'There actually is a plan': Inside Sony's tangled web of 900 Marvel characters, no Spider-Man needed

"You Don't Miss Spider-Man": Sony’s Marvel Movies Go Big with 'Kraven the Hunter,' Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and the Future of the MCU

In an unexpected twist of Hollywood casting, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, known for his roles in “Kick-Ass” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” has emerged as a serious Marvel powerhouse. Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group President Sanford Panitch didn't even recognize him at first, but soon Taylor-Johnson's talent caught his eye. "It was a ‘I had to look him up’ kind of thing," Panitch tells Variety.

From Unknown to Unstoppable: The Rise of Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Known primarily for his roles as Quicksilver and Kick-Ass, Taylor-Johnson initially raised some eyebrows when considered for “Kraven the Hunter,” a complex Marvel anti-hero. But director David Leitch and Brad Pitt were believers, and soon enough, Taylor-Johnson proved he could hold his own against Hollywood royalty like Pitt.

“He’s charming and he’s funny and he’s holding his own against Brad Pitt. A lot of people can’t do that,” Panitch marveled.

Sony's Marvel Universe: 900 Characters and Counting, But No Spider-Man?

With Sony's Spider-Man deal with Disney's Marvel Studios coming to a close, the studio is stepping up its game to explore its vast trove of Marvel characters. From “Venom” and its sequel “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” to the vampiric “Morbius,” Sony is stretching its Marvel muscles.

But where does that leave Spider-Man?

Panitch draws a fine line, separating the iconic web-slinger from other titles. “We don’t really think of our 900 characters as the Spidey-verse. We have a Marvel universe. The volume of characters we have — you know, wait until you see this next ‘Venom.’ You don’t miss Spider-Man,” he says. But he tantalizingly teases, “It’ll be exciting if they do meet, right?”

The Sinister Six, Kraven, and What the Future Holds

The complicated relationship between Sony's Marvel-verse and Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe has left fans on edge. The long-awaited "Spider-Man: No Way Home" is diving into the multiverse, allowing a crossover between universes, and leaving doors open for potential collaborations.

Sony is not ruling out any possibilities. From the Sinister Six, the notorious team of Spider-Man villains, to Kraven, there's a sense of something big brewing. "There actually is a plan," Panitch assures.

When it comes to Sinister Six, Panitch keeps his cards close to his chest but leaves fans with a glimmer of hope. “It would be very cool, wouldn’t it?”

Sony's Marvel universe is undoubtedly expanding, taking bold and strategic steps. The addition of Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Kraven and the hints of a possible Sinister Six demonstrate the studio's commitment to exploring its Marvel assets to the fullest. And while Spider-Man's future remains ambiguous, there's plenty to look forward to in Sony's Marvel universe.

(Several parts of the text in this article, including the title, were generated with the help of an AI tool.)