2 more Spider-Man Spin-offs, Solo and Man-Wolf Rumored to be on Sony's slate

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The Illuminerdi has been tipped off on two new Spider-Man spin-offs being plotted at Sony Pictures.

Sony is firmly in a new phase of Spider-Man filmmaking. They have a new agreement and understanding with Marvel Studios over the rights to Spider-Man and the MCU’s characters crossing the streams. They proved that they could make a hit superhero movie despite the absence of Spider-Man with Venom. The next spin-off film from Spidey’s world is this year’s Morbius, while the third Spider-Man film is prepping for an international shoot.

However, everything has been thrown up in the air over the past few weeks and Hollywood, along with the rest of the world, has been turned upside down. So, with that uncertainty in mind, we wanted to share some information that we’ve been sitting on for a few weeks.

We have had a lot of luck with our sources over at Sony and Marvel as of late. We were made aware of the direction of the Spider-Woman project, we were able to find out character and story details for Kraven the Hunter, and we were even able to catch wind of executives’ behind-the-scenes desire to bring Jake Gyllenhaal back into the fold.

Finally, at the beginning of the month, we were told about two other Spider-Man spin-offs that are in the early stages of development. These projects may expand our understanding of how big the scope of Sony’s live-action Spider-Verse aspires to be.

More Spider-Man Spin-Offs?

Typically, I don’t like running a story without a visual or secondary confirmation. However, our source has proven themselves, and with Hollywood coming to a halt and these projects being in the infancy of their development, that second confirmation is certainly some time away. Moreover, with the recent speculation over Sony’s mysterious future release dates (which will surely be altered due to world events), this information may help Marvelites to decode the future of the Spider-Verse. We certainly have enough time on our hands, right?

Our source explained that Sony has two other lesser-known characters from the Marvel Comics’ world of Spider-Man, Solo and Man-Wolf, in the early stages of development at the studio. As far as we know there isn’t talent attached at this time, but they are on the conveyor belt of production that brought the equally improbable Morbius spin-off film to an unlikely reality.

Who Is Solo?

Solo is a lesser-known character from the pages of Marvel Comics. I grew up a Spider-Man comic fan and still had to take a double-take when notified that this was the character being groomed for an adaptation. However, upon a little further research on the character, he could certainly lead a compelling action movie.

Solo, also known as James Bourne, is a counter-terrorism specialist who is a master of hand to hand combat and firearms. He also has cybernetic implants that allows him to teleport short distances.

Unlike most of the other Sony Spider-Man spin-offs, such as Venom and Morbius, Solo is more of a straightforward hero and ally to the web-slinger than the aforementioned anti-heroes. His adventures have crossed paths with the likes of Nick Fury, Deadpool, and Mysterio, and has often been there to aid Spidey, and other heroes, in their times of need.

It’s easy to envision this project being a high-tech thriller set in a world of extraordinary combatants. Unlike Venom, this Spider-Man spin-off wouldn’t distract rabid fans expecting to see the web-slinger in the action. Along with securing an inventive action director (how perfect would The Raid’s Gareth Evans be?), Solo would need a dynamic and charismatic star. Since we can only assume that if the project comes to light and is a hit, Solo would continue his presence in the larger Spider-Verse.

Who Is Man-Wolf?

Man-Wolf’s connection to Peter Parker’s story is much more linear. Colonel John Jonah Jameson III is the son of Daily Bugle chief, J. Jonah Jameson, who made his first MCU appearance in Spider-Man: Far From Home. The youngest Jameson was an astronaut who discovered a mysterious lunar rock on an expedition to the Moon. Upon his return to Earth, the astronaut found himself transforming into the werewolf known as Man-Wolf.

The creature’s history is intrinsically intertwined with Parker’s story, as Spider-Man was often at the scene of his mishaps, which fueled further distrust with the elder Jameson.

If this project makes it into production, it will certainly hinge on whether Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons returns in a larger role and how he’s ultimately utilized. Man-Wolf could be the opportunity to do what no other Spider-Man film has, give the audience a reason to sympathize with Jameson.

In the comics, the elder Jameson is put through the emotional wringer. He initially thinks that his son died in a NASA mishap, later John visits his father looking for help while in his Man-Wolf form and his understandably misunderstood, and ultimately he’s faced with the realization that he had misjudged Spider-Man and more tragically, his own son.

However, there is an issue that I’ve been unable to reconcile with this potential Spider-Man spin-off. In Venom. astronaut John Jameson was an early victim of the symbiote and was dead before the end of that film’s first act. It’s unclear how they intend on rectifying that issue. Is his “death” the reason that JJJ is so irate in Far From Home? Did he actually die in that film? Does Venom simply take place in another timeline? Will his death and that piece of continuity be simply ignored? There are endless directions that a creative screenwriter could take the story, but it will need to addressed.

There’s clearly a lot of room for horror, monster thrills, action, and drama, if the project is shepherded by the right directing and writing talent. Additionally if Morbius is a hit, Dr. Michael Morbius and Man-Wolf also have a long comic history, with Morbius often manipulating the beast. Clearly there are a lot of viable avenues for the franchise if it takes off.

Considering the success of The Invisible Man, a monster movie set in a world of superheroes could be a fresh approach with the ability to be bankable at the box-office, with both comic book and horror fans if executed correctly. Sony is growing more confident in their developing Spider-Verse and both of these unexpected projects could be solid wins for the studio if handled correctly. It seems to be a given that Spider-Woman and Kraven the Hunter are farther along the production track, so Sony’s producers have time to craft something unique and unexpected.

Hopefully both of these projects can make it through Development Hell and now that they are on our radar, we will be sure to bring you the latest on this and other future Spider-Man projects.

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