Sony's Marvel Universe

[Oscar Rothman]

http://collider.com/venom-movie-rati..._medium=social

Exclusive: Sony Developing ‘Venom’ as R-Rated Start to Their Own Marvel Universe

In a rare bit of Hollywood cooperation between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures, both studios reached an agreement that will allow them to share–and benefit from–Spider-Man appearing on the big screen. But while Marvel has Tom Holland cast as Peter Parker, who made his introduction in Captain America: Civil War and will be leading Spider-Man: Homecoming, Sony still owns the cinematic portrayals of the web-crawler and something on the order of 900 Marvel characters. It goes without saying that they’d like to capitalize on that intellectual property.

We’re already seeing this happen. Fox example, the recent story that Sony has hired screenwriter Chris Yost (Thor: Ragnarok) to write the script for Spider-Man characters Black Cat and Silver Sable, building on a previous version of the script Lisa Joy (Westworld); Matt Tolmach and Amy Pascal will produce the film previously known as the “secret female spin-off project.” However, there’s also the previously announced Venom standalone film and its recently confirmed release date of October 5, 2018. Scripted by Dante Harper (Alien: Covenant) and produced by Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach, we’re hearing that Sony is developing Venom not only as the film to launch their own Marvel Universe, but as an R-rated effort.

Keep in mind that this is the plan we’re hearing about at the moment and that things could still change between now and late 2018—especially once a director signs on and has his or her own vision—but it’s certainly an interesting approach to building Sony’s Marvel Universe. Andrew Garfield‘s take on Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man films was fine, but apparently not a direction the studio wanted to continue pursuing, despite tallying nearly $1.5 billion from just two films. Instead, the newly retooled Sony’s Marvel Universe will launch with an R-rated Venom that is expected to keep its budget modest. It sounds like Sony’s taking notes on the successes of both the MCU and 20th Century Fox’s Deadpool and Logan, and applying them to their own substantial stable of superheroes and supervillains.

Let’s be clear: Sony’s Marvel Universe will not be connected to the MCU in any way (sorry, Guardians of the Galaxy fans, but a Venom crossover is highly dubious) and the planned Venom and Black Cat and Silver Sable films are all part of Sony’s own shared universe, not spin-offs of any existing films. Marvel’s Kevin Feige has nothing to do with these films; it’s Tom Rothman, chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Motion Picture Group, who’s calling the shots. The announcement of Venom‘s release date tells us that the execs are happy with the script and the new direction they’re embarking on, but with no director set for either film, obviously things can still change since all of the announced films are still in development.

[mwynn]

It would be nice of they would release of list of what characters are in which camp. Would the Spider-man license, included Solo?
Really surprised they have not tried to capitalize on Spider-gwen.

[Rodney-2187]

sony-leave-spider-man-alone_o_4242921.jpg

[MattJ1991]

[don3663]

I'm no authority on Marvel movies, but this seems pointless. An R rated Cable / Blade / Punisher makes sense. Venom, not so much.

[Miraculous Ladybug]

Sigh. I wish Sony would just leave Spider-Man alone!

[Tamburello Rouge]

What a missed opportunity. It made sense that Spider-Man would find the symbiote while out in space sometime during the Infinity Wars. The second or third SM solo movie could actually have been a proper big screen adaptation of the alien costume story from the comics. This is an iconic story and should be done properly by Marvel. I'm afraid Sony is just going to screw it up (again).

[imsounoriginal]

I don't really see what's wrong with this necessarily. Marvel still gets to use Spidey and Sony does its own thing with Spidey-related characters. As long as the movies are entertaining (which is a BIG "if" with Sony), I'm not gonna write this off immediately. R-rated Venom sounds like a pretty baller idea, honestly.

[Darth Marcus]

Hey Rothman and Arad

[CyberpunkCentral]

Originally Posted by imsounoriginal

I don't really see what's wrong with this necessarily. Marvel still gets to use Spidey and Sony does its own thing with Spidey-related characters. As long as the movies are entertaining (which is a BIG "if" with Sony), I'm not gonna write this off immediately. R-rated Venom sounds like a pretty baller idea, honestly.

Because Venom is heavily tied to Spider-Man. If you're going to have a Venom movie, then you have to set him up first. Also the idea of a Spider-Man "cinematic universe" is a stupid idea, because these are just side characters. They weren't meant to start franchises.

[imsounoriginal]

Did I miss something, or can Spidey no longer appear in any only-Sony movies? Can he only appear in MCU/Marvel movies now?

[mwynn]

Originally Posted by CyberpunkCentral

Because Venom is heavily tied to Spider-Man. If you're going to have a Venom movie, then you have to set him up first. Also the idea of a Spider-Man "cinematic universe" is a stupid idea, because these are just side characters. They weren't meant to start franchises.

