Did Venom: The Last Dance cut in to the Sony Spider-Man Universe’s future?

Did Venom: The Last Dance cut in to the Sony Spider-Man Universe's future?

As a longtime fan of comic books and superhero movies, I must say that the evolution of the Sony Spider-Man Universe has been quite a rollercoaster ride. Having grown up with the original Tobey Maguire trilogy, it was both exciting and nerve-wracking to see a new direction taken with the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

At the dawn of the new century, Sony Pictures decided to leverage the intellectual properties from the Spider-Man universe, and one of their plans involved introducing iconic characters like Venom. Similarly to how Marvel Studios favored a certain charming stepbrother, these movies would be loosely linked and expand upon the foundation laid by comic book legends such as Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Jack Kirby, John Romita Sr., Gil Kane, and others in their comics.

Initially conceived by Todd MacFarlane in 1988 and introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man issue #252, Venom was fueled by a desire for revenge when he was created as a symbiote. Much like how we’d feel if our landlord forced us out of our home, Venom sought retribution after being separated from his first human host, Spider-Man.

Originally, he was a being driven by intense anger, specifically focusing his attacks on Eddie Brock. From the Klyntar homeworld to San Francisco, Venom arrived with the intent to destroy or consume anything that crossed his path. However, something unusual happened to the black-and-white substance of rage in October 2018. This time, he showcased a slapstick comedy routine and had a tender side visible in every movie. So, how did fans react?

Venom, Oct. 2018–$213.5M (domestic), $856.1M (worldwide)
Venom: Let There be Carnage, Oct. 2021–$213.5M (domestic), $501.5M (worldwide)
Venom: The Last Dance, Oct. 2024–$138.4M (domestic), $468.4M (worldwide)

It’s obvious that the numbers reflect this: America had high expectations for Venom’s toughest adversary, Carnage. However, international viewers lost faith rapidly. By the time we saw Venom: The Last Dance, the franchise was widely known to have a negative reputation.

With the digital release of the film just around the corner on December 10, it will be streaming for the first time. However, now that the theatrical run is wrapping up with minimal fanfare, could this affect its marketing strategy? After all, “Venom: The Last Dance” – at least it wasn’t “Madame Web.

How does Venom affect the Sony Spider-Man Universe’s future earnings and interest?

Did Venom: The Last Dance cut in to the Sony Spider-Man Universe's future?

We discussed Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s remarks on his character as Kraven the Hunter in the upcoming movie, and he expressed confidence that it won’t disappoint viewers. However, the general sentiment around the Sony Spider-Man Universe might not share the same optimism.

In the movie business, it’s about maintaining confidence. Watch the mighty ascension of the Marvel Cinematic Universe during The Infinity Saga. Although there were certain dips on the road to global domination (we’re looking at you, Ant-Man), it is one of the most impressive feats in cinematic history. From 2008 to 2019, 23 films (mostly) shattered the ideas of box office pundits about how a comic book movie franchise could retain fans. Today, the MCU is the highest-grossing film series, valued at $29.8 billion.

Speaking about Sony Pictures and their profit margins, it’s quite astonishing when you consider they bought the rights to Spider-Man in 1999 for just $7 million. Fast forward to today, and those ten Spider-Man films they produced have amassed a staggering $8.9 billion. That’s almost a 128,000% return on their initial investment! Impressively, they used the remaining intellectual property (mainly other characters from the Spider-Man universe) to create an entire universe of their own.

Between October 2018 up to late 2024 (not including Kraven the Hunter as it hasn’t premiered yet), eight movies have accumulated a total of $3.1 billion in earnings. Though this is a significant income, it also encompasses films like Morbius, which managed only $162 million globally, and Madame Web, with a disappointing $100 million worldwide collection.

They certainly produced captivating, animated films starring Miles Morales, which have grossed an impressive $1.056 billion collectively (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse). It’s logical to anticipate that Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse could break the $1 billion mark at the box office when it is released. However, Sony seems confident about what they can achieve now that Marvel Studios is collaborating on some projects with them.

In the Sony Spider-Man universe, there are some upcoming movies that have been heavily speculated about (and might not even happen) are as follows:

The Sinister Six (which has been rumored since 2013 but should culminate with Kraven)
Nightwatch (with Cheo Hodari Coker of Luke Cage fame rewriting the script)
Jackpot (another rumor since 2018 attached to comic writer Marc Guggenheim)
In 2020, Roberto Orci, screenwriter of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, was hired to pen another film set insider the SSV that will be tangential, but not connected, to Peter Parker.
In mid-2022, El Muerto was announced from Sony’s CinemaCon. It would star Bad Bunny, who impressed in Bullet Train. Given that Juan-Carlos Estrada Sanchez was a Luchadore in the comics and WWE gave Bad Bunny a headlining match at Backlash 2023, things looked optimal for the film. Since then, it seems the film itself is “Muertos,” which is a shame.
In December 2022, Sony boasted what fans connected the dots months prior: Donald Glover would star (and produce) in a franchise film about Hypno-Hustler. The dots were Glover’s live and vocal cameos as Aaron Davis/Prowler in Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, respectively.
In 2023, THR (via The Direct) confirmed Olivia Wilde was “still attached to direct a Marvel feature for Sony.” The film’s rumor has Spider-Woman at its core, which has been alive and not-so-well since August 2020.

In essence, is Venom hindering the growth of the Sony Spider-Man Universe? Not quite. Instead, Kraven the Hunter needs to make a significant impact at the worldwide box office to earn substantial profits, as competition in the industry can be fierce. (Apologies for the jungle reference.)

2024-12-10 06:33