It's strange to think that there was a time when Marvel was in financial trouble. But this was the case back in 1996, when the company filed for bankruptcy and sold off the movie rights to some its most valuable assets. Among them was the jewel in its superhero crown--Spider-Man-- sold to Sony Pictures.

While this was in an era before superhero movies were box office titans, within a few years, Sony had its first Spider-Man movie in production. The film, released in 2002 and directed by Sam Raimi, was a box office success, and was followed by two successful sequels. By the end of the decade Marvel had launched its own hugely popular superhero universe, but there was still one thing missing--everyone's favourite wallcrawler.

This all changed after the commercial disappointment of 2014's The Amazing Spider-Man 2, the second film in Sony's new run of Spidey films. Plans for further spin-offs and sequels were abandoned, and a 2015 deal with Marvel parent company Disney ensured that Spider-Man could now feature in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

But just because Sony didn't have live-action Spidey for a few years, it didn't mean it had to stop making Spider-Man related films. That original 1996 deal wasn't just for one character--it included hundreds of heroes and villains from decades of Spider-Man comic books. In 2017 Sony announced that it planned to make a movie based on Venom, the fan-favorite alien symbiote that previously appeared in Raimi’s Spider-Man 3. While there may have been some fans who wondered if a Venom movie without Spider-man could work, the $856 million worldwide box office gross proved that it definitely could.

Venom was followed by Spider-Man: Enter the Spider-Verse, an animated film that was both a huge commercial and critical success, as well as the winner of 2019's Best Animated Movie Oscar. As a result, Sony has started development on a variety of Spider-man related movies and TV shows. It can be hard to keep track of exactly what is in the works, so we've rounded up all the announced and reported projects have been announced so far. Of course, not all these will necessarily happen--there have already been a couple of previously reported movies that have been cancelled or changed into different projects. But it's very likely we'll be watching films in the Spider-verse for many years to come.

1. Morbius

Status: post-production

Morbius will be the second live-action movie in Sony's Spidey universe. The movie stars Jared Leto as Michael Morbius, a scientist who is turned into a "living vampire” while attempting to find a cure for a rare blood disease. The movie was originally set to hit theaters in June, but like most big movies in 2020, has had its release delayed and will now release in March next year. It's directed by Daniel Espinosa (Life), and the moody first trailer was released back in January.

2. Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Status: post-production

The Venom sequel was greenlit soon after the first movie hit theaters, and was originally set to be released in October this year. However, the pandemic has now shifted it until June next year. Lord of the Rings and Planet of the Apes star Andy Serkis takes over from Ruben Fleischer as director, with Hardy back as Eddie Brock/Venom and Woody Harrelson playing serial killer Cletus Kasady, who is host of the evil symbiote Carnage. Michelle Williams also returns as Brock's ex-fiancée Anne, while Naomie Harris is rumored to be playing the villainous symbiote Shriek.

3. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2

Status: in production

The huge success of Into the Spider-Verse ensured that a sequel is on the way. While it won't be with us until October 2022, lead animator Nick Kondo confirmed in June that production has now started. Joaquim Dos Santos (Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra) is directing, with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller producing once more. The film will reportedly focus on the relationship between Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) and Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), while also serving as a "soft launch” for a planned female-focused animated Spidey movie.

4. Animated Female-Focused Spider-Verse Movie

Status: in development

An animated female-focused Spider-Verse spin-off was first announced in November 2018. Deadline reported that it will focus on "three generations of women with Spidey powers,” while producer Amy Pascal subsequently stated that three heroes would be Spider-Gwen, Cindy Moon/Silk, and Jessica Drew/Spider-Woman.

5. Madame Web

Status: in development

A Madame Web film was first reported in September 2019, to be written by Morbius scribes Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless. Madame Web is a code name used by several characters in the Marvel Universe, but it's most commonly used for Cassandra Webb, a mutant with clairvoyant powers. In May this year, it was reported that TV director S.J. Clarkson (Jessica Jones, The Defenders) was set to direct Sony's first "female-focused” Spidey movie. While it's not been confirmed that this would be a Madame Web movie, it remains a definite possibility.

6. Olivia Wilde's Spidey movie

Status: in development

One of the most exciting recent names to be linked to an upcoming yet-to-be-announced Sony superhero movie is actor and director Olivia Wilde. This news was confirmed by Wilde herself, who retweeted a story in Deadline that suggested it will focus on the character of Spider-Woman, accompanying it with a spider emoji. Deadline stated that Wilde will write the project with Katie Silberman, her collaborator on her acclaimed 2018 directorial debut Booksmart. There have been a few characters to use the Spider-Woman name over the years, but the best known is Jessica Drew, who gained her Spider powers after being injected with an experimental serum.

7. Silk

Status: in development

A movie about Korean-American spider-powered superhero Silk (aka Cindy Moon) was first rumored back in June 2018, but very little subsequent news about the project emerged over the next two years. However, last month it was reported that the character will now feature in a TV show rather than a movie. Lauren Moon (Good Trouble, Atypical) is reportedly in talks to direct, while Lord and Miller will produce. In addition, The Wrap has stated that Amazon are in talks to buy the streaming rights to the Silk series.

8. Kraven the Hunter

Status: in development

While Venom and Morbius are technically anti-heroes--they're bad, but they fight enemies even worse than they are--Kraven the Hunter is definitely a villain. Nevertheless, the insane big-game hunter is one of the most iconic villains in Spider-Man comics, so unsurprisingly there's a Kraven movie in development. In August it was reported that JC Chandor (A Most Violent Year, Triple Frontier) is in talks to direct, with Richard Wenk (The Equalizer) set to write the script. In Marvel's comics Kraven is also part of Sinister Six, so we might see him in that film too, if it ever happens (see slide 11).

9. Jackpot

Status: in development

News of a Jackpot movie came in May this year. This super-strong crime fighter is a relatively new character--she first appeared in 2007 and has had two identities so far, Sara Ehret and Alana Jobson. The only other thing we know so far about this project is that Marc Guggenheim (Supergirl, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow) has been hired to write the script.

10. The Sinister Six

Status: in development

Plans for a Sinister Six movie predate any of the other movies on this list. The supervillain team-up film was teased at the end of 2014's The Amazing Spider-Man 2, with Drew Goddard (The Martian, The Cabin in the Woods) set to write and direct. However, The Amazing Spider-Man 2's disappointing commercial performance and Sony's subsequent loan of Spidey to the MCU meant that it was on hold. Nevertheless, in December 2018, Spidey producer Amy Pascal revealed that the project remained a possibility, stating, "I'm just waiting for Drew to be ready to direct it. I'm just waiting for him to tell me he wants to." Goddard has himself still expressed an interest in doing so, telling The Hollywood Reporter, "it could see the light of day.”

11. Silver & Black

Status: in development

A movie--or possibly two movies--focusing on the characters of master thief Black Cat and mercenary Silver Sable has been in various stages of development for several years. Old Guard director Gina Prince-Bythewood signed on in 2017 to direct Silver & Black, but script issues led the project to be delayed, and ultimately cancelled. It was then reported that Sony would instead develop two separate films, based on the two characters, with Black Cat happening first and Prince-Bythewood still involved as a producer. However, earlier this year it was rumored that the characters might instead feature in a TV show. Prince-Bythewood herself stated that a Silver & Black "limited series" was indeed under consideration, even though she would prefer it to stay as a movie.