains without a clear connection to the main hero also turned out to be a fundamental mistake.

Poor execution is added to this, of course. Negative reviews and inconsistency in the quality of productions undermined public interest. Movies like Morbius, which generated memes more than admiration, and the low earnings of Madame Web, evidenced a total disconnection with the viewer’s expectations.

With a budget of $110 million, Kraven the Hunter promises to be a conclusion with an adult and violent tone, but expectations for the film are low. The limited release to 3,000 theaters in the United States, a reduction compared to previous installments, underscores the lack of confidence in the project. And the audience seems to want nothing to do with this failed universe anymore.

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Finally, Sony, which still holds the rights to Spider-Man and its gallery of characters, seems to be reevaluating its strategy. Instead of focusing on a failed shared universe, the studio might prioritize safer and more profitable projects, such as Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse and the collaboration with Marvel Studios for Spider-Man 4.