You might not want to hold your breath for a Madame Web 2, Kraven the Hunter 2, or even a Morbius 2. But the Spider-Man universe isn’t finished just yet.
Tom Rothman, the chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures, recently shared that the studio is planning a “fresh reboot” of this extended universe. After a string of movie disappointments—except for the Venom films, which did well—this might be the change fans have been waiting for.
In an interview on The Town podcast, Rothman was asked about the future of the Spider-Man franchise. He confirmed, “No, it’s not dead,” and added that they will indeed return to the franchise but with new faces. He emphasized the importance of not overexposing the franchise, stating, “scarcity has value… you got to make the audience miss you.”
A notable moment in the discussion was when Rothman confirmed a previous report that Spider-Man: No Way Home was banned in China. The film, which grossed about $1.9 billion globally, could have earned more if it hadn’t missed the Chinese market. Rothman shared that the China Film Administration requested the removal of the Statue of Liberty from the film’s climax. He humorously noted, “I really didn’t look forward to sitting in front of Congress telling them why I cut the Statue of Liberty out at the request of the Chinese Communist Party.”
Despite the challenges, the success of Venom ($856 million) set a high mark for the Spider-Man universe. In contrast, 2022’s Morbius only managed to bring in $162 million, while Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter are expected to face similar struggles. The latter, with a production budget over $100 million, is projected to earn only $60 million.
Interestingly, Sony has been keen to tap into the Chinese market, hoping No Way Home would be the film to break through. The previous film, Far From Home, made around $200 million in China. According to Rothman, the potential losses from missing out on that market weigh heavily on the studio.
Rothman also discussed his relationship with Kevin Feige, the head of Marvel, suggesting that both he and director James Cameron are not to be underestimated. Their expertise lends a glimmer of hope for the future of these films.
As the Spider-Man universe prepares for its reboot, fans can only wait and see how these changes unfold. With fresh ideas and a new direction, this iconic franchise might just regain its footing.
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