Sony’s Spider-Man Universe experienced two box office bombs in 2024, and I’m convinced these results mean we will never get Sony’s most bizarre announced project. Sony’s separate Marvel universe is one of the most misguided cinematic universes. While the studio owns Spider-Man, it decided to move forward with a Spider-Man-less universe focusing on his roster of villains. Though Spidey has many iconic villains, Sony chose projects centering around some of his more obscure enemies, besides Venom.

The Venom films haven’t been critical darlings, but audiences enjoy them, and they’ve found success at the box office. Casual audiences recognize Venom thanks to his popularity in the comics and Spider-Man 3, but the same can’t be said for the other characters in Sony’s universe. Kraven the Hunter is somewhat popular, but even some of the most hardcore comic book readers may be oblivious to who Morbius or Madame Web are. As such, after Kraven the Hunter‘s latest underwhelming box office performance, I’d be shocked if Sony moves forward with its El Muerto film.

Sony Are Refocusing The SSU After A Difficult 2024

Sony needs to change the direction of its Spider-Man universe.

The Sony Spider-Man Universe had a dreadful 2024. The year started with Madame Web, one of the worst-reviewed superhero projects ever, and a box office flop, grossing $100.5 million worldwide. While Venom: The Last Dance made up for some of those losses, it still did little to win audiences back. Kraven the Hunter was the straw that broke the camel’s back and is the lowest-grossing SSU film with $61 million worldwide. After Kraven‘s disastrous opening weekend, many reports emerged suggesting that the SSU was ᴅᴇᴀᴅ.

However, reports on the Sony Spider-Man Universe’s death may have been exaggerated, as Variety shared a report saying the universe still had life. In an interview with the LA Times, former Sony Pictures CEO Tony Vinciquerra blamed critics for the films’ poor performances but acknowledged that the studio needed to “rethink” this universe.

“I do think we need to rethink it, just because it’s snake-bitten. If we put another one out, it’s going to get destroyed, no matter how good or bad it is.”

While it’s unclear precisely what this quote means for the Sony Spider-Man Universe itself, it does reflect an awareness that the franchise can’t continue on in its current state. The only SSU films that performed well were the Venom trilogy. Now that those films are done, Sony has nothing to build on.

Sony’s El Muerto Movie Is Never Coming Out After Kraven The Hunter’s Box Office Performance

El Muerto was already doubtful, but there’s no way it gets made now.

In 2022, Sony announced El Muerto during its panel at CinemaCon. The film centered around Juan-Carlos Sanchez, a luchador wrestler who gains powers through a mystical mask and calls himself El Muerto. He is considered an antihero in Marvel Comics, as he has fought Spider-Man but has also teamed up with the hero. The film was originally set for release on January 12, 2024, and would be directed by Jonás Cuáron with Bad Bunny in the lead role. The project was seemingly canceled in 2023 after Bad Bunny confirmed he was no longer attached.

However, a 2024 report from Variety stated that El Muerto was still in development, with Sony hunting for a new lead. Since then, Sony has been radio-silent about the film, and the latest box office numbers from the SSU are a good indicator that the project is likely ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. I’m not surprised that it seems this project is no longer happening, as it was already an unconventional decision. Few outside of hardcore Spider-Man comic book readers know the character, and audiences have lost faith in this universe, meaning only the casting of Bad Bunny presented any prospects for the film.

Sony Needs To Move Away From Making Films Starring Obscure Spider-Man Characters

Spider-Man has more recognizable characters that Sony could use.

Sony’s Spider-Man Universe started on a high note with Venom, but the studio got the wrong message. Venom made nearly $1 billion worldwide, making Sony think a universe built around these characters could work. However, Venom is a well-known character who doesn’t necessarily need Spider-Man to succeed. He’s an antihero who’s sometimes an ally or a villain to Spider-Man, but he can work solo. These other characters arguably struggled at the box office because most of their stories are more pressingly attached to Spider-Man, and they’re not as well-known.

If Sony wants to focus on other villains, it needs to choose its most well-recognized characters, like Doctor Octopus or Green Goblin. While the current Sony Spider-Man Universe characters have interesting origin stories, their comic book storylines are heavily attached to Spidey, and their solo projects weren’t compelling. Sony could bring these characters back in other projects, but they should be as villains or side characters. With there still being plenty of potential in Spider-Man’s character roster, adapting these figures on-screen still has a lot of potential, so long as it is handled in different ways.