I don’t think that you could call any film about a second-rate Spider-Man character much anticipated, but that doesn’t change the fact that Morbius comes out today. The reviews are decidedly less than great, including our own, but there’s no way that’s going to stop Sony from trying to make a buck from the weird, Spider-Man-less Spider-Man universe it’s cordoned itself into. So, ignoring the top tier, like Sony seems hellbent on doing, which members of Spidey’s cast of characters should get their own movie?
As a reminder, in addition to the upcoming Kraven the Hunter film and the Madame Web movie currently (and inexplicably) in development, Sony has talked over the past decade about giving the spotlight to the thief Black Cat, the mercenary Silver Sable, the very generic hero Jackpot, the vigilante Nightwatch, and possibly Spider-Woman (the latter from Olivia Wilde). There was even a vague murmur about an Aunt May film, somehow, but she’s definitely the best-known Spider-Man character in this group. By far!
So who’s next? Bringing another character with Spider-powers would make the most sense, and there are plenty to choose from: Miles Morales, the Peter Parker clone Ben Reilly, Ghost-Spider, and Silk (who’s getting a TV series) would make a ton of sense, so we can rule them out. While Sony has the rights to the villains who popped up in Marvel Studios’ No Way Home — Green Goblin, Dr. Octopus, the Lizard, Electro, and Sandman — the studio’s pattern so far has been to focus on characters that haven’t made the jump to the big screen, in hopes of stumbling upon another Venom-level success.
So let’s set our sights low. Villains include Scorpion, Shocker, Tombstone, Alistair Smythe, Jack O’Lantern, Beetle, Hydro-Man, Tarantula, Fancy Dan, and Spot, none of whom have interesting enough backstories to carry an entire film, which should make them viable candidates for Sony. The same is true of the supporting heroes Razorback, the Living Brain, Grizzly, and Frog-Man. Honestly, a J. Jonah Jameson origin story would have the most brand recognition, but I could also imagine a film about the burglar that shot Uncle Ben who grapples with his guilt, the consequences of inspiring Spider-Man to become a hero, and having a daughter who ends up working at the Daily Bugle and dating Ben Reilly. Would it be good? I have no idea, but it makes more sense to me than Madame Web.
But enough about my choices — what are yours? Which Spider-character would you like to get a movie? And which characters do you think Sony will give a movie instead? Let us know in the comments!