Sony exec, Sanford Panitch, has teased there is actually a plan to tie Tom Holland’s MCU Spider-Man to their Spider-Verse spinoffs. Back in the ’90s, Marvel sold the film rights to Spider-Man and his associated characters to Sony Pictures. Those rights are still owned by Sony, but fortunately in 2014 they struck an unprecedented deal with Marvel that allowed a new Spider-Man to swing into the MCU. Curiously, though, this agreement hasn’t stopped Sony launching a series of spinoffs, in what they call the “Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters.”
The precise relationship between the MCU and the SPUMC has always been a puzzling one. Back in 2017, Sony’s Amy Pascal claimed films like Venom were “adjuncts” to the MCU, but her initial comments led to a back-and-forth from figures at Sony and Marvel attempting to “clarify” the issue and instead only muddying the waters. The partnership between the two studios briefly fell through in 2019, but they eventually returned to the negotiating table and struck a new deal that may well have changed everything; Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige, teased that Spider-Man possesses the superpower to cross between cinematic universes.
Speaking to Variety, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group President, Sanford Panitch, has confirmed there is a plan to tie the MCU and the SPUMC together. “The volume of characters we have,” he observed, “you know, wait until you see this next Venom. You don’t miss Spider-Man.” But Panitch couldn’t resist pausing for a beat before teasing, “It’ll be exciting if they do meet, right?” That naturally prompted a question about whether that could ever happen, and he responded with an exciting comment. “There actually is a plan,” Panitch revealed. “I think now maybe it’s getting a little more clear for people where we’re headed and I think when No Way Home comes out, even more will be revealed.“
![Sony Teases Future Spider-Verse & MCU Crossover Films](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Peter-Parker-Shocked-Spider-Man-Far-From-Home.jpg)
Although it’s not been officially confirmed, by now it’s pretty clear Spider-Man: No Way Home will introduce Tom Holland’s Spider-Man to the Multiverse. This would fit perfectly with Feige’s comments from back in 2019, when he teased Spider-Man can web-swing between cinematic universes; presumably the Spider-Verse Sony is building simply exists in an alternate timeline, one Peter Parker will ultimately cross over with somehow. It’s an idea lifted straight from the comics, where Spider-Man is a Spider-Totem bound to the Web of Life and Destiny, and he’s been caught up in a number of Multiversal stories. As Paintich notes, the overall shape of Marvel and Sony’s plan is indeed becoming clear.
Intriguingly, Variety suggests Panitch believes Kraven the Hunter – recently confirmed to star Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the titular big game hunter – will play a key part in this overarching narrative. Back in 2018, Kraven the Hunter writer, Richard Wenk, suggested the film could adapt “Kraven’s Last Hunt,” featuring Spider-Man. This is generally considered one of the best Spider-Man stories ever told, and it should now be considered back on the table if the MCU and Sony’s Spider-Man spinoffs can indeed connect. The possibilities are endless – and tremendously exciting.
Key Release Dates
Venom: Let There Be Carnage
Release Date:2021-10-01Morbius
Release Date:2022-04-01Kraven the Hunter
Release Date:2024-08-30