Sony's Spider-Man Universe

Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Columbia Pictures in association with Marvel Entertainment. Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, the films are based on various Marvel Comics characters and properties commonly associated with Spider-Man. Work on an expanded universe using supporting characters from the Spider-Man films began by December 2013. Sony Pictures planned to use The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) to launch several spin-off films focused on Spider-Man villains from the comics, including a Venom film. After the relative critical and financial disappointment of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, these plans were abandoned and in February 2015, Sony announced a deal to collaborate with Marvel Studios on future Spider-Man films and integrate the character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). This relationship produced Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), while Sony separately redeveloped Venom (2018) as a stand-alone film later established as beginning its own fictional universe. Sony and Marvel Studios renegotiated their deal in 2019 to share the Spider-Man character between the MCU and their standalone Marvel-based films. Venom was followed by Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) and Morbius (2022), both of which have mid-credit scenes that feature elements from the multiverse concept to link the SSU with the MCU, while Sony's animated Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) is also connected to the SSU. Venom and Morbius received negative reviews from critics while Venom: Let There Be Carnage received mixed reviews. The series has grossed a combined $1.5 billion worldwide. Sony is developing a number of live-action films based on Marvel characters, with scheduled releases for Madame Web, the untitled Venom: Let There Be Carnage sequel, and Kraven the Hunter in 2024. Several more films are in various stages of development, and Sony Pictures Television is developing several live-action television series set in the same shared universe, which include Silk: Spider Society and an untitled Spider-Man Noir series. Name Sony officially announced their new shared universe—based on various Marvel Comics properties and characters commonly associated with Spider-Man—in May 2017, with the title "Sony's Marvel Universe".