According to reports, Sony Pictures is doing a bit of shuffling with The Amazing Spider-Man franchise. Besides the two entries we’ve had so far, Sony has been wanting to expand the scope of their films in the same way Marvel is branching out beyond individual titles and weaving them into The Avengers. Due to legal rights, don’t expect to see Peter Parker help out Iron Man or Wolverine but thanks to a rich history of comics, Sony has plenty to work  with. Teased in the prior movies, it’s no secret that Sony is working on  bringing the Sinister Six to the big screens as well as a Venom film that will all tie into The Amazing Spider-Man franchise.

Previously, Sony had June 10, 2016 and May 4, 2018 locked down for their Amazing Spider-Man franchise with the 2016 date being set aside for The Amazing Spider-Man 3. Despite earning $700 million at the box office, the latest entry received a tepid response from fans (something that was lost one me, seeing how I saw it 3 times) and instead of just rebooting the franchise, Sony is doing something a bit more interesting. Though the studio has yet to confirm it, it’s looking like The Sinister Six film will instead be released in 2016 that will shake up the world of Peter Parker a bit.

Though it’s differed depending on the comic you’ve read, the big screen adaptation of The Sinister Six will likely feature Doctor Octopus, Kraven the Hunter, Vulture, Venom, Rhino, and the Green Goblin. Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods co-writer and director) has already been brought onboard to direct the film after he left his position as show runner of Daredevil on the upcoming Marvel series on Netflix. It’s now looking more likely that Sony is pushing full steam ahead with this film which it likely hopes changes the tone of the Spider-Man world before bringing back Peter Parker in 2017 for The Amazing Spider-Man 3.

The Amazing Spider-Man 3 is already deep in development with director Marc Webb and star Andrew Garfield returning and Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Jeff Pinker on as writers. After 2017, it looks like a standalone Venom film will arrive in theaters that takes place once again in the Spider-Man universe. As someone who adored the last Spidy outing, it’s disappointing to hear of the delay. From a business perspective, the longer between sequels, the less of a return a studio sees as audience attention is short. Star Trek: Into Darkness is a great example where the original was loved and the sequel was reviewed highly but due to a large gap between films, both movies ended up earning nearly the same.

Then again, I think what Sony is doing with the franchise is an interesting take by releasing a film that’s all about the villains. It’s believed that Spider-Man won’t be in those films, making it a bit of a head scratcher on how exactly the films will work, (don’t expect the NYPD to fend off against them all) but I for one am looking forward to them. Of course all these plans are fluid and prone to change at any given moment but keep it locked in to the Daily Bugle SRN as we learn more. PARRKKEEERRRRR

Discuss:

Are you bummed that The Amazing Spider-Man 3 is being delayed?