Sony swings to failure, reboot again, on Spiderman whilst Marvel finds success with Spiderman

Sony swings to failure, reboot again, on Spiderman whilst Marvel finds success with Spiderman

Sony plans to reboot its Spider-Man universe yet again. After releasing a series of flops, “okay” movies, and hit-or-miss efforts, the studio has officially confirmed that it is hitting the reset button. During a February 2026 appearance on The Town podcast, Sony Pictures CEO Tom Rothman confirmed that they are planning a “fresh reboot” with “new people.”

We don’t know much yet. They want another crack at it, but I have no idea if they want the web-slinger himself to appear, or if they want to try and create something in his world without him. But what I do know is that if Avi Arad is involved, things could be very bad. Honestly, after being burned by their efforts, I don’t want to see any more of this. Please, stop the torture. Stop the crimes against cinema and learn from your mistakes. Go for smaller budgets and use Spider-Man at some point! Actually make use of Marvel’s ideas and creative genius. I like Spider-Man, but what you’re doing is just cruel and stupid. Wasting time and money.

The Legal Context I’ve covered the history of superhero cinema and my thoughts on the MCU in previous posts, but here is the essential context: back in the 1990s, when Marvel was facing bankruptcy, they sold off a lot of film rights. Some turned into money spinners, while others resulted in absolute duds. Over time, almost everyone else returned home to Marvel, but Spider-Man remains with Sony.

Because the contract covers the character and anyone connected to his world, Sony can make movies about the entire library. However, it is a strict “use it or lose it” deal. Back in 2014, Sony’s internal documents were leaked and have been covered by the press extensively. That agreement contains a critical “Production Term” clause:

“The ‘Production Term’ extends indefinitely as long as SPE continues to produce and release Pictures as follows: As a general rule, SPE must (a) commence production of each Picture within 3 years and 9 months after the release of the preceding Picture and (b) release each Picture within 5 years and 9 months after the release of the preceding Picture. If SPE releases 3 Pictures within 8 consecutive years, then SPE may extend the foregoing deadlines as follows: (a) commence production of the next Picture within 5 years after the release of the preceding Picture and (b) release such Picture within 7 years after the release of the preceding Picture.”

Sony is legally bound to torture Spider-Man fans until the end of time—or until they run out of money. If they fail to meet these deadlines, the rights revert to Marvel, which is how other characters found their way back to Disney. To make matters worse, terms state films must be a certain budget too—$75 million or more. The agreement was amended in 2011, 2015, and 2019. While the exact current terms aren’t public, the pattern suggests they remain largely the same, especially given Sony’s constant, forced release schedule. The 2015 amendment was likely driven by the need to bring Tom Holland’s Spider-Man into the MCU, where Marvel took over creative guidance. Sony, not wanting to give up its “golden goose,” took the deal even if it meant less profit per movie.

A History of Highs and Lows Before this, Sony’s Spider-Man history dates back to 2002, 2004, and 2007. That trilogy was a success, aside from the last installment—Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man was quite good. That original 2002 run was in the works before Fox made the first X-Men movie a success, which is why Sony went big on Spider-Man before Marvel even took a shot at its own IP with Iron Man.

After the Raimi trilogy, a fourth movie was canceled, leading to a reboot: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), which did alright. The follow-up film in 2014 was a failure and ended that idea. Fans hated parts of it; it moved away from the source material and, while it had some ideas, never really did much to add to the character. It was leading toward a Sinister Six showdown, but it collapsed.

The Spider-Man universe of films was inspired by the MCU and born out of necessity, given how badly Sony’s previous reboots and solo efforts had failed. That contract is how we got into this mess. The character entered the MCU in 2016. Sony saw the value in a deal that traded revenue for Marvel’s creative support. That partnership yielded successes in 2017, 2019, 2021, and the upcoming 2026 film. We also had the successful animated films Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and its sequels (2023, 2027). Due to that success, Sony decided to do more spin-offs, which led to a mixed bag:

• Venom (1–3): 2018, 2021, 2024. I never had any interest in watching Venom without Spider-Man, but it was meant to be a good trilogy that hinted at Spider-Man vs. Venom—but we never got it. I skipped it and can’t remember watching it. I think I did watch it, which tells you everything you need to know—it was just okay.

• Morbius (2022): Meant to be okay, but it’s a bit of a joke movie. I skipped it.

• Madame Web (2024): I did watch this, and I still consider it one of the worst movies ever made. I regret the choice, and I still hate it. So bad that to this day I judge movies against it.

• Kraven the Hunter (2024): Terrible. I think I watched it, but I can’t remember it. Madame Web’s failure made this film get delayed.

While Venom and Morbius performed passably, everything else flopped at the box office so hard it makes you wonder who greenlit them. It got so bad that Sony hit the brakes and delayed various projects. Even the star of Madame Web mocked the movie. They could have done that with Spider-Man and the MCU, but instead produced this terrible movie on a budget that makes me wonder how they spent so much money on so little.

The Road Ahead Now, Sony plans to have another crack at it. Why? Because the “use it or lose it” clock is always ticking. As I mentioned, Rothman confirmed that while they are hitting the reset button with a “fresh reboot,” they intend to return to this universe eventually. Given we have a new movie in 2027, Sony has some breathing room. I’m curious what they plan on doing. The obvious move would be getting Marvel to help and doing a Sinister Six movie. Given Spider-Man: Brand New Day is coming out after everybody forgets who Peter Parker is, who knows? Maybe we see Venom vs. Spider-Man instead? Please? But given the “new people” comment, I suspect that means new actors, so no Venom movie. Which is a shame; that would be quite good to cover. Eventually being key word and 2027 means I think we should see something in 2032 unless Marvel has something. 

What I found funny due to his interview was his comment that “scarcity has value.” Given how many movies were made, I think that’s a lie and he’s just trying to save face. One thing is clear: Sony views Spider-Man as important not to give up, and something is coming. My guess is we see something in 2030. Who knows? Maybe Marvel will give us another Spider-Man movie and Sony will give up trying. I doubt that, but who knows.

What I do know is Brand new day is going to be out now after I post this and im looking forward to watching it.