Sony Should Adapt 'Spider-Verse' to Revitalize Their 'Spider-Man' Franchise

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The future of Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man franchise is shaky and unclear after the unsatisfying performance of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in both earnings and critical reception (for the record, personally, I still liked it despite its flaws.  But it was likely because of my extreme loyalty to Spider-Man).  It’s so “shaky and unclear” that rumors of Sony’s next step for their Spidey franchise range from insanely stupid ones like an “Aunt May” movie to insanely delightful ones like teaming up with Marvel Studios to bring Spidey to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  At this point, Sony is still unsure of where to go after ASM2.   

Well, if anybody from Sony can read this, I have this free, crazy suggestion for them to dramatically rejuvenate the franchise as early as possible: let them adapt the “Spider-Verse” storyline!

“Spider-Verse” is Dan Slott’s ongoing Spider-Man mega-event wherein different Spider-Men (and “spider” characters) from different universes band together to face the threat of Morlun and his kin, who are hunting and consuming people across the multiverse that belong to the “spider totem.”  I am currently enjoying it a lot so far, and I think that its premise could work well in making an epic Spidey movie.    

Sony should proceed with ASM3.  Keep the continuity of the first two Amazing Spider-Man movies, but abandon everything related to the “Sinister Six” or Oscorp.  Don’t mention anything about Oscorp or the Sinister Six anymore.  The movie will pick off Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man years after the last movie (the movie can start with a montage of short glimpses of his adventures during the gap between the movies).  Later, Morlun is introduced to the story.  Peter Parker has no idea where this new villain came from; let Morlun’s background be a mystery for a while.  The only thing that Peter knows is that Morlun wants to feed on his spider life force.  To get to Spider-Man, Morlun will threaten Peter’s love ones.  They fight.  Spider-Man experiences the toughest, deadliest fight of his career.  He wins; Morlun is seemingly vanquished.  After the denouement – in a post-credit scene – Spidey is swinging around New York, when, suddenly another Spider-Man swings and called out to him.  Astonished and startled, Garfield’s Spidey jumped to engage the second Spidey in battle.  After a brief skirmish, the newcomer Spidey was able to calm Garfield’s Spidey.  The second Spidey removes his mask, revealing the face of – dum-dum-dum – Tobey Maguire!  “The war is just starting,” Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man says.   Roll credits.  Two years later, The Amazing Spider-Man: Spider-Versehappens.                   

Wouldn’t that be mindblowing?

Aside from getting the chance to see Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man and Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man together, here are other awesome implications of a Spider-Verse movie, where different Spider-Men from different universes will team up:

• Andrew Garfield playing different Peter Parkers, a la Tatiana Maslany’s fantastic performance in Orphan Black.   There is no need for a lot of them (a big roster will probably me too crowded, too messy).  Three or four different Andrew Garfield-played Spider-Men is enough (as long as one of them is Spider-Man Noir). 
• Miles Morales and Miguel O’Hara in the big screen!  For me, “Spider-Verse” is the best approach of bringing these two alternate Spider-Men into the big screen.  I don’t think that a stand-alone Ultimate Spider-Man or Spider-Man 2099 movie will work just as well.   
• One of the players in “Spide-Verse” is “Spider-Gwen”, a Spider-Woman from an alternate universe where Gwen Stacy is the one bitten by the radioactive spider instead of Peter Parker.  Emma Stone killed as Gwen Stacy, and her returning to play an alternate spider-powered version of the character is going to be exciting. 
• A CGI Spider-Ham!!! 

If Sony really want to replicate what Marvel Studios has accomplished so far with the MCU, Spider-Verse is probably their best opportunity to do so.  They want an ensemble of superheroes like Marvel Studios’ Avengers?  Boom, a superhero team made up of different Spider-Men.  They want a shared universe?  Boom, they get a shared multiverse.  They want an answer to Rocket Raccoon?  Boom, Spider-Ham. 

$$$!      

Do it, Sony!

It’s ambitious, but if pulled off, “Spider-Verse” could turn out to be the most epic thing ever accomplished in the history of superhero movies.