I say we let Sony find this out, all on their own. They are trying to grasp at any franchise they can.

[Seymour]

Originally Posted by imsounoriginal

Did I miss something, or can Spidey no longer appear in any only-Sony movies? Can he only appear in MCU/Marvel movies now?

The article doesn't really specify, but since Spidey is now part of the MCU (for a few movies at least), I think that means he won't appear in any of these announced movies.

That's why everyone is already down on this idea, cause a Venom movie without Spider-Man sounds really dumb.

[CyberpunkCentral]

Originally Posted by imsounoriginal

Did I miss something, or can Spidey no longer appear in any only-Sony movies? Can he only appear in MCU/Marvel movies now?

That's not the point. Even if Spider-Man shows up in the Venom movie, Sony is making the same mistake as they did with Spider-Man 3 by rushing the character. The rumor of Spider-Man getting the symbiote suit in The Avengers: Infinity War is a far better idea than this Venom movie. What a missed opportunity if we don't see the symbiote in The Avengers: Infinity War.

[imsounoriginal]

Originally Posted by CyberpunkCentral

That's not the point. Even if Spider-Man shows up in the Venom movie, Sony is making the same mistake as they did with Spider-Man 3 by rushing the character. The rumor of Spider-Man getting the symbiote suit in The Avengers: Infinity War is a far better idea than this Venom movie. What a missed opportunity if we don't see the symbiote in The Avengers: Infinity War.

Having the symbiote in the MCU would've been better but I don't see how Sony's rushing. Venom's getting his own entire movie, not getting clumsily shoehorned into the third act against the wishes of the director. Sony hasn't really done much to engender a lot of faith but I'm willing to give them a chance here, especially if Spidey pops up in these movies (though I dunno how Marvel/Disney feel about Spidey appearing in an R-rated Venom movie).

Originally Posted by Seymour

The article doesn't really specify, but since Spidey is now part of the MCU (for a few movies at least), I think that means he won't appear in any of these announced movies.

That's why everyone is already down on this idea, cause a Venom movie without Spider-Man sounds really dumb.

If Spidey doesn't show up at all then yeah, that's pretty dumb. Venom working as some kind of antihero, which IIRC they said the movie would basically portray him as, isn't such a bad idea. But I don't see how to do that without Spidey, even if he only shows up in flashbacks of TV footage or something. There has to be some Spidey in there.

[Geoff D]

Yep. I'd rather have them try a Venom standalone than end up with Venom shoehorned into the third act of some Spidey sequel and played by the dude from That '70s Show.

[CyberpunkCentral]

Originally Posted by imsounoriginal

Having the symbiote in the MCU would've been better but I don't see how Sony's rushing. Venom's getting his own entire movie, not getting clumsily shoehorned into the third act against the wishes of the director. Sony hasn't really done much to engender a lot of faith but I'm willing to give them a chance here, especially if Spidey pops up in these movies (though I dunno how Marvel/Disney feel about Spidey appearing in an R-rated Venom movie).

They are rushing. Because they are rushing through when Spider-Man worn the symbiote suit and his beef with Venom, all while having Carnage in the mix as well. It's Spider-Man 3 all over again.

[Mike1981]

Hopefully they go the Incredible Hulk route and just start with Venom already established and operating on his own.

[imsounoriginal]

Originally Posted by CyberpunkCentral

They are rushing. Because they are rushing through when Spider-Man worn the symbiote suit and his beef with Venom, all while having Carnage in the mix as well. It's Spider-Man 3 all over again.

I don't think it's necessary to do the whole "Spidey battles with the symbiote before it latches onto Brock" thing all over again. Give things a new spin. Brock's a small-time criminal who comes across the symbiote and uses it for ill gains before some bigger threat emerges in the form of Carnage and with Spidey out helping save the world from bigger dangers, Venom is the only game in town to save NYC. Something like that. I'm all for them trying something new and adapting these character/source material for the big screen, rather than simply take stories we already know and regurgitate them all over again. Just gonna keep an open mind, it's easy to be dismissive (especially with Sony lol) but the idea of getting Spidey standalones, Spidey with the Avengers, and movies about Spidey villains is all kinds of tantalizing.

[Hellraiserfan]

Originally Posted by Darth Marcus

Hey Rothman and Arad

Don't forget to include that nitwit Amy Pascal in there as well.

Those three working together is terrible.

I need more details about all of this because from what it sounds like, a number of Spider-Man's villains and side characters might never interact with him now since Sony wants a number of them to not be connected with the MCU.

Obviously we know Vulture, The Tinkerer and Shocker exist in the MCU but characters like Venom apparently don't or won't I guess. Doesn't quite make any sense but that's Avi and Pascal for ya. Rothman is more of the penny pincher like he was at Fox so I don't expect a lot of these creative decisions necessarily being his ideas.