The President of Sony Pictures Television has addressed the upcoming expansion of Sony's Spider-Man Universe that will start with Amazon's Silk: Spider Society.
Even as it continues to work with Marvel Studios to explore Tom Holland's Spider-Man within the confines of the MCU, Sony Pictures remains hard at work on taking full advantage of its arsenal of Marvel characters in obscure spin-offs.
So far, these have all been big-screen endeavors such as Venom, Morbius, Kraven the Hunter, Madame Web, and El Muerto, but much like the rest of Hollywood, Sony is preparing to expand its superhero franchise to television.
First up on that front will be Amazon's Silk: Spider Society, which will dive into the story of Korean-American hero Cindy Moon after she gets bitten by the same spider as Peter Parker, better known as Spider-Man.
While details on that project currently remain vague, a Sony executive has given an exciting update on how these shows will play into things.
Sony Expands Spider-Man Spin-Offs to Television
Speaking to Deadline, Sony Pictures Television President Katherine Pope revealed an exciting update on the plans to expand Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSMU) to television in the coming years.
The Sony boss promised they will be "working really closely with... the motion picture group" to ensure their Marvel series are "in lockstep with them" and are being "[executed] at the same level:"
"This is also an example of working really closely with Tom Rothman and Sanford Panitch, and the motion picture group, to make sure that we are in lockstep with them and also executing at the same level. They’ve done such an incredible job with that franchise, so we want to make sure we’re executing at that level."
The Walking Dead showrunner Angela Kang was revealed in November 2022 to be heading up the Silk: Spider Society series for Amazon. The Spider-Man spin-off was marked as the first in a “suite of live-action television series based on the Sony Pictures universe of Marvel characters."
Pope noted her excitement to be working with Kang, calling her a "just brilliant and a total pro:"
"It’s a huge focus certainly for all of us here, and for me in particular. I was already a fan of Angela Kang, so I’m really, really excited to be working with her on Silk. She’s just brilliant and a total pro."
Spider-Verse directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller - who will executive produce Silk: Spider Society - praised Kang in an interview with TV Line, describing how "she loves these characters:"
"Angela is a pro’s pro whose perspective and creativity we greatly respect and admire. She’s also a hell of a lot of fun. She loves these characters and we feel really lucky for the chance to work with her to bring Cindy Moon’s story to the world.”
Kang touched on her excitement to join Amazon Studios for this Marvel endeavor, adding her excitement to be working on "diverse, character-forward, watercooler shows:"
“I’m beyond thrilled to be joining the Amazon Studios family for this next chapter of my career. I look forward to working with the executive team on diverse, character-forward, watercooler shows for a global audience and am so excited to dive into my first challenge—bringing Korean-American superhero Silk to life on screen.”
When Will Sony's First Spider-Man Series Release?
Hearing that Sony is striving to ensure its Spider-Man spin-offs are "executed at the same level" of production quality and visuals as the movies shouldn't come as a huge surprise. After all, in the age of streaming, big budget blockbuster series have become the norm, with cheaper projects being increasingly phased out.
Much like the MCU's Disney+ series, Sony's Marvel shows for Amazon will likely end up playing into its larger world with Venom and the rest of the gang. Although it still remains unclear exactly what direction Sony is heading with that story, especially after Morbius teased an eventual crossover of villains and anti-heroes.
In terms of the current slate for Sony's Spider-Man Universe, Kraven the Hunter will release this October, with El Muerto, Madame Web, and an untitled third movie that could be Venom 3 set to follow in 2024. And now, these shows will only add to that slate, leaving Sony with at least three Marvel projects likely releasing annually.
With Spider Society having just found its showrunner in November 2022, development now ought to be progressing faster, although the show may still be some time away. For now, it's tough to tell exactly how far along the script and other preparations may currently be, making the release date tough to determine.
Based on the current signs, fans will be waiting until at least 2025 before they can catch Silk: Spider Society on Amazon. Hopefully, that will just be the beginning of bigger things with more Marvel series in this world to follow, eventually leading to these characters crossing over onto the big screen.
One can only hope that Silk and Sony's other television outings will end up being better received than the movies in the SSMU so far. While it's too soon to tell for sure, having Spider-Verse's Lord and Miller on board with a talented showrunner like Angela Kang certainly points toward great things.
Silk: Spider Society has yet to set an official release date. Sony's next Marvel premiere will come with Kraven the Hunter which hits theaters on October 6.
