The way that Sony has handled things with their Spider-Man franchises has often been considered questionable among fans. While they may have a deal with Marvel Studios for the use of Spider-Man in their films, it hasn't stopped them from going forward with projects related to the webslinger—but just not without him.
Their first project in this vein was Venom, one which seemed to be a hit despite lukewarm critical reception. Either way, it did well enough to warrant a sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, one that is set to bring the murderous red symbiote to life for the first time in live-action.
Their slate doesn't end there though, with the studio having Morbius set for next January as well as a solo film focusing on Spidey's classic villain Kraven the Hunter in the works. With all of these projects, the appearance of Spider-Man in any of them still hasn't looked all that likely.
The universe in which these films existed used to be called the SPUMC, or Sony Pictures' Universe of Marvel Characters. At CinemaCon, Sony Studios announced a brand-new label for their Spidey-related films, one which may indicate a future with the webhead's inclusion.
SONY SPIDER-MAN UNIVERSE GETS RE-BRANDED
At CinemaCon, Sony officially revealed that the SPUMC was getting a new name. Going forward, all of their films related to various Spider-Man characters will be in a combined universe called "Sony's Spider-Man Universe."
The new name is pretty notable, as it now includes Spider-Man front and center, something that seemingly hints that webslinger's role in the proceedings could be in the near future.
SPIDER-MAN JOINS THE FIGHT
So what's changed for the studio to just now be adding Spider-Man to the label of their cinematic universe? Well, there was that snafu between them and Marvel Studios; one which both production companies got past, but there was likely a compromise between the two that allowed the use of the famous superhero in both universes.
If Sony is now set to use Peter Parker in their films, their popularity and overall success are likely to skyrocket. After all, who doesn't want to see Tom Holland go up against Venom and/or Carnage? Maybe fans will even get to see a proper adaptation of the famous comic storyline Kraven's Last Hunt; something which probably won't happen until after the villain is done dealing with Chameleon.
The next film in Sony's Spider-Man Universe, or the SSU, will be Venom: Let There Be Carnage on October 15, followed by Morbius on January 21, 2022.
Of course, in between those two is the MCU's Spider-Man: No Way Home, a film that finally got its first trailer—and the film looks like quite the insane ride.
