Things are looking up for Sony Pictures in regards to Spider-Man. They say third times the charm, which certainly seems to be the case with Peter Parker and Sony. After producing five films around the character, three with Tobey Maguire and two with Andrew Garfield, the studio made a bold move.
After box office numbers that did not satisfy the higher ups, as well as some critical backlash, Sony decided to strike a deal with Marvel Studios. They essentially have Peter Parker out on a loan of sorts. What that means is we were given a third iteration of the classic comic book character, portrayed by actor Tom Holland. Holland’s version of Peter is allowed to appear in films that are in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), which was not true for Maguire or Garfield, thanks to an issue with rights.
However, Sony still has a stake in the character, and the brand name will still appear on the credits. To put things simply, Marvel Studios gets a flashy new toy to play with, while Sony gets to reap some financial rewards.
So far, this new version of Spidey has only appeared in one MCU film, Captain America: Civil War. He can next be seen in his first “solo” film, Spider-Man: Homecoming, which comes out this July, 7th. That is a film that will virtually be split between the studios, with Marvel getting the majority of creative say, given it is their universe.
But Sony does not want to miss out on the fun that is a cinematic universe. So, they are going ahead with one of their very own. Tom Hardy has already been cast as Venom, with a film around the character planned for October of 2018.
The studio has also announced plans for another film, based on Spider-Man related characters, Black Cat and Silver Sable. So it is pretty clear what the studio has in mind.
All signs point to Sony building a universe around Spidey villains and a few of his fellow heroes. However, there has been no mention of Peter Parker himself. That would make sense, given Peter will be too busy playing in the MCU. Trying to mix him into this universe would mean the two universes are connected, which could open up way too many plot holes.
But this means this universe is going to be in need of a go-to hero. That is where Miles Morales comes in.
To make things simple, Miles is the guy who took over when Peter Parker died in the comics. Now, this universe could follow that arc, or they could just ignore Peter completely. But given the outcry from fans who wanted Miles when the casting was going on not too long ago (when Holland landed the role), it is clear bringing Miles to the big screen would make plenty of sense.
What better time to do it than in the introduction of a new Spider-man based universe without the original Spidey himself? Miles would slide right into the main hero role within the universe. But here is where things get a little tricky.
Since Sony is still invested in Peter, they are still invested in the Spider-Man films that will be released featuring Holland. As a result, they are not likely to push any other Spider-Man films. Releasing two Spider-Man films with two different characters in two different universes would simply get too confusing.
So, Miles would need to be used as a key character within a different characters film. Maybe if the Sinister Six idea ever comes back into play, he could play a key role in that film. The film would primarily be focused on the bad guys, but Miles could still be there to save the day at the end.
This would not necessarily be a bad thing either. It would allow the character to spread himself across a number of different films within the universe with ease. Miles could become like the Nick Fury of this new universe, connecting all of the pieces together.
While the hardcore comic fans will know who he is, not all will. So trying to have him compete against Peter would not make a ton of sense. But introducing him across a number of different films and letting the audience get to know him would.
So Sony, the time is now. Miles Morales is ready for his big screen debut. Let him cameo in the Venom film. Then he can play a bigger role in the Black Cat and Silver Sable film. His role can continuously get bigger as the universe grows.
What do you think? Is it time to bring Miles Morales to the big screen? Would it cause too much confusing by having two big screen versions of Spider-Man? Will Sony shy away since they are still invested in Peter? Tell us what you think in the comments!